Page 47 of Never Alone
The return address was Nicholas's.
"This is not good."
Cole had arrived twenty minutes after I called him. Noah was in his room with the door closed. Cole stood at my kitchen table with the envelope in his hand, the return address turned toward him.
I hadn't opened it. I hadn't been able to make myself.
"It's addressed to Noah."
He turned it over. Looked at the front. Set it down.
"That means he's found you."
My hands went cold. I couldn’t get the next breath.
Noah was ten feet away in the next room. He didn't know yet.
He had picked up a pen. He had written my son's name on an envelope. He had paid for postage. He had put it in the mail with intent.
I threw the letter in the trash.
I’d been afraid of this every day for eight months. The fear had not done its work.
"But the filing hasn't gone through," I said. "Miranda's still—how could he?"
"The news crew found you, didn't they?"
I closed my eyes and tried to breathe.
Every part of me was telling me to run. The go-bag was still in the closet. I could pack what was left of our things—the fire had taken most of it; what was left fit in two duffels—put Noah in the car, get to the highway by dark. We'd done it before. The first time wasn't the worst time. We could do it again.
I stopped.
Another city. Another bakery. Another small life I'd build out of nothing and lose the minute I started to like it.
You can't keep running for the rest of his childhood,Mrs. Thompson reminded me a few weeks ago.
Cole's voice pulled me back into the room.
"You two can stay with me."
"What?"
"You two should stay with me tonight." He said it again, slower this time. "We can figure this out with Miranda tomorrow."
"But I don't?—"
I stopped. I didn't know how to finish the sentence.
I don't want to owe you more than I already do.
The thought of being in his apartment sat heavy in my chest. I had already asked him for too much. Now I was about to bring my son and my fear inside his front door.
Cole was looking at me, steady and waiting. He was not going to let me find a way out of this.
"It's not up for debate. You two are in danger. Pack your bags. You're staying at my apartment."
Cole's apartment was on the third floor. He unlocked the door and let us in.
