Chapter 69

It's 5 am in the morning and I couldn't sleep. This is the only time everything is sinking in. What the police had said, what Jim said, the fact that were 500 miles away from home.

She needed time to think so she took a walk.

In this case, she took a drive then her car broke and that was it there was no signs of her. Maybe she took a walk. Maybe she walked from her car to a town nearby, its possible. Knowing Shannon and her love for long walks, its really possible. My thoughts starts swirling in my head slowly forming a tornado in my mind and safe to say that at this time of the day, my mind is fully awake. Now flashbacks starts hitting me one by one.

Good morning darling, By the time you read this, I'm probably at the beach sweating after taking a long walk in the city. Don't worry I'd be back home to you later. I just need time to think.

Its her letter, after the day of the meet and greet in New York. She had a nightmare about Robbie. The time when I kissed Robbie and she found out about it, the morning of that, her clothes have sand on it. She might've gone to the beach.

Good morning sweetheart,By the time you read this, I'm staring at the sea in front of me. Last night was something, I'm sorry it was a sudden question but I really meant it. Maybe it was too fast but my mind and my heart thinks that we're heading in that direction anyway. I'm not going to lie, but last night hit something, I don't know. Maybe I just need to think clearly. Anyway, be back later. I'm still yours sweetheart, I won't go anywhere I promise.

It was her letter the morning after I turned down her proposal. She always goes to the sea to think and clear her mind. Its either that or our spot back home and she's not there. Where else could she have gone.

I got off the bed unable to stand this. I take my phone and my keys and stormed out of the room and going down to the lobby. I need to know if there's a beach nearby. I just have this strong gut feeling about this and its worth the risk even if its 5 am in the morning and I haven't slept at all.

"Excuse me?" I say making the receptionist turn and faces me with a full smile on her face.

"Hi Ms. Olsen, what can I do for you?" It was a tone that I'm used to when talking to people like her and right now, I don't need that kind of enthusiasm. That's a bit rude for me to think but its the truth. I'm sick of it.

"Yea— uhm. Is there a beach nearby this town?" She pauses and looks at me with a strange look. Well, asking if there's a beach nearby at this hour of the day is really strange, but then again, I don't care.

"There is." A spark of hope lights up. "But you have to pass a few towns to get there. Its by a neighborhood called Shelter Cove in Whitethorn. It takes about 45 minutes or so." 45 minute drive. That's too far for a walk, but fuck it. I'm going there right now.

"Alright, thanks" I walk away not giving her a chance to even reply. I was in a rush, agitated to look and find her myself. Its nearly two fucking days and I've had enough of it. I'm trying not to lose my mind but its hard not too when I have nothing else to hold on to.

The moment I got in my car, I immediately start the engine and navigate Shelter Cove in my phone. Its twenty two miles from where I am and the estimated time was 45 minutes, so the receptionist was right. I texted Trent where I was going before I even started driving out of the hotel parking lot just so he knows where I'm at as soon as he wakes up.

I don't what's ahead of me, will I find her there or not, I don't have a fucking clue but what my heart feels at the moment, is giving me some kind of hope that she's there and with my situation right now, I would take every risk that comes just to find her. I have nothing to lose, she really is all I got.

Where are you?———————Author's P.O.V.The drive to Shelter Cove was fast. The only moment Elizabeth slowed down is when she drove pass Briceland to somehow go through the streets hoping to find a glimpse of her but still no sign of her. Her heart is beating as fast as it possibly could, with every minute passes its like every minute wasted and she was getting frustrated because of it.

Her thoughts are eating her alive thinking where to look, what she would find when she arrives to her destination. But she feels it, that connection getting stronger and stronger as she gets closer and closer like a magnet pulling her. She passes houses, villages and mountains of green and a view that reminded her of their spot in their backyard, where the trees and birds are witnesses of their love.

Behind the mountains is a small town and a huge view of the ocean. It was breathtaking, very different from the beaches in LA. This is well hidden and peaceful. Her heart races as she stops by the light house.

A place to think and clear your mind.

Elizabeth takes a deep breath before stepping out of her car, the cold breeze hitting her. The weather is as bad as she's feeling right now and it looks like it will start to rain later on. There's not a single blue in the sky, just white and grayish clouds hovering the small little town.

"May I help you?" A man's voice say as she enters the lighthouse. She sighs and shivers from the sudden cold outside turning around and offering a small smile to the man.

"Hi" She says softly.

