"When you love someone, you never give up on them."
Aaron Adair
Upon my return to the table, Olivia's purse lay scattered over the edge, her book discarded on the ground, yet she was nowhere in sight.
Assuming she had gone to use the restroom, I instinctively checked her bag for her phone and, to my surprise, it was still there. Scanning the bustling food court, I diligently searched for any signs of her presence.
Filled with growing concern as I failed to find any trace of her, I hastily retrieved my phone from my back pocket and dialed Layla's number, hoping for some answers.
"Hello?"
"Lay, is Olivia with you?" I asked.
She hesitated for a moment, "No, why?" I hear Natalie say she thought Olivia was with me.
"She was," I explained. "She asked for a cookie so I went to go get it and when I came back, she wasn't here."
"Maybe she went to the restroom," Layla suggested.
After explaining that Olivia's purse and belongings were still at the table, I concluded that Layla and Natalie were unable to provide any assistance and promptly ended the call, no longer interested in continuing the conversation.
I hastily gathered Olivia's bag, placing my phone and her book inside, and swiftly exited the food court. The uncertainty of her whereabouts weighed heavily on my mind, whether she had left of her own accord, been coerced, or abducted. An onslaught of troubling thoughts swirled in my mind, intensifying the pounding headache I was experiencing.
I hurriedly made my way to the car, determined to drive to her parents' place in the hopes of finding her there. If she wasn't there, I feared the overwhelming sense of desperation that might consume me.
❁
As I reached the Bennett's house, my brakes screeched loudly during the abrupt stop. Approaching their front door, I accidentally banged my fists forcefully against the glass.
Katherine opened the door after a brief pause, her face initially filled with fear, but it quickly transformed into relief as she recognized me.
"Is that you, Aaron?" Her voice carried confusion, and I couldn't blame her. After all, the last time I had visited their house was when they invited Olivia, along with her despicable, rapist uncle, for dinner.
"Is Olivia here?" I silently prayed for a positive response, hoping that Olivia had chosen to leave. However, my hopes dwindled as Katherine shook her head and revealed that she hadn't heard from Olivia since her departure from the hospital. The weight of reality began to sink in, leaving me with a heavy heart.
Emerging onto the porch, Katherine adjusted her robe tightly to shield herself from the cold breeze. Leaning down slightly, she locked her eyes with mine, which remained fixated on the ground. "Why?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. "What's happened, Aaron?"
"We were at the mall, with Natalie, and my sister." I explained. "I wanted Olivia to rest so we split up and went to the food court," I took a deep breath as I retraced our steps. "She asked me for a sugar cookie, so I left to get it and when I came back," I exhaled, trying to keep my composure. "She was gone."
"Oh, God," Katherine's voice trembled with fear, her face mirroring the distress she displayed upon initially opening the door. "David!" she screamed, urgently summoning Olivia's father.
After a brief moment, he emerged from the dimly lit foyer, wearing a look of panic on his face. "Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, rushing to hold Katherine in his arms as she was already overcome with sobs.
"Olivia..." Katherine's voice trembled as she sniffled and tried to speak through her tears. "They were at the mall, and... when he returned, she was gone, David." Her words were infused with agony, and in that moment, I realized that Olivia's parents weren't entirely insensitive.
A stunned expression swept across David's face as he shifted his gaze between Katherine and me. "Well, did she say anything?" he asked urgently. "Was she acting differently?" The tone of his voice pressured me for an immediate response.
"No," I replied, shaking my head. "She was fine, we were fine." I paused, briefly contemplating if there had been anything amiss, but quickly dismissed the thought from my mind.
Witnessing their vulnerable expressions, I descended the short steps and spoke with conviction, "I'll find her. She'll be okay." While I reassured them, my words were also an attempt to calm my own anxiety. With no clue about Olivia's whereabouts or who might have taken her, it was a perplexing enigma that I was determined to unravel. Leaving the Bennett's house, I quickly drove to my brother's place, ready to do whatever it took to find my girl.