Comfort zone

Shadows by the River

The hours passed like they always did-slowly and with purpose. My textbook was spread out on my desk, but the words blurred together as my mind wandered again. Every question I solved, every answer I found, only reminded me that the world I was living in didn't make sense. Eden's disappearance was the missing piece, the one I couldn't place, no matter how hard I tried.

I glanced at my phone, tapping the screen lightly. No new messages. Yessal probably had her hands full with her own life-her family drama, her struggles. She never seemed to get tired of talking about it, but I couldn't help but envy her for having something-anything-to hold onto.

I couldn't talk to her about Eden. I couldn't talk to anyone. The silence from my family was deafening, but I was starting to feel like I was sinking in it. Maybe that was why my mind kept drifting back to him-the new guy, Alexander.

It wasn't just his good looks or the way he spoke, though that was certainly enough to make anyone pause. It was something deeper. His presence felt like a challenge. A question I couldn't ignore. Every glance he threw my way, every word that fell from his lips, seemed to hold a hint of mystery that I wasn't sure I was ready to unpack.

I stared at the ceiling, wondering what I was doing. How could I be thinking about him when I should be focused on Eden? I wasn't ready to move on from my brother, but something about Alexander made me question everything. Maybe it was the way he made me feel... alive, in a way I hadn't felt in a long time.

Just then, my phone buzzed again, pulling me from my thoughts.

Yessal: So... how was it? Homework with Alexander?

I frowned slightly at her message, hesitating before typing back.

Nevada: It was... okay. He's not what I expected.

Her reply was almost immediate.

Yessal: What does that mean?

Nevada: I don't know. He's just... different.

Yessal: Different good or different bad?

Nevada: Different... complicated.

There was a pause before her next message arrived.

Yessal: I don't know, Nev. I've been hearing things about him. Just be careful, okay? I know you've been through a lot, but something about him feels... off.

I stared at her words, the knot in my stomach tightening. Was she right? Was I just letting my own confusion cloud my judgment? Or was there really something about Alexander that didn't add up?

Before I could respond, the sudden ringing of the house phone broke my thoughts. My mother's voice echoed from downstairs, answering it.

"Hello? Yes, this is Mrs. Bennett... Yes, I know... What? When?"

I couldn't make out the words, but my heart raced at the urgency in her tone. She hung up the phone quickly and then called up the stairs.

"Nevada! Get downstairs right now!"

I leapt up from my chair, my heart pounding in my chest. What was going on? I rushed downstairs and found my mother standing in the living room, her face pale.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Eden..." she started, her eyes filling with tears. "We have news. They found something... his jacket. The police found his jacket today, near the river."

My blood ran cold. For a moment, time stood still. My breath hitched in my chest, and I felt like I was suffocating. Eden's jacket. Near the river.

"Mom, what does this mean?" I asked, my voice trembling.

She shook her head, her hand gripping mine tightly. "I don't know, honey. But it's not good. The police think something happened to him."

My world tilted. The unanswered questions, the not-knowing, it all came rushing back like a tidal wave. And I realized, in that moment, that I wasn't just looking for answers about Eden-I was looking for something to hold onto, something that would pull me out of the darkness.

But now, the questions were only growing louder. And the more I learned, the more I realized that the truth might be far more complicated-and far more dangerous-than I could have ever imagined.