Chapters (95)
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Video #1
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Video #2
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Video #3
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- The Final Video
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Cover
But I have no choice. I have to look. In the weak light, I squint to see Chloe’s handwriting appears on page after page. Neat. Bold. Written in black pen. I don’t focus on any specific words or phrases, don’t stop to read anything. I just marvel at how much of herself is spilled here in black and white.
Are there things in here she never told me?
And what if there’s nothing helpful? What if I risked everything for nothing?
At least I’d know and could stop obsessing over the journal.
The passenger door flies open, and I jump.
Olivia’s face is flushed, her hair looks like she’s been in a windstorm.
“Are you okay, Hunter? My God, I’ve been trying to get in touch. I thought for sure they caught you.”
She leans over and hugs me, her thin arms much stronger than they look. She nearly crushes me.
“I’m fine,” I say. “I got out.”
When Olivia leans back, she sees what’s in my hand. Her face lights up like a kid at their own birthday party. “You got it. Holy shit. Where was it?”
“A hole in the closet wall. It’s a total fluke I found it. Where’s Gabriela?”
“She’s coming. Just wait. How did the cops miss it?”
“They must have overlooked it. I really had to stick my hand in there and work it around to find the journal.”
“What’s in there? What does it say?”
“I haven’t read it yet, Livvy. I just got here.”
“Okay, easy. I’m just dying to know.”
“I feel weird, like should I read it? This is her private business. Maybe it’s wrong…”
Olivia’s face is hard to read. Then she says, “What are you thinking, Hunter? You have to read it. What if you were missing, and Chloe got ahold of your journal? Wouldn’t you want her to read it to help you? Wouldn’t you want that?”
“Of course.”
“Even if there was embarrassing personal stuff in there like how many times you masturbated or whatever.”
“Okay. I get your point.”
“We didn’t do all this for you not to read it,” she says, scolding me with her index finger raised.
“Enough, Livvy. Where’s Gabriela?”
Olivia looks out the window. “There she is. There’s my baby.”
Gabriela gets in the back seat, and as soon as she does, I put the car in gear, and we take off. As we drive away, Olivia leans over and takes hold of Gabriela’s hand.
“Are you okay, Gabby? Are you?”
Gabriela is typically unruffled. She says in Zen-like voice, “I’m good, baby. No problems here.”