Chapter 49 – The Ghost Between Us
Jay paced in front of the fireplace, jaw tight, eyes hollow. Lena sat on the edge of the couch, still wrapped in the oversized shirt from the night before—now feeling like a costume for a part she no longer understood.
“Elijah died,” Jay said finally, voice barely above a whisper. “But maybe not the way I told you.”
Lena’s stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”
“I was seventeen. We were supposed to meet that night. He called me and said he was in trouble. But when I got there—he was gone. Vanished. No sign of struggle, just his phone left behind.” Jay’s voice cracked, the memories pressing in like smoke. “I thought he’d been taken. But the police—” he scoffed— “they said he ran away. Drugs, debts, lies. They blamed him. I knew better.”
“And Ava?” Lena a
