My eyes flew to the sink. My necklace was gone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“ETHAN!” I burst out of the bathroom.

He jumped up. “What? Are you okay?”

“No. My necklace is gone. I left it on the sink. Then I heard something. I thought it was you, but I guess it wasn’t. The window is wide open, and I didn’t open it. And now my necklace is missing.”

“Slow down.” He wrapped me in a hug. “The window’s open?”

“Yes, and I didn’t open it. I think someone came into the bathroom while I was in the shower. I heard a noise.”

“Why didn’t you see what it was when you heard it?”

How did I answer that? I’d thought it was Ethan, and I freaked out and grabbed my towel to cover up. I couldn’t tell him that. “I don’t know. I panicked, I guess. I grabbed my towel and got out, but it was too late. Whoever it was had already gone and taken my necklace with them.”

“Stay here.” Ethan went into the bathroom and looked around. “I don’t see anyone out there.”

“I doubt they would’ve stuck around after they stole from me.”

“I don’t get it.” He shut the window and came back into the kitchen. “Why would someone crawl through the bathroom window to steal a necklace? It’s not even like it was an expensive necklace.”

I had to tell him about the note. It might give us some clue about who broke into our bathroom.

“Ethan, there’s something I need to tell you, but you have to promise to stay calm.”

His jaw clenched, and his nostrils flared. The longer I waited, the worse he was going to get.

“I found a note in my locker today. I went to get my lunch, and there was a note on it.”

“From who?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“I don’t know.”

“What did it say?”

I closed my eyes, unable to look at him as I said it. “‘The necklace suits you. Wear it always.’ That was it.”

He didn’t say a word, so I slowly opened my eyes.

“Ethan?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? You saw me right after that, right?”

“Yeah, but—”

“You should’ve told me.”

“Why are you getting so worked up over this?”

“Why? Because it obviously wasn’t a mistake. Someone gave you that necklace.”

“I know.”

“So, do you expect me to be happy that some guy is leaving gifts and secret notes in my girlfriend’s locker?”

“Of course not, but it doesn’t matter anyway. The necklace is gone. Whoever gave it to me probably saw you and me together and figured it out. So they broke in and took the necklace back.”

“Good. I’m glad that thing is gone.”

“Ethan, don’t be like that.” I reached for his arm, but he jerked it away.

“I’m going for a walk.”

“It’s pitch black outside.”

“I don’t care.”

“Someone broke into our house, and you’re going to leave me here alone?” I didn’t want to play the helpless girl card because I’ve never considered myself helpless against anything other than cancer—and now this thing that was happening to me, making me feed off others—but I didn’t know what else to say to keep him here.

He stared at me, and, for a moment, he didn’t look like my Ethan.

“I’m sorry.” Tears welled up in my eyes. Not because I’d kept this from him or because he was upset with me for it. But because I had an even bigger secret, one I knew he wouldn’t forgive me for keeping.

He exhaled loudly and pulled me into his chest. “Don’t cry.” He rubbed the back of my head. “It’s just that I lost you once. I don’t want to do it again. Especially to some other guy. I couldn’t handle that. Not after everything…”

I still didn’t know how he’d brought me back. I tilted my head and stared into his beautiful blue eyes. “What did you go through to bring me back? You never told me.”

“You don’t need to know.” He let go of me and walked into the living room as if the conversation was over.

“I didn’t think you needed to know about the note in my locker, but that’s not how you feel.” Maybe it was a low blow, but I needed him to see this from my point of view.

He sat down on the couch. “It’s nowhere near the same.”

“You’re right. It’s not. I kept something that didn’t even concern you a secret. You’re keeping something that has everything to do with me secret.” I knew he was going to get mad, so I sat down on his lap, keeping him in his seat. I took his face in my hands and kissed him. I held the kiss long enough for him to think about what I’d said. Think, but not react. When I let go, I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. “I need to know, Ethan. I need to know what you did to give me a second chance.”

“Why does it matter? Isn’t being here with me enough?”

“You know it is. I love you, but I need to understand what happened. People don’t get do-overs in life. So, why did I?”

“Because I love you.” He pulled me toward him, kissing me hard.

I didn’t know if it was losing my necklace or fighting with Ethan, but I was charged up. I kissed him back, running my fingers through the hair on the back of his head. His lips worked their way down my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I forgot about our fight. I forgot about my necklace. I forgot about the people I’d killed. It was just Ethan and me.

The next thing I knew, we were in the bedroom, and, this time, I didn’t stop him. I didn’t run away.

I woke up at 2:38, shivering and gasping for air. Ethan was sound asleep, looking peaceful. I had to get away from him before it was too late, but the feeling hit me hard. The feeling of death. I fell to the floor in a heap. The sound probably could’ve woken a corpse, but Ethan slept through it. I crawled out of the bedroom and to the front door. The carpeting burned my knees as I dragged my legs across it. I wasn’t sure I could even make it to the car this time, and part of me didn’t care. I only had to get far enough away from Ethan so that he wouldn’t get hurt. If I died…well, I was already supposed to be dead.

I used the doorknob to pull myself up. I had to unlatch the deadbolt. I held on to the doorknob and reached my other hand up, swatting at the chain. I managed to loop my finger through it. I tugged, which was more like letting my arm fall back down, and the bolt slid out. I turned the lock on the doorknob and twisted it open. Every movement felt like it took all my strength, but I got the door open.

I tumbled down the front steps and landed half on one of the big rocks. A jagged edge dug into my back, and I winced. My vision blurred. At first, I’d thought I knocked myself out, but then I realized I was having another vision. I braced myself for images of Trevor. He was my last victim, so it would be his face I saw. His future I glimpsed. Only it wasn’t his future anymore.

Everything went black, and then it was like a curtain lifting. It was the old man again—the one I couldn’t identify. I struggled for breath, partly out of surprise and partly because my body was shutting down. This time the man wasn’t as old. He sat on a bench, feeding the birds. The woman from the previous vision wasn’t with him. He was alone. Just him and the birds.

When he ran out of birdseed, he leaned his head back and stared up at the sun. He sighed, and a single tear dripped down his cheek.

“Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about you. You should be here with me now.”

His shoulders shook and more tears lined his face. “What’s that old saying? Time heals all wounds? Something like that. Well, whoever said it was a liar. Some wounds never heal. Losing you never stopped hurting. I’ll mourn you until the day I die, and I’ll love you even longer.” He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. My heart broke for him—whoever he was.

Everything went dark again. I heard noises around me, and I turned my head from side to side, but my vision hadn’t returned yet. Oh, please don’t let it be Ethan. If he found me, if I touched him…