It had been just about the first thing he'd gone to check after finding himself back here. There's a guilt that eats at him for that. For falling asleep with his hand in Elena's, on their way back to a promise of building a life together again, no secrets and lies this time, only to wake up in this city and find himself searching for Chloe. He doesn't know how long he's going to have to live like this - like he has two sets of memories, two Nathans in his head that he doesn't know how to reconcile - but the point is he's heard.

He's heard, and equal to the guilt is this feeling like there's a piece of him missing, and he knows it's the sound of her laugh and the taunting quirk of her eyebrow.

"Yeah," he says, and for a beat that's all he knows how to say. He knows Therese probably understands this better than anyone else in this city will, but it still feels strange to admit, to talk about. If she were here, Chloe'd punch him for daring to get this maudlin about her disappearance. Besides, he thinks, and it's in her voice, you disappeared first.

"Should've known she wouldn't stick around," he says, like she had a choice in the matter. "That was always our way."