Maya's POV
"Don't go to that cabin."
The words from last night's mysterious text burned in my mind as I stood on my parents' front porch, Jake's hand wrapped around mine.
I hadn't gone to sleep. How could I? I'd lain in bed next to Jake, listening to him breathe, wondering if Emily Chen had done the same thing three months ago. Wondering if she'd trusted him right up until the moment she disappeared.
But this morning, Jake had acted completely normal. He'd made pancakes. He'd sung off-key in the shower. He'd kissed me goodbye before heading to work, reminding me about dinner at my parents' house tonight.
"Ready?" Jake squeezed my hand, flashing that perfect smile.
I nodded, unable to speak. My phone was still dead. I'd tried charging it all morning, but it wouldn't turn on. Jake had offered to look at it, and I'd made up an excuse about dropping it in water.
The front door swung open before I could knock.
"There's my girl!" Dad pulled me into a bear hug, then stepped back to size up Jake. "And you must be the famous Jake we've been hearing about."
"Yes, sir. Jake Winters." Jake extended his hand confidently. "Thank you so much for having me."
Dad's handshake was the kind that tested a man. Jake passed, matching his grip without flinching.
"Come in, come in!" Mom appeared behind Dad, wiping her hands on her apron. She grabbed Jake's face and studied him like he was a painting in a museum. "Oh, Maya. He's even more handsome than you said."
"Mom!" My cheeks burned.
"What? I'm just being honest." She looped her arm through Jake's and led him inside. "I made pot roast, your favorite Maya. And Jake, sweetie, Maya mentioned you like apple pie, so I baked one from scratch."
I watched Jake charm my mother, complimenting her cooking smells and admiring the family photos on the wall. He pointed to one of me at age seven, missing my front teeth.
"That's adorable," he said, grinning at me. "You haven't changed a bit."
Everyone laughed. Even me, though it felt forced.
We settled around the dining table, and Mom brought out enough food to feed an army. Dad said grace, and we started passing dishes.
"So, Jake," Dad said, cutting into his pot roast. "Maya tells us you work in accounting?"
"Yes, sir. Financial analyst at Morrison and Associates downtown."
"Good, stable job. I like that." Dad nodded approvingly. "Too many young people these days jumping from job to job, no commitment."
Jake smiled. "I believe in commitment. When I care about something—or someone—I'm all in."
He looked at me when he said it, and my stomach twisted.
"That's wonderful to hear," Mom said, beaming. "Maya's last boyfriend, what was his name? Derek? He couldn't commit to a restaurant choice, let alone a relationship."
"Mom, please."
"I'm just saying, Jake seems different. More mature."
"He is," I said quietly, pushing food around my plate.
Jake's hand found my knee under the table, and I jumped slightly. His grip was gentle but firm. Reassuring or controlling? I couldn't tell anymore.
"Maya, honey, are you feeling okay?" Mom leaned forward, concerned. "You've barely touched your food."
"Just nervous, I guess. Wanted tonight to go well."
"It's going perfectly!" Mom declared. "Jake, tell us how you two met."
Jake launched into the story—the coffee shop, the spilled latte, how I'd apologized even though he'd bumped into me. He made it sound like a fairy tale. My parents ate it up.
I remembered that day differently now. How Jake had seemed to know exactly what to say. How he'd appeared at the same coffee shop the next day, and the day after that. How he'd mentioned loving my favorite band before I'd told him what it was.
Had he been following me even then?
"Earth to Maya." Dad waved his hand in front of my face. "Jake just asked you a question."
"Sorry, what?"
Jake's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I was telling your parents about the cabin this weekend. That private getaway I mentioned?"
My heart stopped. "Oh. Right."
"Doesn't that sound romantic?" Mom clasped her hands together. "A whole weekend, just the two of you."
"Super private," Jake added, watching me. "No neighbors. No distractions. No cell service."
"No cell service?" Dad frowned. "That doesn't sound very safe."
"It's perfectly safe," Jake assured him. "I've been there dozens of times. My family used to own it."
Dozens of times. Had he taken Emily there too?
"I don't know," I said slowly. "Maybe we should postpone. I've been feeling a little under the weather."
Jake's hand tightened on my knee. Not painful, but noticeable. "You seemed fine this morning."
"It just hit me. Maybe something I ate."
"Well, you haven't eaten anything," Mom pointed out. "That's probably why you feel sick. Eat some pot roast, sweetheart."
I forced down a bite while Jake watched me with an expression I couldn't read.
After dinner, Mom insisted on showing Jake the garden while she and Dad cleaned up. I tried to follow, but Dad caught my arm.
"Can we talk? Just for a minute?"
We stepped into his study, and he closed the door.
"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.
"What do you mean?"
"Maya Elizabeth Chen, I've known you for twenty-four years. Something's wrong. Is it Jake?"
The name hit me like a punch. Chen. My last name was Chen.
Emily Chen.
My brain spun. Was that a coincidence? How common was the last name Chen? Pretty common. Thousands of people had it.
But what were the odds that Jake would date two women with the same last name?
"Maya?" Dad put his hands on my shoulders. "You're scaring me. What's going on?"
I wanted to tell him everything. The text messages. The news article. Emily Chen. But what if I was wrong? What if Jake was innocent and I was ruining everything over paranoid thoughts?
"Dad, have you ever heard of Emily Chen? She went missing about three months ago?"
Dad's face went pale. "That's why your mother didn't want me to bring it up."
"Bring what up?"
"I saw Jake's name in the news articles. When you first told us about him, I searched him online—just being protective. I saw he'd been questioned about that poor girl's disappearance." Dad squeezed my shoulders. "But honey, he was cleared. The police found nothing. Sometimes bad things happen to people we know, but that doesn't make us responsible."
"But what if—"
"Maya, look at me. Is Jake good to you?"
"Yes."
"Has he ever hurt you? Threatened you?"
"No."
"Then don't let old news ruin something good. That man out there clearly adores you."
Through the study window, I could see Jake and Mom in the garden. He was laughing at something she said, looking completely relaxed and normal.
Maybe I was crazy. Maybe someone was playing a cruel prank. Maybe—
My mom's scream cut through the air.
Dad and I ran outside. Mom was on the ground, Jake kneeling beside her, his face full of concern.
"What happened?" Dad rushed to Mom's side.
"I just got dizzy," Mom said, but her voice was weak. "Feel strange."
"Did you eat anything unusual today?" Jake asked, his voice full of worry.
"Just the pot roast ingredients. Same things I always use." Mom tried to stand but swayed.
"I'll call 911," I said, reaching for my phone before remembering it was dead.
"Use mine." Jake handed me his phone immediately.
I took it, our eyes meeting for a brief second. Was that concern in his eyes? Or something else?
As I dialed, I noticed Jake's phone screen. His last text conversation was still open. The contact name made my blood freeze:
"Private Investigator - Chen Case."
The message read: "She doesn't suspect anything yet. Proceeding as planned. Will have her at the location by Saturday."
The phone slipped from my hands.
Jake caught it smoothly, his expression never changing. "Careful," he said softly. "We don't want to break another phone."
Behind him, the ambulance sirens wailed in the distance.
And I realized with absolute certainty: my mother hadn't gotten dizzy by accident.