her disappearance

37

CREIGHTON

Luca and I were sitting out on the small balcony of our new dorm. "This is an upgrade," he says, chuckling.

"You're welcome," I say. If it wasn't for my psychotic tendencies with sweatshirts, we would still be living in that shit-hole dorm.

He inhales a puff of his cigarette before the smoke diffuses in the dark sky. "Wren and I argued," he tells me. "She's pissed because I haven't taken her out on a date yet."

I shake my head at him. "C'mon Luca. That's the first rule of dating."

He glares at me. "Yeah? Where did you take Anoushka?"

I purse my lips as I attempt to think of where we went. My eyes widen at the realisation. "Oh shit."

He chuckles.

"I have been so distracted with Kai and Isabella. Fuck. I completely forgot."

How could I forget to take Anoushka out on a date? Fuck, I'm a shit boyfriend.

"There isn't a better time than now," Luca says. "Ask her on a date tomorrow. It's Saturday."

"I will," I tell him.

"I know we don't talk about that close shit." Luca quietly laughs. "But how are you after everything with Kai?"

My lips twitch. "Aw, you care about me." I tease

He rolls his eyes. "Yeah well, that's what five years of friendship does to someone."

I grin. "I'm shocked more than I am hurt. I trusted him with my life and with Anoushka." I tell him. "But walking in on what he was doing to Anoushka eradicated any care or love I had for him. If anything, I want to hurt him for what he did to her."

"Wren briefly told me what happened in that room and I can't even begin to understand how horrifying that must have been," he tells me.

"It was. I thought they were going to kill her."

Luca shakes his head with a sad smile. "Me and Anoushka haven't been that close but I don't think I had ever felt fear like I had when I found out she had been kidnapped," he admits. "If Wren had told me where she was going, I could've stopped it. I could've saved them both." Guilt fills his voice.

I shake my head. "There's no point in dwelling on the what ifs," I tell him. "Anoushka and Wren are safe now. That's all that matters to me."

He nods his head in agreement. "Now back to this date," he says and I breathe out a dry laugh.

Anoushka wasn't a difficult person to set up a date with but I knew her pretty well. Anoushka was more of a stay-at-home type of girl. She hated public activities. As long as we were together, she would be more than happy. A smile tugs at my lips as I plan the most perfect date ever.

•••
ANOUSHKA

Creighton told me to get ready for a date. It was very fucking late notice. It was also stunning to see that Wren had a date with Luca tonight.

"White dress or black dress?" I ask Wren, holding each dress to my body.

They were both the same short dress with spaghetti straps except one was black and the other was white.

"White with a black leather jacket and your black Doc Martens," she says.

I grin at her. Wren was an absolute fashion icon. She wore a pink dress that was baggy around her stomach. Someone knocks on my door. "He's early." I whisper-shout.