Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

23: Ashlyn and Nick

Lotte stumbled through the dark apartment complex, unable to see as she fiddled with her keys against the fire escape door.

'Oh, for the love of -' she said, trailing off as she accidentally dropped her keys in the heavy rain, watching them fall through a gap in the stairs. She sighed as she looked around.

'It was a bad day not to bring a phone charger, now I have no light, and I've dropped my keys' she mumbled, as she carefully climbed down the stairs, painfully cursing out as her knee continued to ache, just like it always did since the Bundoora incident.

'Where are you?' She asked, as she felt around the concrete for her keys, trying her best to be quiet. She looked up as she suddenly noticed a light on in either her apartment, or the one next door. Pretty sure it was hers, though, she thought about climbing up and smashing her way in. But she'd barred the windows.

'I must've left it on this morning' she whispered to herself, internally panicking as she thought about the electricity bill. She quickly found her keys as she climbed upstairs again, and unlocked the fire escape door.

'Hallelujah' she mumbled, as the automatic lights turned on and led her to her apartment door. Jack's was wide open, music quietly playing inside.

'And they say I'm the one who's going to get robbed' Lotte said sarcastically, as she raised her eyebrows and unlocked her own apartment door.

She suddenly heard a loud gasp and a smash as she froze and looked around in fear.

'Uh - hello?' She asked, as she quickly surveyed the apartment, while staying as still as possible. The light was on, so she could see all of the lounge and kitchen. Someone suddenly ran out of the bathroom.

'Oh Lotte, it's just you. Oh my god, I had a heart attack. I thought you were one of Jack's crazy friends again' Ashlyn said, as she wrapped her arms around the girl. Lotte suddenly relaxed.

'What on earth are you doing here?' She asked, as she hugged Ashlyn back and then took her wet jacket off. 'I'm gonna put the kettle on' she added.

'Well Nick hadn't come home and I got into the most pointless argument with your boyfriend, and then I told him something I shouldn't have, and his parents and sister heard it, and then I freaked out and ran here, because I don't know where else to go' Ashlyn explained, hyperventilating as someone appeared in the doorway.

'Tyler. I'm sorry, was I too loud?' Lotte asked, looking over at the intruder. He shook his head.

'It's 3 o'clock in the morning. Jack, Cal, Nathan and I have been pretty worried about her all night, but she wouldn't let us talk to her. You weren't answering your phone, but I heard you come home so I thought I'd check in to see if everything's okay' he explained, as Lotte gratefully smiled. Ashlyn sat down on the couch, a terrified mess.

'3 o'clock in the morning? I thought it was 11! That explains why I had to wait an hour for my bus home instead of twenty minutes' Lotte said, rolling her eyes at her stupidity.

'Yeah, Jack said he was going to pick you up but again, you weren't answering your phone' Tyler said, as Lotte pulled it out of her pocket.

'It died halfway through the workday. We had so many crises to sort out today, that's why I'm so late. And also why I'm so exhausted. The new manager wasn't letting us charge our phones, normally I'd borrow off Toby. Ashlyn, are you crying?' Lotte asked, as she heard her best friend sniffle and lean forward, covering her face with her long auburn hair.

'Shit' Tyler said, looking at Lotte in concern.

'When was the last time you ate?' Lotte asked, as she sat down on the edge of her couch, next to Ashlyn and put her arm around her. She quickly put her phone on charge too.