WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

32. The Calm Before the Masquerade

The late afternoon sunlight filtered lazily through the curtains, bathing Vanessa's room in a warm, muted glow. The air was still, heavy with the scent of whiskey and the faint sweetness of weed that lingered despite Astra's best attempts to air out the room earlier. Vanessa lay on the bed, satisfied with the choice of outfits for the party, her body sprawled out as if surrendering to the weight of the world. Astra was beside her, perched delicately on the edge of the mattress, her fingers absentmindedly tracing soft patterns on the sheets.

Vanessa's gaze flicked toward Astra, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite the dull throbbing in her head. She reached out lazily, her hand brushing against Astra's. "I missed you," Vanessa murmured, her voice quiet and hoarse.

Astra tilted her head, her green eyes softening as she met Vanessa's gaze. "I'm here now," she said simply, her tone steady. But there was an unspoken question behind her words, a quiet plea for Vanessa to let her stay close, to let her in.

Vanessa shifted slightly, wincing as the movement made her stomach churn. "Stay a while longer?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "We haven't had much time together since... you know, the boys were here."

Astra nodded, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Vanessa's forehead. "Of course," she said. "I'm not going anywhere."

They lay in silence for a while, the minutes stretching into something timeless. Vanessa's eyes fluttered shut, her breathing slow and uneven as she tried to shake off the lingering nausea and dizziness from earlier. Astra stayed beside her, her presence grounding, her hand occasionally brushing against Vanessa's arm or hair in gentle reassurance.

The quiet was broken by the sharp buzz of Vanessa's phone on the nightstand. Astra glanced at it instinctively, her eyes narrowing slightly as the screen lit up with Maya's name. The message preview glowed faintly, another in a string of texts that Vanessa had ignored all day.

"Van," Astra said softly, glancing toward her girlfriend. "Your phone's buzzing again. It's Maya... again."

Vanessa groaned, turning her face into the pillow. "Just... let it buzz," she muttered, her voice muffled. "I don't wanna deal with it right now."

Astra hesitated, her eyes lingering on the phone as the notifications kept coming. Finally, she turned back to Vanessa, her voice firm but not unkind. "Why aren't you answering her? She seems really worried."

Vanessa sighed heavily, rolling onto her side to face Astra. Her honey-brown eyes were clouded, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and guilt. "I don't know, moments like this I wish i could just disappear, and this is the closest thing I can do to" she admitted, her voice small. "I just... don't know what to say, or what to do. I feel like crap, and I don't wanna deal with questions or... anything right now."

Astra studied her for a moment, then leaned forward, brushing a stray curl from Vanessa's face. "Then let me answer for you," she said softly. "I'll tell her you're okay, that you'll talk later. She just wants to know you're safe."

Vanessa hesitated, her gaze flicking between Astra and the phone. Finally, she nodded, her voice barely audible. "Okay. Do it."

Astra picked up the phone, her thumb hovering over the screen as she unlocked it. She scanned the messages quickly, her brows furrowing as she read through the flurry of concerned texts. Most were casual, but Maya's stood out, longer, more insistent, the kind of messages that came from a place of deep care. Or something more.

Maya: "Vanessa, please answer me. I'm worried about you. Where are you? Are you okay? Please just let me know you're ok."

Maya: "You don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just... give me a sign, anything."