Chapter 17

Zach remained outside the Sinclair's residence. His impatience was growing with each passing moment. Jeremy had left hours ago, leaving Zach to stew in his own frustration. He paced back and forth, his mind consumed by thoughts of Evangeline and the countless ways he could reach her.

As Zach was lost in his thoughts, he was jolted back to reality by the insistent ringing of his phone. He fished it out of his pocket to find Monica's name flashing on the screen, her persistent calls having gone unanswered until now.

"Monica, not now," Zach muttered tersely into the phone, his tone a little annoyed.

Monica's voice on the other end was laced with annoyance and anger. "Don't 'not now' me, Zach. Where are you? I've been trying to reach you all morning."

Zach hesitated, knowing that revealing his whereabouts would only further exacerbate the tension between them. "I'm... I'm just out, Monica. Running some errands."

Monica's tone turned icy. "Don't lie to me, Zach. Someone saw your car parked