CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28: HOME ISN’T HOME ANYMORE

Day 5 — 7:45 AM — Back in Town

I didn’t even know where I was driving until I passed the green "Welcome to Spring Hill" sign.

Five days.

I’d been gone five days, sleeping in my car, crashing at a friend’s empty guesthouse, dodging calls from Milo.

I told myself I was leaving for good. That it was better for everyone if I disappeared. That love like ours — twisted, wrong, impossibly complicated — wasn’t meant to survive the light of day.

But here I was. Turning down Maplewood Lane. Slowing in front of the white two-story house I used to call home.

Except now?

It didn’t feel like mine anymore.

8:05 AM — Something’s Missing

I parked across the street. Didn’t move.

There was a for-sale sign on the neighbor’s lawn. Our trash cans were out on the curb. Someone had finally fixed the screen door that had been broken since last spring.

Everything was the same.

But it all looked off.

Like someone tried to recreate our life from memory — and got the details just a little wrong.

I checked my phone. No messages. I hadn’t sent any either.

Because I didn’t know what to say to her.

Because I didn’t know if I even had the right to say anything anymore.

8:12 AM — The Door Opens

Milo stood there.

He didn’t look surprised.

"Hey," I said.

"Thought you’d show up today."

"How?"

He shrugged. "Just a guess."

He didn’t step aside. Didn’t invite me in.

"Is Dad here?" I asked.

He nodded.

"And... Elena?"

Milo’s jaw tightened. "She’s gone."

My heart dropped.

"Gone where?"

"She left yesterday. Dad told her to go."

I took a step back, like the words physically hit me. "She what?"

Milo folded his arms. "What did you think would happen, Aaron?"

8:30 AM — In the Kitchen, Like Ghosts

Eventually, he let me in.

We sat across from each other at the kitchen table like we were strangers.

He slid a folded piece of paper across the table.

"She left this for you."

I opened it.

I’m sorry you had to come back to this.

I’m sorry I ruined everything.

But I meant what I said, Aaron.

I love you. But I can’t stay here.

—E

My throat closed up.

"She left without saying goodbye?" I asked, voice raw.

"You left first," Milo shot back. "You ran. You left me to deal with the fallout. You left her."

"She told me to," I snapped.

"Yeah, and you always do what she says, don’t you?"

Silence.

9:00 AM — Flashback: The Day I Left

I remember the look on her face.

Torn between guilt and something almost like relief.

"I think you should go," she had whispered.

"I don’t want to."

"I know," she said. "But I think we’ve already done too much damage."

I wanted to fight for us.

But the truth was... she was right.

So I packed a bag, left the letter, and disappeared.

Because running away was easier than watching it all collapse in front of me.

9:45 AM — Dad Comes Downstairs

He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes tired.

"Morning."

I stood up slowly. "Hey, Dad."

He nodded. Walked past me. Poured coffee. Sat.

"I thought you might be gone longer," he said.

"I was. Then I wasn’t."

He looked at me. Hard.

"Why her, Aaron?"

I couldn’t answer.

Because I didn’t know. Not really. It just... happened.

"She saw me," I finally said. "Not the perfect son. Not the golden child. Just... me."

Dad scoffed. "You think I don’t see you?"

"It’s different," I said. "With her, it felt like I could breathe."

He stared down at his cup. "Well, I hope it was worth what it cost."

10:30 AM — What I Should’ve Said

I wanted to apologize. For hurting him. For blowing up the family. For being the reason Elena cried herself out of a home.

But the words got stuck in my throat.

So instead, I asked, "Do you know where she went?"

He didn’t answer right away.

Then, without looking at me, he said, "No."

And I knew he was lying.

11:10 AM — The Car, the Rain, and the Choice

I sat in the car outside our house for an hour.

Staring at nothing. Remembering everything.

Her laugh when I burned pancakes that first Saturday morning.

The way she always double-knotted her sneakers before a walk.

The night she looked at me like she wanted to run — but didn’t.

I could drive away again. Pretend this was closure.

Or I could find her.

And finally say the words I’d been too scared to say when it mattered.

📘 End of Chapter 28

💬 YOUR TURN!

Aaron’s back.

Elena’s gone.

But he’s not done yet.

👇 Do you think Aaron deserves a second chance with her — or has too much damage already been done?

❤️ Tap the heart if you felt every second of that kitchen scene.

🔔 Follow now — because Chapter 29 is The Search, and it’s going to bring everything back to the surface.