"Hi, I'm Blu. I look out for this little tower you're in." He softly chuckles offering a hand to shake. Elizabeth takes it and say.

"Elizabeth." She simply says. Blu tilts his head to the side and squints. He doesn't know if he was still dreaming but this woman in front of her is very familiar and swore he seen her face before then it hits him and that made him raise his brows.

"You're a celebrity." He whispers and she just shrugs.

"Kind of" He laughs and shakes her hand again. "So what brings a celebrity in our little town.

"I'm looking for someone. Uhm— Shannon Beveridge." Elizabeth reaches down to her pocket and takes out her phone before facing the screen to Blu. "I don't know if you saw her around. I'm just wondering." Blu takes a good look on the picture, his brows knitting together trying to recall if he has seen the person in the picture.

"Hmm, I'm not quite sure. Let me check." He turns away and goes around his table and checked on the drawers. Elizabeth's heart is racing, too hopeful now. Her heart tells her so that she's just nearby.

Ring!

She jumps a bit at the sound of her phone ringing. She then looks at it and saw Trent calling. She looks up and excuses herself a bit to answer the call.

'Hello?'

'Where the hell are you?' It was stern. Right then she knows she's in trouble and probably did a stupid thing of going out by herself.

'I texted you—'

'You couldn't wait a little later, or you could've just wake me up. What the fuck were you thinking?' She sighs as she starts to get frustrated so she steps out of the lighthouse, out of earshot.

'I can't sleep, I don't want to sleep. My girlfriend's missing Trent. How do you expect me to just stay in a fucking hotel room and settle down? How!' Her voice cracked. Just saying it just makes everything so real. Hot tears are starting to well up. 

'I know, I get it. Its enough for one to be missing Elizabeth, I can't lose you too! I can't—' Elizabeth's heart squeezes upon hearing this. Its not just her that's too affected by the situation. Her family treats her as their own and even though Trent might've contributed to all of this, he treats Shannon as her sister as well.

'Hello Liz? Yea, Its Jim. I want you to tell me exactly where you are right now.'

'Shelter Cove' She whispers wiping the tears that had fallen. 'By the lighthouse. I'm speaking to someone hoping to have some kind of information.'

'Your brother's driving and we're on our way. Can you wait for us and just stay there.'

'Yea'

'We'll see you, please be safe honey.' The call ends. 5:50 am, her phone read. It doesn't look like 5:50 in the morning. She looks up to the sky and breath in the cold breeze trying to calm herself down before going back tothe light house.

"Oh, there you are." Blu says as soon as she steps inside the lighthouse. "I've been checking all the records for our recent visitors within this week but unfortunately, I couldn't find the person you are looking for." Elizabeth's heart sank to the ground buried deep down under, but there is still that sudden urge to look for her here. She's here she knows it.

"How do you get to the beach?" The man quirked an eyebrow at the sudden question but Elizabeth kept a straight face and waits for an answer.

"You need to go through the Lost Coast Trail it stretches for about 25 miles maybe a 30 minute drive and a 30 minute hike, but its worth it once you get there. I'd be happy to go with you if you—"

"I need to get to the beach." She says in urgent and with what Blu is witnessing her state was, he figured that maybe something is going on and maybe he could helpher.

"Alright, just going to get the car ready and bring in some emergency stuff. Give me like 15 minutes." Elizabeth thinks 15 minutes is too long for her right now because every minute, second counts but she finds herself nodding her head in agreement. She then opens up her phone again and calls Trent's phone to tell him she needs to keep moving. It only rang once.

'Hello'

'I'm going to the beach—'

'Elizabeth Chase I swear—'

'I can't stay here Trent, Blu's coming with me, he's a local here. He'll take me on the trail to the beach.'

'Oh my God, who the fuck is Blu, you can't keep on trusting anyone. Jesus! we'll be about 10 minutes we're going with you.' Elizabeth calculates the time Trent said and the time that Blu said they were ready to go and even though she won't admit it, her brother is right. She can't trust people that so easily more of them being aware of who she is. Its not that safe.

'Okay, just please be here in 10 minutes we're going in 15. Please drive safe.'

'Alright I'll see you. Stay where you are.' The call ends and Elizabeth steps out of the lighthouse and looks up to the sky and thought.

It rains here.

Its mid September and it doesn't usually rain until October and its been two days since Shannon took off without telling anyone. The thought of that spins around in Elizabeth's head along with the endless what if's and it was never the good ones.

