Chapter 54: Noah

My hands clenched the steering wheel as I pulled up in front of the house. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat sending a shockwave of anticipation through my body. 

I was just taking Madison out for a birthday dinner, nothing more. A nagging voice in the back of my mind kept asking, Would she even want to go with me?

With a sigh, I pushed open the car door and stepped out, making sure to grab the flowers I’d gotten for her on the way home. The house was quiet, save for the faint sound of video games coming from the living room.

“Hey, buddy,” I said as I walked in. Chris was too engrossed in his game to acknowledge me, his tiny fingers darting over the controls as he stared at the TV with a determined glare.

“Is Madison upstairs?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual. Chris shook his head without looking up. My heart sank. If she wasn’t upstairs, where could she be? The garden?