Chapter 19. Way Back to You

Jacob

As the elevator doors slid shut, a jolt of panic shot through me.

Fuck.

I wasn’t thinking—I never was when it came to Evelyn.

Before I could process it, my legs were moving, rushing toward the stairwell. The cold air burned my lungs as I sprinted down the steps, two at a time, the echoes of my own footsteps pounding in my ears.

God! What the hell was I thinking? Why didn’t I stop her?

Fuck. I knew the answer—I was too busy self-loathing in my own mind.

By the time I reached the ground floor, my breathing was ragged, sharp exhales cutting through the silence. I bolted toward the parking lot, scanning frantically.

Nothing.

She was gone.

God, how the fuck did she disappear so fast?

It was nearly night. The streets were emptying, the sky turning a shade too dark, too ominous. And Evelyn? She wasn’t even wearing anything warm enough.

This wasn’t safe. Not for her.

Not for the—fuck—not for the baby.