WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

77.The Ghosts We Can't Outrun

The three of them worked in silence, the only sounds in the villa being the occasional clinking of glass and the shuffling of clothes as they attempted to restore some order to the wreckage left behind. Astra and Vanessa focused on cleaning the floor, carefully picking up the shards of broken glass, ensuring they didn't cut themselves, while Ian worked on the tables, meticulously sorting the leftover drugs and alcohol.

Vanessa stole a glance at him, noticing how methodical he was about it, separating each substance with practiced ease, his fingers moving deftly as if this were something he had done a thousand times before. When Astra stood up to take a bag of discarded clothes to the corner, her gaze flickered toward Ian, and something in her expression darkened. She wasn't just disgusted by the mess; she looked... unsettled.

Vanessa noticed immediately. Astra had been different since they arrived, more distant, her movements tense. It wasn't just about the situation; she was watching Vanessa, side-eyeing her every time she picked up a stray pill off the floor or spotted a thin square of LSD paper—'party favors' as Vanessa had called them once. The realization made Vanessa's stomach turn.

As she grabbed another bag of clothes, she stepped closer to Astra, her voice softer than before. "Hey, you want to take a break?"

Astra met her gaze briefly, then nodded, almost too quickly, and turned toward the door without another word. Vanessa followed her, barely paying attention as Ian, noticing their exit, smirked and tossed out one of his usual remarks.

"Guess I'll keep cleaning this shit up alone while you two go have sex somewhere."

Vanessa rolled her eyes but didn't slow her stride. "Shut up, Ian," she shot back before stepping outside.

The air outside was crisp, a stark contrast to the stale, lingering scent of alcohol and smoke inside. Astra hugged her arms around herself, shivering slightly. Without a second thought, Vanessa shrugged off her hoodie and draped it over Astra's shoulders, leaving herself in just a sleeveless crop top. The night air hit her skin immediately, but she barely noticed. Astra, however, did.

Her eyes instinctively dropped to Vanessa's torso, tracing over the network of scars littered across her skin. Some were old and faded, barely noticeable unless you knew where to look. But the biggest one, the long, deep scar still not completely heeled  from her splenectomy, stood out, even in the dim light.

Vanessa had grown used to Astra's fingers ghosting over her scars, memorizing them in the quiet of the night when she thought Vanessa was asleep or after they had fallen into exhausted silence beneath the sheets. Now, Astra's touch was no different. Her fingertips traced the longest scar, running along the curve of Vanessa's still broken ribs, the touch featherlight yet grounding.

Vanessa exhaled softly, tilting Astra's chin up with her fingers. Their eyes met, and Vanessa searched her face, her voice quiet but firm. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird since we got here."

Astra hesitated, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she leaned into Vanessa's warmth, the weight of the night pressing down on her, the realization of just how much of Vanessa's past still lived in this place suffocating her.

Vanessa felt Astra's tear slide down her bare skin, warm against the cool night air. Astra was curled into her, head resting on Vanessa's chest, her breath uneven, her grip tight as if letting go would make everything unravel. Vanessa's heart clenched at the silent distress, and she instinctively brought a hand up, threading her fingers through Astra's hair, brushing through the strands slowly, soothingly. She pressed a soft kiss to the top of Astra's head, lingering there for a moment, hoping the gentle touch would be enough to pull her back from whatever place she had fallen into.