Chapter 154: When She’s Ready
Alex sat on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together as he stared at the floor.
His mind was a tangled mess, his heart heavy with worry. Seeing Claire like this again—locked away, shutting them out—it scared him. Just was almost the way it had been twenty nine years ago and what scared him the most was the fact that their father was no longer alive.
He had been the one who talked Claire out of her room when it happened so now, who was going to talk her out? When would she step out? Would she he okay? He mused, his heart heavy with worry.
Emma sat beside him, watching him closely. His tense shoulders, the way he exhaled sharply like he was trying to push away emotions he couldn't quite control. She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
"Alex," she said softly. "Was she also this way twenty nine years ago? What exactly happened? And who was the person that was murdered? What connection did this person have with Chris's aunt?"
Alex closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, they were filled with something Emma rarely saw—pain. It had only been there when she had been in danger.
"It happened twenty-nine years ago," he said, his voice quiet but weighed down by the past. "I was just a kid, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Claire... she went to prom that night with this Mathew guy and then she was gone."
Emma frowned. "Gone?" Emma asked in confusion.
Alex nodded. "She disappeared. For three days, nobody knew where she was. The only place they had seen her was at prom with the guy. We searched everywhere, asked everyone... It was like she vanished into thin air. Even the guy was also missing so we had thought they were probably kidnapped or something." His voice wavered, and he ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "And then, on the third day, we got news."
Emma's grip on his arm tightened. "What news?"
Alex swallowed, his throat feeling tight. "That she was found... in a forgotten building."