WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

31. Into the Unknown

The room was silent except for the faint sound of Vanessa's deep, uneven breathing. Astra sat cross-legged on the floor, the damp cloth she'd used to wipe Vanessa's face earlier resting forgotten in her lap. The air was heavy with the sharp tang of alcohol and the faint sweetness of the weed smoke that lingered in the corners of the room. She glanced over at Vanessa, who was sprawled across the bed, her features softened in sleep, or unconsciousness, Astra wasn't sure which.

Vanessa had been sick earlier, rushing to the bathroom and barely making it to the toilet before emptying her stomach. Astra had stood by the door, her chest tight with worry as she listened to the sounds of retching. When Vanessa stumbled back to bed afterward, muttering something about handling it herself, Astra didn't hesitate to grab a bucket and clean up. It wasn't the first time Vanessa had told her not to bother, to let her take care of herself, but Astra couldn't stand by and watch her girlfriend self-destruct without doing something.

Now, with the bucket emptied and the bathroom cleaned, Astra leaned against the wall and stared at Vanessa. The soft rise and fall of her chest was the only sign of life, her honey-brown curls splayed out messily across the pillow. For a moment, Astra's anger melted away, replaced by a deep, aching sadness. Vanessa looked so peaceful, so vulnerable in her sleep, and Astra couldn't reconcile this image with the chaos she'd been living in over the past few days.

A sudden buzzing broke the silence, jolting Astra from her thoughts. Vanessa's phone, lying face down on the nightstand, lit up and vibrated insistently. Astra glanced at the screen, hesitating. She didn't want to wake Vanessa, who needed rest more than anything, but the repeated buzzing was impossible to ignore.

Standing slowly, Astra crossed the room and reached for the phone. She picked it up, her thumb hovering over the screen. Vanessa would never want her to look at her messages, but Astra's worry overrode her hesitation. She unlocked the phone, and her heart sank when she saw the notifications.

Ben. Again and again.

Ben: "Party at The Elysian House, 16 North Rathmines Crescent, Dublin 6."
Ben: "The whole building is private, actually."
Ben: "Dress code: masquerade formal or semi-formal. As usual, the less you're dressed, the better ;)"
Ben: "Can't wait to see you here. Xoxo."

Astra's chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at the messages, her fingers gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. This was it. Proof that Vanessa had lied to her. Despite their conversation, despite Astra's pleas, Vanessa had already made plans to dive headfirst into the chaos she'd claimed she wanted to leave behind.

Setting the phone back on the nightstand, Astra flipped the "Do Not Disturb" mode back on and stepped back, her hands trembling. She turned and walked into the small living room, needing space to process what she'd just seen. The weight of her emotions pressed down on her, anger and hurt swirling together in a volatile mix. But beneath it all was the gnawing fear that she was losing Vanessa, that the girl she'd fallen in love with was slipping through her fingers.

Astra sat down heavily on the couch, her head in her hands. For a few minutes, she just breathed, willing herself to stay calm. But the buzzing energy of her emotions refused to settle, and she reached for her phone, her fingers moving instinctively as she called the one person who would understand her frustration and worry.

"Niko," Astra said as soon as the line connected, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay steady.

"Astra? What's wrong?" Niko's voice was sharp with concern, the sound grounding Astra slightly.

Astra took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. "It's Vanessa," she began, her words spilling out in a rush. "She's been... spiraling. Ever since her friends Giorgio and Michele came to visit, she's been drinking and smoking nonstop. I thought it was just a phase, you know, them bringing back old habits, but it's more than that."