Sway Me (book 1)

Chapter Forty Five- Escape

45. Escape
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I woke up with body aches all over, as if I had been stepped on throughout the night. It was a bit of a stretch, but that was exactly how I felt. I stumbled to the restroom.

"Giulia! Wake up! You're going to be late!" I screamed at the top of my lungs; that was the only way Giulia would actually hear me. She could be a deep sleeper at times. I reached for my toothbrush, and then it hit me, almost knocking the air right out of my lungs.

Giulia was not here.

I felt like I was on a stand, waiting for a verdict that would never come. Giulia was really gone from my life.

I exhaled and ran my fingers through my hair. I had a plan; I knew her class schedule. Maybe I could find a way to talk to her. I immediately freshened up, grabbed my backpack, and left the apartment.

As I made my way toward the law faculty, my heart raced. Each step felt heavy, weighed down by the guilt I carried. I headed to the classroom where she often attended lectures, hoping to catch her on a break.

When I arrived, I found the hallway bustling with students. I scanned the crowd, searching for Giulia's familiar face, but it was nowhere to be seen. I felt a pang of disappointment.

"Emily?" a voice called from behind me. I turned to see Cole, his smile bright and welcoming. What was he doing here? I wondered.

"Hey, Cole! What are you doing here?" I asked, forcing a smile despite my turmoil.

"I'm back for a bit. Just on a six-month internship with one of my professors," he said casually.

"In the law faculty?" I asked, feeling a bit confused; we both knew he belonged in Engineering like me.

"Cole!" A few girls called out his name, and I turned in the direction of the sound. There were about four, all insanely gorgeous in their formal outfits. It made sense now; the playboy in Cole had not graduated with him.

He chuckled. "How about you? You look a bit stressed." His attempt to turn my attention from his fans was sincere, but his words were indeed true; I felt stressed in every sense.

"I'm just trying to find Giulia," I admitted, biting my lip. "I need to talk to her."

Cole raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Is everything okay between you two? You both live in the same—why not call her?"

He didn't know; I was a bit surprised. I thought my story might have been out there already—Our Mystery Girl is American, hopefully we get a name soon—I was immediately reminded of the post. My identity had not been discovered yet. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "There must be something wrong with her phone. I'll go find her in one of her other classes." I lied, making my way for an escape from any further interrogation.

"Sure. I'm hosting a party tonight; you should come before you go back to your bookworm self," Cole suggested, his eyes lighting up. "Bring Giulia with you as well, but I'm pretty sure she knows by now."

"A party?" I echoed. This was it; there was a strong possibility that Giulia would be at the party.

"Yeah, it'll be fun! You've got to come; I promise I won't let you drink alcohol or kiss you," he urged. I almost choked on air, remembering that day and how I wished that was my current problem.

"Okay, I'll go," I said. I had to; it was the only way I could see her at the moment.

"Great! The party starts at eight," Cole replied, grinning.