WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

48.Battle Over Breakfast

The soft golden light of the morning filtered through the curtains, painting the room in gentle hues of amber and cream. Vanessa stirred, her body slowly waking as she felt Astra's warmth pressed against her side. The faint, steady rhythm of Astra's breathing was a soothing melody, grounding Vanessa in the quiet peace of the moment.

As her honey-brown eyes fluttered open, the events of the night before rushed back, and a pang of realization struck her. She'd left in such a hurry that she hadn't even told her parents she wouldn't be coming home, she actually told them the opposite. Sitting up slightly, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, careful not to disturb Astra, whose golden hair spilled over her pillow like a halo.

Vanessa unlocked her phone, her screen lighting up with several notifications. There were three missed calls from her dad, Franco, and a series of texts.

Franco: Vanessa, dove sei? Stai bene? (Vanessa, where are you? Are you okay?)

Elena: Non ti abbiamo sentita ieri sera. Scrivici appena puoi. Stiamo aspettando notizie. (We didn't hear from you last night. Write back as soon as you can. We're waiting for news.)

Guilt twisted in Vanessa's chest as she scrolled through the messages. She sighed softly, running a hand through her disheveled curls. But before she could reply, another notification caught her eye, a message from Luke.

Luke: Final confirmation! Party at ours for New Year's Eve! Bring Astra too. It's gonna be epic.

Vanessa couldn't help the small grin that tugged at her lips. The invite wasn't a surprise, Luke and Simon had been hyping up this party for weeks, and this was just the official word. She quickly fired off a thumbs-up emoji in response, her mind already spinning with ideas for the night.

She shifted slightly, about to start typing a response to her parents, when Astra stirred beside her. Vanessa froze, watching as Astra stretched lazily, her green eyes fluttering open to meet Vanessa's gaze. Astra smiled sleepily, the kind of smile that could stop Vanessa's heart if she wasn't careful.

"Good morning," Astra murmured, her voice husky with sleep as she leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Vanessa's lips.

Vanessa melted into the kiss, the warmth of it spreading through her chest like sunlight. She pulled back just enough to whisper, "Good morning, beautiful," before capturing Astra's lips again, this time with more fervor. Her hands came up to frame Astra's face, her thumbs brushing over her cheeks as she deepened the kiss, slowly shifting to straddle Astra's waist.

Astra's hands found Vanessa's hips, holding her gently but firmly as she smiled against Vanessa's lips. The heat between them was unmistakable, but after a few moments, Astra broke the kiss, her breath coming in soft, shallow gasps.

"Wait," Astra said, her voice tinged with amusement and a hint of urgency. She tucked a strand of Vanessa's hair behind her ear, her green eyes sparkling with affection. "My parents don't know you're here."

Vanessa froze for a second before laughing softly, the sound low and warm. She leaned back slightly, resting her hands on Astra's stomach. "Seriously?" she teased, her honey-brown eyes glinting with mischief. "No one knows I'm here? Not even Thomas and Margaret?"

Astra shook her head, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "Nope. Just me... and the butler who let us in."

Vanessa let out a mock gasp, her tone exaggerated for effect. "So I'm your secret guest, huh? Sneaking into your room like some rebellious teenager?"

"Pretty much," Astra replied, her grin widening. "But I don't regret it."

Vanessa chuckled, leaning down to kiss Astra's forehead. "Neither do I. But you might want to let them know before they find me hiding under your bed or something."