Chapter 4

  Homebound

  “Why are we doing such a low-profile case?”

  I couldn’t help but sigh at the question. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand their curiosity—Bluehaven was a tiny speck compared to the global scale of stories we usually covered. But there was more to it than just the case. A lot more.

  “I know we’ve been together for a long time, and there are still things about me that remain a mystery to you,” I said, trying to explain without making it sound like a confession. “But you’re all aware that I’m a recovering addict. Being in recovery came at a price, one that isn’t always visible. Bluehaven... is my home. A place I haven’t touched in over ten years. This case might be small, but it’s a cover, a way for me to go back without too many questions.”

  The room grew silent as the weight of my words settled in. The team exchanged looks, a subtle exchange of concern and understanding passing between them.

  “I get it,” James said after a pause, nodding slowly. “You’ve got unfinished business there. But we’re with you, you know? You don’t have to do this alone.”

  I met his gaze, my heart heavy. “I appreciate that. But you don’t have to come with me. I can handle this. If you’d prefer to stay behind and tackle the big stories, I won’t hold it against you.”

  A long silence followed. I could practically hear the wheels turning in their heads. Finally, Nick broke the tension.

  “Alright, it’s been decided. Nick and Jess will stay behind—she’s already got a strict curfew with her folks anyway. Rico, Juan, and I are coming with you.”

  “You don’t have to,” I muttered, feeling like I should be putting my foot down, but I wasn’t.

  “Story or not, home or not,” Rico chimed in, “you’re going to need familiar faces around you, trust us. We’ve spent three months with you overseas. What’s two weeks?”

  I couldn’t help but smile, grateful for their loyalty even if they didn’t fully understand. With a deep breath, I nodded and ended the meeting, sending out the necessary details for the flight and our plans for the town.

  As the day of departure approached, time felt like an agonizing eternity. I kept myself busy, but when the quiet moments came, my mind wandered, anxiety creeping up on me. I tried to keep it at bay, but the closer we got to boarding the plane, the more my nerves fluttered. I hadn’t slept at all, and when we arrived at the airport, I felt the weight of exhaustion crash down on me.

  James noticed my pale face and commented, "You look like you’ve been drinking all night, not working all day."

  “I haven’t slept, that’s all,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes. The last thing I wanted was to explain why I couldn’t bring myself to sleep.

  The flight was a blur. James wouldn’t stop talking—his endless chatter was both a blessing and a curse. I couldn’t focus on anything but the tick of the clock, knowing we were cutting it close.

  As the plane finally landed, I scowled at my watch. We were already twenty minutes behind schedule. The rest of the team followed me through the airport, but I couldn’t shake the strange sensation in the air. There were people everywhere today—more than usual.

  “Why’s there such a crowd?” I muttered under my breath. “Did we miss a celebrity walk-through or something?”

  Just as I was about to turn the corner, I collided with someone. I caught a flash of his face before my heart stopped.

  I stared into his eyes—his unmistakable, familiar gaze. For a moment, he seemed to recognize me, and then it flickered, replaced by an intense look of rage.

  "Jesus Christ, can you watch where you're going?" he snapped, his voice cutting through the hum of the crowd.

  I could feel my heart race in my chest, the old, familiar panic creeping in. My mind screamed at me to say something, anything. But I could barely form words.

  As I stood there, frozen, I noticed the inner turmoil in his eyes. Should he help me up? Should he walk away? The brief moment stretched into something far longer, and then, just as quickly, he stormed off, leaving a trail of angry murmurs behind him.

  My team rushed over. “Boss, you alright?” Rico asked.

  “I’m fine,” I muttered, trying to shake off the wave of emotion. But I couldn’t quite control the tightness in my chest.

  “Sorry about him,” A new voice added, forcing a laugh. “He’s always grumpy after a long flight.”

  But when I looked up to face the voice, it wasn’t a grown man or woman. It was a young girl—a child, maybe ten or eleven years old. Her bright smile cut through the fog in my mind, and before I could even react, she bowed deeply before running off.