Elizabeth goes back into her car and takes everything that she needs for the small trip, just in case. She goes to the backseat and retrieve a backpack which actually belongs to Shannon, far from the designer bags she used to wear. This is a typical backpack, its a bit worn down but she love it that way because it reminds her of how simple and normal Shannon can be in everything. Inside the bag pack are spare clothes for when she's having a night shoot and it just sits in her car for emergencies and this is really an emergency situation. She takes out the denim jacket that belongs to her girlfriend and wears it since its getting chilly now, the gray clouds are taking over the white ones as well and the sound of the waves are getting stronger now. It was making her heart heavier, and with that she stops and breathes out a heavy breath. A tear escapes and she wipes it away immediately, lips trembling and a few ones fall again and she wipes them again, with a little force this time. Stopping herself for having another mental breakdown, she can't have that now. It won't get her anywhere.

Little did she knew, Blu caught a glimpse of her wiping her tears and figured that this maybe an emergency situation. So he packed double than he usually does. Its all adding up, maybe the person she was looking for is actually a missing person and its best if they come prepared.

Suddenly, a car comes to a full stop besides Elizabeth and comes out Trent and Jim. Trent rushes to her sister and takes her completely in his arms, relief washes over him.

"Please don't fucking do that to me again." He says with a shaky breath. Elizabeth nods pulling away, she doesn't have that much affection to give because she's out of it. She feels empty. Jim goes to her too,  hugs her and places a kiss on top of her head. She takes the bag pack and shuts the door of her car before locking it.

"Come on, we're wasting our time." She says and takes the lead. Trent sighs glancing at Jim and he knows that look so he offered a smile and tap his shoulder before saying.

"She'll come around." Trent's worries for her sister and for Shannon is at its highest peak. Her sister-in-law is missing, God knows where she is and her sister is breaking apart. Its all too familiar, like history and they're re-living the part he tries to forget.

"So I see we have more people tagging along." Blu says packing up the last things they would be needing, just in case, before closing the trunk of the van.

"This is my brother Trent, and that's Jim. My girlfriend's dad." Blu raises his brows upon hearing that. They live in a small hidden town away from the city where everyone knows everything. So hearing that seems a shock to him but he tries to mask it off, play it cool and shakes hands with them.

"So let's go, before it rains too hard." ——————Lizzie's P.O.V."Ahh this is just—" She breathes in and and hums in satisfaction resting her head on my lap. I smiled hearing that as she takes a bit of my attention from my book, she really loves the beach and it satisfies me how she literally feels like she's in her own heaven right now. "I've always dreamed of going to every country of the world just to visit their beaches and take pictures of it. A lot of pictures."

"Honey, they're all the same to be honest." I hear her gasp dramatically and moves her head from side to side.

"Nuh-uh, They're not. Don't spoil it Elizabeth, just because you hate water doesn't mean they're not beautiful." I let out a smirk, I love winding her up sometimes and I get to hit a string when we talk about the things she loves the most.

"Beaches in LA have everything you can imagine, like they have amusement parks, restaurants, performers, cafes , bars and it never goes dead. Beaches in New York are peaceful very different from LA and its really a walk because it stretches out very far, like this one. Beaches on Texas are the same, peaceful and quiet good for nature walks, hey I would love to take you out there soon. Its very beautiful. Just like you are if you just give some fucking attention." I let out a laugh upon hearing that and she chuckles rolling her eyes.

"I am listening honey, I really am, I swear."

"Anyway, I have been to a white sand beach in the UK baby but I forgot the name of it. Rose and Rosie took me there. You know them right?" I hum in response. Its very hard to read when you have a girlfriend that talks all the time.

"Sweetheart, can we go for a swim?" She says after quite sometime, moving against my lap so I peaked through the side of my book to see what she was doing just to see her looking at me with that puppy dog eyes. She smiles. "Please?"

"Shan you've asked me that question a bunch of times and you know the answer to that—"

"Come on sweetheart, the water's nice and its clear so you can see the bottom of it. Please, I really want to go on a dip and you don't go to the beach to read a book baby." I rolled my eyes and shake my head going back to my book. She's been bothering me to have a swim since we got back from that walk and talk and the kiss and she's not backing down this time snatching the book away from me and replacing it with her face and those strong blue eyes. "Please baby, you'll be safe with me. I promise."

You'll be safe with me.

"We're here." I snapped out of my thoughts as the engines turn off. It started drizzling now, raindrops falling off the leaves. We stopped in the forest and we'll have to hike to the trail to get to the beach and I can't waste time right now.

