Not to be found

Chapter 49 - Before

*Lacey's POV*

I say goodbye to Ed and Soph, it's late evening now and they have to leave as they both have either uni or work tomorrow. They both give me a hug before getting into the car and I watch as they drive towards the gates.

I'm waiting to have dinner with Noah as I flop down on the sofa wearing my comfy clothes; navy blue shorts and a baggy white t-shirt, watching the newest version of Cinderella starring Lily James. Harley is sitting with me like he normally does when we're home alone, he never leaves my side it's like he's protecting me.

We're up to the point where she's having her beautiful blue gown created so that she can go to the ball and meet the prince, his real name Kit. I wonder briefly what it's like to be royalty, how many wardrobe changes a day do they do? If any at all? Are they allowed to walk around in leggings and an oversized t-shirt? Or is it all formal? I know for a fact that I couldn't pull it off.

I want to get all cosy so I go to kitchen and quickly make myself a hot chocolate with whipped cream, whilst making it I instruct Harley to stay on the sofa so when I come back he's practically jumping around as I sit down before he settles on my lap. I then grab the blanket and wrap both of us inside it.

He buries his snout in my chest and I rest my head on his back, my eyelids become heavy and I slowly begin to feel them close.

*************************************
I wake up to the smell of Italian food, through blurred vision I stare at the clock on the wall and see that it actually reads 9:18pm. God, I took like a two hour nap.

Harley jumps down off the sofa and yawns before walking towards the source of the mouthwatering smell. I follow him, the blanket still draped over my shoulders.

I walk through the archway to see Noah halving a lasagne and putting it into bowls, he jumps when he realises I'm watching him, "you sure know how to startle a guy," he laughs getting the knives and forks from the drawer.

"Being sneaky is my speciality," I smirk reaching for my bowl, "shall we eat in the living room?"

"Sure," he says grabbing his bowl and following me.

I sit down on the sofa and cross my legs making sure that Harley stays on the floor, I don't agree with him being up here whilst we eat. He needs boundaries.
Now I sound like a mother, great.

I then grab the TV remote from the arm of the sofa and scroll through the channels, there is nothing that appeals to me. So I go to the on demand section and download an episode of my favourite crime drama 'Silent Witness'.

I've always loved crime dramas, they've allowed me to play detective and usually I get the right man or woman.
But as I'm eating my thoughts are drawn back to my mother and the life that she could possibly be living since I've left home.

A part of me wants to just leave it and remain off grid, while the other half says find out. After all she could help me figure out what was going on in my father's twisted mind if she wasn't involved in his plans at all.

"Lacey?" I feel Noah's arm on my shoulder, "did you hear me?"

Darn my deep thoughts.
"No, sorry," I apologise, "I was in another world."

"What's up?" He asks setting his bowl down on the coffee table, "what are you thinking about?"

I can't brush this off, it'll eat me if I don't say anything.
"My mother," I sigh leaning forward to put my empty bowl down, "I need to know what's happened to her."