Fall fell

LOVE LOST

                              CHAPTER SIX

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it wasn't  Austin . It was a woman, dressed in a long coat, her face obscured by a hoodie.

The woman approached Coco, her eyes fixed on the doorstep. "You're waiting for Austin?" she asked, her voice low and husky.

Coco nodded, her mind racing. "Do you know where he is?"

The woman hesitated for a second. "No, my dear, You need to go somewhere else it's not safe here". She said.

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Coco settled into the backseat of the cab she stopped, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened hours ago. She was lost in thought when her rang, shrill in the silence.

"Hey girl! Where have you been?" Angela's voice was bright and cheerful, a stark contrast to Coco's tumultuous emotion.

"Hey Angela. I'm in cab, heading home, "Coco replied, trying to sound calm.

"What's going on? I went to your place, and you weren't there. I was worried sick" Angela exclaimed.

Coco hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. I went to Austin's apartment.  He's....gone.

There was a pause on the other end.  "What do you mean gone?"

Coco took a deep breath. "He disappeared, Angela. His apartment was trashed, and he left without a trace.

Angela tone turned serious. "Oh my god, Co. That sounds scary. Do you think he's okay?"

Coco's eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't know."

Angela's  voice was firm. "Co, you need to be careful. This sounds like something big. Don't go digging around on your own."

Coco nodded, even though Angela couldn't see her. "I'll be careful. But I have to find out what's going on."

The cab pulled up to Coco's apartment building, and paid the driver. "I'm home now. I'll fill you in on everything later,okay?"

Angela's voice was reassuring. "Alright."

Coco hung up...

She opened her door, dropped her bag on the floor, and automatically reached for her phone. She had tried calling Austin's number countless times, but she couldn't help herself. She had to keep trying.

As she dialed the familiar digits, her heart sank. Voicemail. Again.

"Austin, it's Coco. Please, please call me back. I know something's wrong. Are you okay? Are you safe?"

She hung up, feeling frustrated and helpless. Why wasn't he answering?

Coco paced around her living room, phone still clutched in her hand. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Coco's eyes welled up with tears as she continued to text Coco's phone, hoping against hope that he would respond. But the silence was deafening.

In desperation, she decided to call one of Austin's friends, hoping they might know something. But as she scrolled through her contacts, her heart sank.

She realized that Austin hadn't introduced her to any of his friends. They had always been alone together, or with her own friends, like Angela. Coco had never thought it strange before, but now it seemed ominous.

Panic set in. Who could she turn to? Did Austin even have friends?

Coco felt a wave of loneliness wash over her. She had thought she knew Austin, but now she wondered if she had ever really known him at all.