Another Life

Part 18

It had been months since the garage encounter with Jean and Scott. It was a late afternoon when Jean dropped a bombshell.

"I'm pregnant, Logan." She said, her voice trembling.

For a moment, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. I stared at her, trying to wrap my head around what she'd just said. Pregnant. Jean was pregnant. And I was the father.

I tried to find the right words, but before I could say anything, she turned and walked away. I called after her, but she didn't stop. She just kept going, her footsteps quick and unsteady. I watched her disappear down the hallway, feeling the weight of her words settle like a boulder in my chest.

I waited for her to come back, thinking she just needed time and space. But minutes turned into hours, and when she didn't return, I went looking for her.

I checked our room first, knocking softly before pushing the door open. Empty. The bed was unmade, her clothes strewn across the floor. I could smell her perfume, that soft floral scent that clung to her skin, but there was no sign of her.

I tried the library next. The kitchen. The garden. Every single corner of the mansion. But she was nowhere to be found. Panic started to creep in, my heart pounding harder with every empty room I checked.

Finally, I stopped in the foyer, raking a hand through my hair. "Jean!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the empty halls. But here was no answer.

Scott popped up in the doorway, his expression wary. "What's going on?" He asked frowning.

"Jean," I said, my voice tight. "I can't find her. Have you seen her?"

Scott shook his head, his frown deepening. "Not since this morning. Why? What happened?"

I hesitated, not sure how much to tell him. But I needed to find her. "She told me she's pregnant," I said finally. "And then she took off. I don't know where she went."

Scott's eyes widened in shock. "Pregnant? You mean...you're the father?"

I nodded, my jaw clenched. "Yeah."

Scott ran a hand over his face, "shit," he muttered. "That's...uh...that's a lot."

"Tell me about it," I said, my voice rough. "I need to find her, Scott." She's not thinking straight.

Scott nodded, his expression serious. "I'll help you look. She couldn't have gotten far."

We split up, combing through every inch of the mansion grounds. But as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness began to creep in, there was still no sign of her.

I was starting to lose hope when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye— a flash of red near the edge of the woods. My heart leaped, and I took running, crashing through the underbrush, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Jean!" I shouted, my voice hoarse. "Where are you?"

And then I saw her. Standing still out in the open. Her shoulders were shaking, I could hear the faint sound of her sobs.

I walked slowly towards her, her sobs growing louder. I reach my hand out, almost touching her shoulder. TIL she was gone in thin air.