7.

There was a long silence between us, and for the first time, I felt like maybe Daniel was starting to understand. But the tension remained, thick and heavy, between us.

Finally, Daniel sighed, looking away, frustration clear on his face. “I guess you’re right. But if you hear anything, let me know.”

I nodded, still uncertain of what was going on. “I will.”

He turned and left without another word, the door closing softly behind him. As I stood there, watching him disappear into the hallway, I felt a strange mix of emotions—relief, confusion, and a lingering sense of dread that I couldn’t shake. What was really going on with Evelyn? And why did Daniel seem so desperate to find her?

I needed to talk to someone. My mind was racing, my thoughts clouded with concern and frustration. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong with Evelyn.

I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I scrolled through my contacts. Cecily.

She was the one person who always had a way of grounding me, of making me feel like everything would be okay, even when it felt like the world was falling apart.

I pressed her name and waited as the phone rang. Cecily picked up on the third ring, her voice light and carefree as always.

"Hey, girl! What’s up?" she asked, the usual energy in her voice bringing a small sense of comfort.

“Cecily, I need to ask you something,” I said, my voice steady, though my mind was in a state of chaos. “Do you know where Evelyn is? I can’t find her anywhere.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then Cecily’s voice came through, laced with disbelief.

“Why are you asking about her?” Cecily asked, her tone turning defensive. “She’s probably in hell somewhere, not giving a damn about anyone else. Why should you even care?”

“I know,” I said, sighing. “But she’s gone missing since today, and Daniel’s been all over my head about it. He was just here. He left, but I need to find her, Cecily. I’m worried.”

There was another long pause before Cecily spoke again, her voice a little softer, but still tinged with frustration.

“Vera, you don’t need to find her. You’re not her babysitter, okay? You don’t have to be the one who looks after her. She can take care of herself. If she wants to disappear or do whatever she’s doing, that’s her problem, not yours.”

“I know, but—” I started to protest, but Cecily cut me off, her voice firm.

“No. No more of this, Vera. You don’t need to degrade yourself by chasing after Evelyn like this. You’re better than that. You don’t need to be dragged into her mess, whatever it is.”

I sat down on the couch, feeling the weight of her words. Maybe she was right. I wasn’t Evelyn’s keeper. But something about this whole situation felt… wrong.

Still, Cecily wasn’t wrong about one thing. I couldn’t lose myself in this.

“Okay,” I finally said, my voice quiet. “I get it. But I still need to do something, right? I can’t just sit around and not do anything.”

“Well, guess what?” Cecily said, the teasing tone creeping back into her voice. “I’ll be there to keep an eye on you, just to make sure you’re not going on some crazy hunt for your sister. I’m not gonna let you do it alone. So don’t even think about it.”

“Oh, please,” I groaned. “You don’t need to do that.”

“Nope, too bad. I’m coming over, and I’m bringing Nicholas with me. We’ll have ourselves a little party. You know, like the one we had on your birthday. We’ll make it a big bang.”

I sighed, half-laughing at her persistence. “I don’t want to get drunk like I did on my birthday, Cecily. I just want a shoulder to cry on, maybe.”

Cecily’s tone softened. “Of course, you’ve got me. But listen, I’ll be there with Nicholas, and we’ll get some takeout. What do you want? Chinese or Thai?”

I thought for a moment before replying, “You know what? Italian sounds good.”

“Great. I’ll order our chauffeur to pick it up, and I’ll be there soon,” she said, almost too cheerfully.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her over-the-top excitement. “Chauffeur? Are we really doing this, Cecily?”

“Damn right we are,” she said. “I’m not letting you sulk around here, okay? Let’s lighten the mood a little.”

“Okay, okay. Thanks, Cecily. Seriously,” I said, my voice sincere now, a small weight lifting off my shoulders. She always knew how to make me feel better, even when things were chaotic.

We said our goodbyes, and I hung up, feeling a little less alone in all of this. Cecily was right in a way—I didn’t need to chase after Evelyn.

But that feeling, the one deep in my gut, still hadn’t gone away. Something was off, and no matter how much I tried to push it aside, it lingered in the back of my mind.

About an hour later, Cecily and Nicholas arrived. Nicholas, as always, was the calming presence he’d always been—silent and easygoing, while Cecily practically bounced into the apartment, her energy filling the space.

She was right, though. It was good to have her here. Even if I wasn’t chasing after Evelyn, I needed someone to help distract me.

Cecily pulled me into the kitchen as Nicholas set up the living room with a few drinks.

“Okay, so we’ve got Italian ood, I ordered the spaghetti with the spicy sauce you love. Nicholas already made the playlist, so we’re good to go,” Cecily said, grinning.

“But listen, I still think you need to drop the Evelyn thing. She’s probably off doing her own thing, and you’re better off not getting involved.”

“I don’t know,” I said, biting my lip, still uneasy. “It just feels like something’s wrong, you know? She’s not the type to just disappear. She always has a plan, a backup. But today… she’s just gone.”

Cecily softened a bit, her playful demeanor fading.

“I get it. But you’re not the one who needs to go after her. If she’s gone, then she’ll come back when she’s ready. You don’t need to wear yourself thin worrying about it.”