The door creaked open as I stumbled into the house. It was empty again. “He’s gone, as usual,” I muttered, but something didn’t sit right. His car was still in the driveway, his coat hung on the rack in the living room. The kitchen looked exactly as I’d left it last night—untouched.
I brushed the uneasy feeling aside, heading upstairs for a warm bath. The hot water relaxed me, but the knot in my stomach remained. Afterward, I went back downstairs to make breakfast. I ate in silence, scrolling through the accounts and reviewing my recent cons. But no matter how much I tried to focus, my mind drifted—back to last night.
I didn’t want to feel guilty. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t my fault, but something gnawed at me. Where could he have gone? I’d come home early, and it was still only 8:00 a.m. The thought wouldn’t leave me. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number.
A faint ringing echoed from somewhere inside the house.
I froze. Did he leave his phone at home?