"Let me carry that for you." Trent says as soon as we hot out of the van. He takes the backpack from me and I shudder when the cold hits my back and in days like these, I'm used to being warm in Shannon's arms. I miss her so bad.

"So were up for the trail for about almost 2 miles so we can get to the beach." Blu says before taking the lead to the trail. "Anyway, we don't allow visitors to stay over night for the past couple of days since the current is too strong when the afternoon comes and this would cause strong crashing waves to hit the shore so the beach is close in the afternoon, you pick a good time to visit though but I can't guarantee you that the waves will be calm today since the weather is not that good." I glanced at Trent with worry as my heart starts beating a million more times than it did a while ago. The what ifs are starting again and it driving me insane, but I won't let that slow me down. If that's the case and Shannon's out there then maybe we should keep going.

The trail took us about almost 30 minutes and to say I'm exhausted and all drained out is an understatement. I'm practically dragging my feet by the end of it and it started to really rain. Blu handed us raincoats in the middle of the trail so we won't be drenched the moment we get back. The end of the trail emerges into a rocky view of the beach.

It was beautiful and serene, though the waves are really strong at this time. The sand is black and its not that common since we live off the white and sun kissed beaches Shannon and I used to visit and for some reason I have that strong gut feeling that she's here.

"Oh my God, this is beautiful." I hear Trent say as we walk further to the long stretch of it. I started looking around hoping to find something, anything, even the smallest sign that she's here. I'm desperate and I need her to be here. Then I started screaming her name, just so she knows we're here. I'm here and I'm going to find her wherever she is.

"Elizabeth, I believe we're the first ones here today. I told you the person you are looking for isn't here." Blu says catching up with me along with Trent and Jim, but I ignored him. She's here, I know she's here I can feel it.

"Liz, come on. Its impossible that Shannon's here. Did you hear what Blu said! Hey, hey." Next thing I knew he's right in front of me holding me by my shoulders. "Elizabeth look at me" His voice was gentle this time but I refuse to listen and tries to get off his grip, tears starting to blur my vision.

"Get off me. Shannon!" I yelled at the top of my lungs and all the energy that remains in my system.

"Elizabeth listen to me. Its not safe—"

"I don't care. I'm going to find her and I know she's here."

"Elizabeth Chase!" Trent yells loud and clear, it echoes in the air, repeating my name over and over until it fades into nothing. That made me stop and broke down falling down to the damp sand. I'm so mad, blood boils inside of me as dig my fingers into the black sand. I know she's here, I know it, I can feel her.

"Liz we need to go, she's not here and the tide's coming in" I ignored him even though I can feel cold water on my knees passing to my hands and then I felt something hot caught in them. My head snap instantly to my hands, fingers still dug under the sand. Then my heart starts pounding at what I see. So loud, I couldn't hear a single thing, not Trent trying to get my attention, not Jim and Blu who might be speaking as they watch us, not even the sound of the rain dropping on our raincoats and even the strong crash of the waves on the shoreline. Just ringing, a silent ringing. I held on to the silver material, never letting go and raise it up to get a closer look.

"What have you got there?" She looks up to me and I gestured to her hand which is holding her pendant. Why didn't I saw that earlier. Well maybe because my eyes have been stuck on her face this whole time.

"Oh, its my necklace. Its got a bumblebee pendant on it. I really don't know why or where I got it but I really don't want to lose it so I wear it all the time." She smiles her eyes sparkling as she talks about it and that did something to my heart, a fluttery sensation.——-"I don't know where I got it but its been with me the moment I woke up in the hospital."

"I gave you that necklace."——"I'm sorry, I should go. I don't think I can handle it if she sees me when she wakes up."

"I'm really sorry Lizzie. Believe me, you're the only one who can make her happy. I've witnessed that and I haven't seen her like that with anyone. Not even Cammie." I let out a sad chuckle as I wiped my tears. It doesn't matter now does it? Because we're over and we have to be over and that's the worst part of it. I reached down my bag and take out a letter and a box. I haven't written a letter to anyone and this is the first time I've done it and maybe the last time.

"Can you give this to her?" I whispered handing her the folded piece of paper and the wooden box with her name engraved on it. Its sad to know that this is the moment I had to give it to her because I imagined the opposite of how I was suppose to give it to her. Debbie takes it from me and nods her head blinking so no more tears would fall further.

"We're going to miss you." She whispers and I just hugged her again before muttering the words.

"I have to go, I'm sorry"

"She's here."