Our Soul Divided

08| The Worst Night of My Life

Stetson

I never want to relive that night ever again. But she needs to know. So, for her. Always for her.

"After you'd been gone for twenty or so minutes, I started to worry. So, I went over to the bathrooms at the back and cracked the door to the women's room and called for you." I shake my head.

"You didn't answer so, naturally, I went in there and opened all the stalls and everything. And you weren't there." I pause remembering the empty feeling of fear and dread filling my stomach.

"I rushed back out, still calling for you, and began scanning the people in the diner. When no one caught my eye, I looked over them again, harder. I was looking for your face, your pink sweater, your brown hair, your chucks, anything..."

I paused again and she sniffed.

"Dorian ran up to me around that time and asked what was going on. I told him that you weren't in the bathroom and I didn't see you anywhere and the look on his face... I'm sure it mirrored my own... but the true horror I saw immediately light his gaze made me nauseous." I clutch my hand over my stomach and ball my shirt in my fist. That is a feeling that I will never forget.

"Suddenly, he was running around too, we were both screaming like maniacs at every person in and around the diner. We were screaming your description, your name, help, everything."

I suck in a shuddered breath and continue, "Before I found Dorian again, he was on the phone. I assumed he was calling the police, but he was so angry when he hung up and launched his phone at the brick wall behind the place."

Athena's eyes were alight with curiosity and pain. So I laid back on the ground and folded my arms under my head to prepare to tell her everything.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked Dorian.

"Police are fucking useless," he'd snarked. "They won't even take a report until she's been missing for 48 hours."

I felt the rage of a thousand suns burn from my stomach to my chest to my face.

"Would she leave?" Dorian whispered to me.

"No, why the fuck would she just leave? It's her birthday, and everything's been fine. Even you two haven't fought in a while."

"You two fight sometimes, what did you say to her before she left for the bathroom."

Remembering what I had whispered in her ear about thirty minutes ago, I felt even sicker. 'I've never wanted anyone more than I want you, right now.'

I didn't want to tell Dorian that. It'd only been a couple of months since she gave herself over to me and Dorian did too. I was grateful for that, more grateful than he would ever understand, and I never wanted to hurt him.

"She wouldn't just leave," I repeated.

"Yeah, you're right," he relented as he ran his hands roughly through his hair. "So where the fuck is she?"

"Who took her is the better question," I bite out.

Dorian turned to me with his eyes wide. "You think someone took her? Why? What did you see?"

"Nothing, there was nothing in the bathroom, or anywhere else. But why else would she be gone without a trace?"

Dorian dropped his head back in exasperation for a second and then snapped back to attention at something over my head. I looked up to follow his gaze.

"The camera..." I realized aloud.

Dorian was already storming back into the diner and I was stomping along behind him.