  I stared after her for a moment, my thoughts racing. It was her. It had to be. A part of me wanted to run after her, but I couldn’t. I didn’t even know why I was so shaken.

  Juan found me a few minutes later, sitting in the corner of the airport, my jacket pressed against my face as I tried to steady my breath.

  He sat down beside me, his voice low. “This doesn’t seem like a good idea, Lisa. I know addicts need to go through their steps, but haven’t you skipped a few along the way?”

  “No,” I replied softly, my voice breaking. “I haven’t. I’ve been away for ten years, Juan. The forest calls me home.”

  Later that Evening

  The tension that had followed me through the airport didn't let up as we prepared for the evening's event. The dress I had packed, one I hadn't worn in years, now seemed like a suffocating reminder of everything I was trying to escape.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I sneaked a look at the boys before we left—James was in a tailored blazer, Rico and Juan already in their usual sharp attire. Seeing them reminded me of the work we had ahead. My stomach churned at the thought. This wasn’t just a story to me.

  I grabbed the dress out of my garment bag with a sigh, wishing I could ignore the reality of what awaited me in Bluehaven. But there was no turning back now.

  When I joined the team in the main room, we headed straight for a taxi. I was thankful for the quiet. At least for a moment, I didn’t have to think about the past catching up with me.

  The casino’s exterior was as glamorous as I remembered, and the atmosphere was charged with excitement. Inside, the flickering lights, the clinking of chips, and the murmur of low conversation made my heart race.

  This was far from my comfort zone. In a war zone, I could always find my focus. But here? Surrounded by this fake, glittering world? It felt like I was in another life altogether.

  “Mr. Yong is starting his speech,” James murmured, motioning toward the stage.

  I followed his lead, and my stomach dropped when I saw him. Erin. Of course he’d be here, looking as poised and immaculate as always. He was the gatekeeper, the one who had kept me grounded when I needed it most. The man who held my heart—but a heart that felt too broken to be claimed.

  “Alright, everyone, settle down!” Erin’s voice rang out over the microphone. “Welcome to the grand re-opening of the Bluehaven Casino. Please welcome our honored guest and father to our beautiful architect, Mr. Yong!”

  The crowd erupted into cheers as the elderly Mr. Yong shuffled onto the stage, his age evident in his every movement. I studied his face, noting how much he had aged. Wyatt, his son, was now taking charge—taking over. It didn’t sit well with me.

  “Good evening, everyone!” Mr. Yong’s voice was shaky but warm. “Welcome to the first casino designed and built by my son Wyatt Yong. A personal thanks to Erin Francis, who’s made this night more enjoyable than I could have ever hoped. Enjoy yourselves—drinks, games, and the raffle in an hour. One lucky winner will receive the ultimate pass, access to our VIP rooms. So, enjoy the night!”

  Cheers filled the room again, and Erin guided Mr. Yong off the stage. I turned to my team, offering a weak smile. They didn’t need to know how much this was tearing me apart.

  “It’s a casino, boys,” I said with a smirk, trying to keep it light. “I didn’t come here to work. Enjoy yourselves.”

  “You sure?” Rico asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Of course. But buy a raffle ticket. Maybe I’ll make you come back and do some actual work if you win.”

  They all laughed, but I could tell they weren’t fooled. They could see right through me. But for now, it was time to keep moving forward, even if the past was waiting for me just around the corner.

  The tension inside me was palpable, thick enough to suffocate. The bright lights of the casino did little to quell the heaviness in my chest. Despite the laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the excitement of the re-opening, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was trapped between two worlds—the one I had built for myself and the one that had never really let me go. The past was still a shadow at my heels, watching, waiting for me to face it.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about Erin. Even after all this time, seeing him again stirred something deep within me, something I had worked so hard to bury. His presence was like an echo, reverberating through everything I had tried to outrun. I could still hear his voice, see his eyes, feel the weight of his disappointment when I left. He was everything I had wanted and everything I thought I couldn’t have.

