So called Brandon Mills

Nearly 40 minutes later, I finally reach my destination. Getting out of my car, I walk upto the door and knock on it. Almost after 2 minutes, the door opens and a lady in mid 40s peeks out not opening the door completely.

"How may I help you?" Her voice is hoarse and she speaks as if that's the most difficult task in the world.

"Can you please confirm this is the right address?" I ask politely, handing over the paper to her.

She reads the address and then looks at me skeptically as if she's contemplating whether to be honest or not.

"I'm just looking for someone. I don't mean any harm." I assure her. She studies me for few more seconds before giving in.

"Yes, this is right." She says handing over the paper back to me.

"I'm looking for one Brandon Mills, is he home, ma'am?"

"I'm sorry but there's no Brandon Mills residing here." She answers knocking my senses out.

"B-But I'm sure that's the right address I've got." I say praying internally that what I just heard was some kind of sick joke.

"Yes. You've got the correct address but there's no one named Brandon Mills residing here. So now, excuse me." And with that she walks back in and slams the door shut leaving me confused as hell.

Not finding him at the university could have been a mistake but the address being false? Is he playing with Daisy? What are his true intentions? I've to tell Daisy about it all. But how can someone lie for two years straight? Didn't Daisy find anything odd about him?

How did she stay with him for two years without ever knowing his true details? But he might have shifted recently. He might have moved out of here and dropped out of the university. That's a possibility right?

With little hope I knock on the door again following which I hear some shuffling noise and the door finally opens. The same woman walks out but with a slight irritated look on her face.

"I'm really sorry for being a bother. I need to know the truth ma'am. This address, Brandon Mills, he's my friends boyfriend and he's missing for past few days. We're really worried, ma'am. Please help me." I literally beg her, so that she will at least hear me out.

Her expression softens and she opens the door wide, a silent invitation.

"Thank you for the invitation but it's getting late." I say glancing at my watch.

"What can I do for you?" She asks, this time a little politely.

"By any chance, Do you know someone by the same name residing here or somewhere in this lane? They can be the previous owners too?" I ask, my words not making a proper meaning.

"I don't know anyone by that name residing here. And no, they can't be the previous owners since I've been residing here for almost twenty years now." She says breaking all the hopes I had.

"Are you sure?" I ask and she nods in response.

"Thank you and I'm sorry for troubling you. I'll get going now." I say offering her a small smile which she returns gracefully.

"Best of luck for finding your lover's man." Her words freeze me dead in my spot.

I slowly turn around and look at her smiling face.

"Wha -- how?" I stutter incoherently.

"Your face, your desperation to find that guy speaks it all. As much as it's hurting you to hunt him down, I know you're determined to find him. We rarely find this level of selfless love these days. The girl must be really special. I'll pray for your love to find it's way. I hope you get her someday. Good luck." She says and with that she closes the door with a beautiful smile on her face.

I stand there shell shocked, her words repeating themselves in my head. Are my feelings that obvious? I don’t know. But I can't let that distract me. I have to find him. I'll find him, for her.

With that determination, I walk back to my car and sit there for almost 10 minutes thinking how can this be possible. How can both the address and the university be sham? Or was he just fooling around all this time?

Is it possible that there's no Brandon Mills? I wonder whether this Brandon Mills actually exists or this is just some wild goose chase.

With several thoughts swirling through my head, I pulled my car onto the road and started driving. Suddenly, a bulb goes off in my head and I call my friend up, asking him to get me the details of the number Daisy gave me of the 'so called Brandon Mills'.

An hour after reaching home, I finally receive his call.

"Hey bro." I greet him hoping for some good news this time.

"Hey Aaron! Bro that number....." And what he says next turns my blood cold and I slump down on the floor.

How can this be possible?