Chapter 7
Lena clutched the picture in her trembling hands, her heart beating so fiercely she was certain the walls of the cabin could hear it. Noah Graves. The name she had scribbled in her diary before her memory had been erased. The name that had lingered in the back of her subconscious mind like a whisper she couldn't quite hear.
And here he was now, staring back at her from the old photo-standing beside her, close enough that there was no doubt they were together.
The ramifications sent a shivery chill down her spine. If she had known Noah before if they had meant anything to each other, then why would Ethan have gone and erased all trace of him?
Her heart was racing with a terrifying realization. Ethan hadn't just kept Noah from her-he had destroyed him.
Lena quickly tucked the photo into the pocket of her hoodie. She wasn't sure how much time she had before Ethan returned from gathering firewood, but she needed to hurry.
Her eyes darted back to the bookcase, hunting for anything else that was out of place. That the picture had been hidden inside The Art of Deception was not lost on her. Coincidence? Or had Ethan put it there, knowing she'd never look?
She ran her fingers gently along the spines of the books, feeling for anything tucked between the pages. Nothing. She pulled out the small wooden drawer beneath the shelf. Empty.
A frustration brewed in her chest. There had to be more. One photo wasn't enough.
She moved to Ethan's side of the closet, digging through his duffel bag. Clothes. A pocketknife. A small leather-bound notebook.
Lena hesitated.
Ethan was not a diary-keeping man. He stored everything in his head, neatly filed and controlled. If he'd put something down, it was important.
She took a last glance out the window to make sure he wasn't back yet, then opened the notebook.
The pages were filled with short, concise entries, in his neat, almost mechanical handwriting.
Lena's medication was changed. No side effects are evident.
Contact with the past remains severed.
Noah – is still a variable.
Continue with caution.
Lena's breath hitched.
Contact with the past remains severed.
That was all. The proof she had been searching for. Ethan had ensured she wouldn't remember anything.
And Whoever he was was the sole thing Ethan still deemed a variable.
That meant Noah was still out there.
The thought sent a jolt of adrenaline through her. If she could find Noah, she could get answers. She could finally hear what Ethan had stolen from her.
But she couldn't let Ethan know she was onto him.
Footsteps crunched outside.
Lena's stomach dropped.
She shoved the notebook back into the duffel and shut the closet just as the door swung open.
Ethan entered, his expression unreadable as he swept the snow from his coat.
"Hey, what's up?" he said, his voice easy but with a hint of curiosity.
Lena feigned a smile, sauntering away from the closet in a leisurely fashion. "Just looking for an extra blanket. It's chilly in here."
Ethan's gaze flicked to the closet, then back to her. "You could've asked. I would've brought you one."
Lena shrugged, pretending indifference. "Didn't want to disturb you."
He didn't respond immediately. Just stood there, looking at her for a second too long.
Then, finally, he nodded. "Fair enough."
Lena turned away, breathing as silently as possible. If he was suspicious, he didn't indicate it. But she couldn't take any risks.
She had to get out of there.
And she had to find Noah before it was too late.
---
That night, as Ethan slept beside her, Lena lay awake, her mind spinning. She needed to have a plan-something solid. Ethan was always one step ahead, always observing. If she made the slightest mistake, he'd be aware.
But she had to leave.
She thought of Dr. Noah Graves, his gentle yet questioning eyes. If he had been important to her in the past, he could still be made to help her now. She needed to find a way of meeting him again.
The cabin was remote, miles from the nearest town. Ethan had driven them here, and she had no way of taking the car without waking him.
That meant she had to be resourceful.
By daybreak, she had the beginnings of a plan.
Step one: Convince Ethan everything is fine.
Step two: Get them home without suspicion.
Step three: Find Noah.
It was a fragile plan, but it was the best she could do.
When Ethan woke up, Lena greeted him with a relaxed smile, grazing a kiss on his shoulder as if everything was the same. "Morning."
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. "Morning. Sleep well?"
"Yeah," she fibbed. "This place is lovely."
Ethan grinned, looking pleased. "Told you it would be good for us."
Lena let her fingers trace small circles on his chest, careful to keep her face relaxed and trusting. "Can we return here again?"
Ethan looked at her as if trying to read between the lines of what she was saying.
Then he nodded. "Of course. I was thinking we might even stay longer."
Lena's stomach clenched.
That was not the plan.
She needed to get home. She needed to find Noah.
So she manufactured a little laugh, her lips brushing his jaw. "Tempting, but I have work on Monday."
He moved a hand down her spine, thinking about it. "You've been so stressed lately. Maybe it's time you took more time off."
Lena's heart was pounding. Was he testing her?
She raised herself onto one elbow, pretending to consider. "Maybe. But I should at least call in. Let them know I'm safe."
A shadow of something dark passed across Ethan's face.
Then, just as quickly, was gone.
"Okay," he said. "We'll go out in the morning."
Lena forced herself to lean back into him, pretending to melt into his warmth.
One more day.
She could get through one more day.
But after that?
She was getting out and was never coming back.