  But tonight wasn’t about him. It couldn’t be.

  As the team split off to wander the casino floor, I forced myself to focus on the here and now. I needed to do this, to keep moving. I couldn't afford to get lost in memories. This was about the job—about the story—and about Bluehaven. My home. The place that had shaped me in ways I still didn’t fully understand.

  The raffle tickets were being handed out, and the air was thick with anticipation. I watched as the crowd milled around, the murmurs growing louder. And then I saw it—the VIP pass. I knew, deep down, I was being led to this moment for a reason. But what was it?

  “Ready to make some bad decisions?” James whispered from beside me, his eyes glinting with amusement.

  “I think I already made the worst one,” I said, my voice barely above a murmur.

  He didn’t need an explanation. He just gave me a tight-lipped grin, the kind that said, I get it.

  The night wore on, and I found myself walking through the crowd, the casino’s noise blending with the distant sound of my own heartbeat. Everything felt too loud, too bright. But then I saw it—him.

  Erin.

  He stood by the edge of the crowd, talking to someone, but the moment my eyes locked onto his, everything else faded away. His gaze softened, just for a fraction of a second. Then, as if he’d realized he’d been caught, his expression hardened.

  It was like time had stopped. My heart twisted in my chest. I didn’t know what to say, what to feel. We hadn’t spoken in so long, and yet, I felt as if he were still right there with me, watching, waiting, expecting something.

  For a second, I almost stepped forward. But then I remembered where I was, what I had come here for, and I forced my legs to move in the opposite direction.

  I couldn’t do this now. Not tonight.

  I turned sharply, heading toward the back of the room. The VIP section was just out of sight, but I knew that was where I was supposed to be. The place where all the answers would be.

  As I made my way through the crowd, I felt a sudden hand on my arm. My first instinct was to pull away, but the firm grip stopped me.

  I turned to find him standing there—Erin.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice low, a mixture of curiosity and something darker.

  I swallowed, my throat dry. “I was just—” I broke off, trying to gather my thoughts. “I didn’t come here for you.”

  His eyes flickered with something unreadable, but he didn’t let go of my arm. “You’ve been avoiding me for years, Lisa. Why? What are you so afraid of?”

  It felt like a challenge. A dare to face the things I had hidden for so long. His grip loosened, but I couldn’t bring myself to move away.

  “I’m not afraid,” I said, but my voice trembled despite my best efforts to sound steady.

  He didn’t seem convinced, and for a moment, it was like we were standing in some limbo—caught between the past and the present, between everything we were and everything we had been.

  “You’re not the same person you were when you left,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And neither am I.”

  I nodded, feeling the sting of those words. He was right, of course. But that didn’t make it easier. How could I explain everything that had changed in those ten years? The things I had been running from, the choices I had made...

  I swallowed again, trying to push past the lump in my throat. “I don’t have time for this, Erin. I’m here to work, not to—”

  “To what?” he interrupted, his voice sharp. “Not to deal with me? Not to face what you left behind?”

  I flinched at the words, but there was something in his expression that made me pause. A softness buried beneath the anger, something that looked dangerously close to regret.

  “I’m not asking for anything,” he said, his voice quieter now, like he was trying to control his emotions. “I just want to know why. Why you left without a word, without even looking back.”

  I didn’t have an answer. How could I? I had left because I was broken—because I didn’t know how to stay when all I wanted was to escape.

  “I... I can’t do this,” I muttered, stepping back. “Not now. Not here.”

  I turned away, but I could still feel his eyes on me, heavy and filled with unspoken words. As I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between us, something irrevocable.

  And I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.

  But I knew one thing for sure—Bluehaven was no longer just a place I was visiting. It was a place that was demanding I face everything I had left behind. And this time, I wasn’t sure I could outrun it.