I sobbed the moment Stone pulled out of the driveway. I promised to lock up the house and did as I transported my two cats into my convertible.

Tears continued to cloud my eyes as I sat, unmoving, in the driver’s seat.

My heart felt like it had crumbled. Why did something so wonderful have to hurt so excruciatingly bad?

Every moment with Stone was pure bliss.

The drive home was even worse. Each spot in town I passed reminded me of him. The coffee shop I took him to, the beach, and even the sheriff’s office, all of which I had the misfortune of passing.

I parked my car in the small lot nearby and grabbed Alonzo and Birdie from the back seat. They made an obnoxious amount of noise on the walk to the apartment, enough to draw attention.

The pin pad at the side door clicked as it unlocked and let me inside. My feet felt heavy walking up each step. I dreaded being alone again.

There was always Mallory.

I passed her door, at least comforted in the fact my friend was close by. Wine night was no longer a want—it was becoming a need at this point. I’d text her and set up a night during the week. First, though, I needed to get organized for work. I had minimal time, and I knew for a fact I had no food and had been letting my laundry grow for a while.

All those things meant leaving Stone, and that was something I’d been unwilling to do the last few days.

Inside my own apartment, I found my laptop and pulled up a grocery delivery service. Depression caused by the one man I thought might be it for me leaving was reason enough to order food dropped at my door, right?

My laptop was opened to a file from the Coastal Killer case, and my finger hesitated before closing out of it. I picked out my food and ordered quickly, shoving the laptop across the kitchen island before I could be tempted to make myself even more sad looking through the case documents.

My cats sprinted through the apartment, chasing each other before stopping at the food bowl I filled for them. I continued working through my chores, returning to my life. It was surreal, coming home to complete such simple tasks.

For weeks, my life had been research and threats. I hadn’t known silence like this in forever. The dreadful realization I would have to sleep alone washed over me.

It didn’t take long before it grew dark outside my windows, and the noise from town died down. I could finally hear the waves in the distance. It wasn’t as loud as it was at Stone’s rental, which sent a new wave of disappointment through me.

Maybe when I saved up enough, I could buy a property closer to the water.