Chapter 10 No way. He tried again. Once. Twice. Still the same message. He quickly opened up their chat, typed a message-and immediately got the dreaded red exclamation mark. [Message not delivered. You've been blocked.] Either the number was disconnected, or she'd blocked him. For the first time, Jace realized that maybe, just maybe, when Sloane said they were done... she wasn't throwing a tantrum like before. "Jace!" Marissa's cheerful voice called out from behind him. She hurried over, reaching for his arm. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. I need your help with-" Jace suddenly shoved her hand away. Hard. Marissa stumbled back a step, stunned. The sweet smile on her face froze. "Get away from me," he snapped. His eyes were dark and wild with frustration, something close to panic. He didn't have the patience for Marissa right now. Leaving her standing there, stunned and hurt, he turned away and began calling every mutual contact he and Sloane had. "Wayne? Have you heard from Sloane? Do you know where she went?" "Jane, it's Jace. Has Sloane been in touch?" "Hey, when did you last see Sloane? Did you know she changed her number?" One after another, the calls went out, but none of them gave him the answer he wanted. "Sloane? No, she hasn't said anything..." "I thought she was starting at Northbridge with you?" "Changed her application? But I thought you two were going together?" "She changed her number? Why?" That girl-who'd always been there whenever he turned around, like the sun rising behind him-had vanished without a trace, Every connection between them had been cleanly, completely severed. Even her parents' numbers were no longer working. When he called home and asked about it, the news hit Chapter 10 45.45% him like a brick to the face: Sloane's entire family had moved away. His ears rang. His world tilted. [Dude, what's going on?] a friend texted. "[You really can't find Sloane? Did you two have a huge fight or something?] Jace stared at the screen, hands clenched into fists. Was it really just a fight? All those other times, she'd threatened to leave, and he'd coaxed her back-sometimes with real effort, sometimes with a half-hearted text. She always came back. He'd gotten used to that-used to her always being there, to the safety of knowing she couldn't really walk away. He thought this time would be the same. He thought that by ignoring her, by kissing Marissa in front of her, he could teach her a lesson. Make her think twice before tossing out the word "breakup." He never thought she'd actually leave. And leave like this-with no trace, no warning, no way back. "Jace..." Marissa ventured cautiously, her eyes red. "Don't be like this... You're scaring me. Maybe she's just still upset... I'm sure she'll calm down in a few days-" "Shut up!" Jace snapped, turning on her with a glare so cold it sent a chill down her spine. "If it weren't for you-" But he stopped himself mid-sentence. If it weren't for her what? That phone call she just had to make? All those times she clung to him? No. The problem wasn't Marissa. It was him. He was the one who ignored Sloane's feelings, who kept pushing her boundaries, who was so damn sure she'd never leave. His chest tightened, the pain so sharp it felt like he couldn't breathe. He pushed past Marissa, stumbling toward the street, waving down a cab. "Where to?" the driver asked. Jace opened his mouth, but no words came out. Chapter 10 45.45% He had no destination. He didn't know where Sloane had moved. He didn't even know which city she was in now. The world was huge, and if she didn't want to be found... where could he even begin? "Anywhere," he muttered, leaning back in the seat, his voice hoarse. "Just drive." His phone kept vibrating. Marissa's name flashed on the screen again and again. Text after text asking where he was, why he wasn't answering, filled with need and guilt and accusation. Once, that kind of dependence might've stroked his ego. Now, it just suffocated him. He swiped away the notifications, tempted to shut his phone off completely. But he couldn't. He had to stay reachable-had to hold onto the tiny chance that someone, somewhere, might know where she'd gone. Night fell. The taxi wove aimlessly through Northbridge city's glowing streets. Neon lights blurred past the windows, but none of them lit up the darkness inside his chest. Jace sat there, staring at the old messages she'd sent-the ones he used to ignore or skim. Her daily updates, her little complaints, her rare bursts of childish temper. Now, they were priceless. He tapped into her social media. Her profile photo was gone. Her banner was blank. That cold, gray bar at the top might as well have been a wall between their worlds. "Sloane..." he whispered, his Adam's apple bobbing painfully. "Where are you?" Only the wind outside the car answered him. And for the first time in his life, Jace understood what it meant to truly lose something you thought you'd always have. She hadn't been the one left behind. He was. Chapter 10 45.45%