Chapter 97: The Waiting
Aurora knelt down again, brushing a strand of hair from Aria’s face.
She tried to speak, but her throat felt dry, her words failing her.
Instead, she pulled Aria close and whispered, "We’re going to find him, I promise."
Derek had been quietly talking with the officer, his face serious as they discussed the next steps.
Aurora caught bits of their conversation—something about surveillance cameras, roadblocks—but it all seemed distant, as if she were hearing it through a thick fog.
Her only focus was Leo.
Ava hovered nearby, her hands clasped tightly together.
Aurora glanced at her and saw the guilt written all over her face.
Ava hadn’t said much since the call with Aurora, but her distress was clear.
Aurora knew Ava was beating herself up, probably imagining a hundred ways she could have prevented this.
And Aurora wanted to reassure her, to tell her it wasn’t her fault. But the words wouldn’t come.