Lost Stars

Chapter 1

>> Chapter 1<<

"God, you're so beautiful."

Kai pulls away and grins at me. I laugh and squeeze his hand. "I love you."

"Of course you do." He smirks and pulls me into another kiss.

My phone buzzes by the table and I lean over to grab it. Worry must have flashed across my face; Kai leans over and runs his fingers through my hair. "You okay?"

I feel my heart drop as I open the new message.

Car crash on Lily Avenue. Come now. Addy's car.

-Ella

"Casey?" I don't answer as I grab my coat and tie my shoes. "Casey."

Kai grabs my hand, his voice firm. "What's going on?"

Choking back tears, I numbly hand him the phone. His eyes dart across the screen, each time his jaw dropping a little further.

"Let's go." I can barely squeeze out the words without a tightening in my chest.

"I'll be right behind you." His voice is soft. Kind.

I run to the car and start the engine. Shivering, I rub my arms and try and retain what little body heat I have left. Kai sprints out the door, nearly slipping on the black ice accumulating by the front door.

Suppressing a laugh, I push open his door. He must have seen the playfulness in my eyes, because he gives me a light shove. "Don't tell anyone about that," he says, winking at me.

I raise an eyebrow in a silent protest, but he rolls his eyes. "Lily Avenue, right? Be careful, Casey." He squeezes my hand.

I blast the heat on and nod. "Don't worry about me."

"I'm always worried about you." He leans over and daintily kisses my cheek.

We could hear the sirens before we saw the flashing lights. People lined the barricade, wanting to get closer. I turn to Kai, who's surprisingly placid. Without tearing his eyes from her car, he reaches for my hand.

"Casey!"
I turn. Ella is jogging towards us, fear coating her eyes. She wraps me in a hug as a few tears trickle down her rosy cheeks. "Can we see?"

She nods solemnly and walks us to the end of the street.

My breath is knocked away when my eyes land on her car. Blood stains the snow. The old Impala she used to drive is flipped over, it's hood smashed. Fragments of glass sprinkle the pavement.

I look away and bury myself in Kai. He's too shocked to say anything, he just holds me tighter.

A crunching sound fills my ears and I look up. Through my tear streaked vision, I see Officer Adler. "Casey Howlter?"

"Hmm?" I say, too afraid that if I try to form words more tears will burst from my eyes.

"Addy left a note in her windshield. It's addressed to you. Were you two close?" Officer Adler stares intently at me, waiting for a reply.

I shake my head. "We studied together sometimes." The words escaped in one breath. I'm not even sure if she understood me.

"Okay." She nods and hands me a letter. Before anyone else can see it, I tuck it into my pocket. I want to ask if they found a body, but my lips can't form the words.

"Was there a body?" Kai asks, as if reading my mind.

"No. We're assuming she rolled down there," she points to the dense woods. "But we'll search tomorrow when there's more light. It's getting dark. You guys should go home." She was right. The stars dotted the sky like little speckles of sugar. The moon shone out strongly; a full moon illuminated the street in front of us.

"What happened?" Ella's voice is so quiet I could barely hear her.

"Suicide."

The word is brief, but it's a blow to the chest. I stumble backwards, and Kai quickly catches me. "Thank you, officer," he says quickly, leading me back to the car.

Once inside, I rip open the letter. Three tiny words lay on the blank sheet of paper. I gasp and I swear my heart stopped.

"Casey?"

My hand trembles as I read it again, unsure if I can even trust my own eyes. But they're there. My heart starts to spin and I feel like I'm going to be sick. Three words, and my world came crashing down.

Find me.

-Addy