Chapter 32: The Vanishing.

That morning, there'd been no sign, no weird little foreboding to alert her that something was going to blow up in her face. Chloe awoke the same as every other morning, cuddled in Liam's comforting embrace, their soft and rhythmic breathing in sync. She traced the contours of his face with gentle fingertips and marveled anew at the perfect symmetry of his features and at the way his lashes fanned across chiseled cheekbones. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, untouched by the harsh reality that they normally lived through. Chloe curled up with a sigh of contentment, allowing herself to be drawn back into the warm cocoon of sleep, safe in the knowledge that her world was one of completeness. But when she opened them again, something was wrong. There was a delicate underlayer of not-rightness that set her instincts on edge. It took her an addled moment to put her finger on it. The other side of the bed was empty, and the place felt cold. “Liam was missing.” A frisson of unease tic