Not to be found

Chapter 31 - Last night

*Lacey's POV*

"What the hell?" I shout as I sit bolt up right in a bed that I don't remember getting into to, "what the actual hell?!"

My vision blurs as my head pounds and I feel vomit rising in my throat, I desperately search for something before I throw up in the bed, when I find a bowl underneath the frame.
I empty my stomach contents into the bowl and pull my hair back from my face.

"Great," I say under my breath as I wipe my mouth free of the vomit.

What the hell happened last night?
I remember drinking excessively, I remember Sofia dragging me into a group of friends where we played never have I ever. I think I it took far, too many shots, oh geez.

Here we go again, my head in the bowl as I empty whatever is left in my stomach into the green plastic bowl.
I suck at self care.
I've never been great at taking care of myself. I'd skip meals, not sleep and not to mention exhausting myself from my addiction to running and keeping fit, when the reality was I was actually damaging my body. I'd have no energy and be laid up in bed for at least two days. It got to a point where everything had to be logged; the food that I ate, the hours that I'd slept and a strict exercise plan. I don't want to go back to my old ways.

I slowly lay myself back down into the bed and close my eyes, I have to do something to ease this headache.
Why oh why did I get myself into this state? No wonder why mum didn't get out of bed all day after a party, she couldn't move from the excruciating pain.
"You're awake now then," Noah says as my eyes fly open in surprise.

I prop myself up using an elbow the other arm I use to hold my head, "umm.....where am I?"
I feel like I ask that question far too many times.

He places a packet of paracetamol and a glass of water on the bedside table next to me, "you're in my room, I couldn't leave you," he admits sitting down on the corner of the bed carefully avoiding the bowl of vomit, "don't you remember what you nearly did?"

What I nearly did? Oh god, what did I do? What did you do Lacey? You shouldn't have listened to Sofia, you shouldn't have gave in just to 'fit in'. Stupid girl.

"Oh god Noah what did I do?" I sigh into the palm of my hand as I squeeze my eyes shut.

He pops two of the pills out of the packet and passes them to me as well as the glass of water, I take a large gulp and tilt my head back swallowing both pills. He takes the glass from me, "you nearly exposed yourself to everyone, I know your parents and the police now know but we need to keep it on the down low until it's all sorted."

I lay myself down flat again, "I'm sorry, I know I can't say anything yet in fact I want to stay as Gracie for a while. I guess it was peer pressure."

He stands up and comes around to the side of me, "don't lay down you'll just feel worse," he says as he sits down next to me.

So I end up sitting up straight, he cups my face in both of his hands and places a soft kiss on the tip of my nose.
"I'll do whatever you want, just stay away from the alcohol okay?"

"Okay," I practically whisper as my body feels light from how close our bodies are.

"I have to go to work soon," he says as he pushes himself further back up and onto the bed taking me with him so that I'm wrapped in his arms.

I nod in response, but there is something that is niggling in the back of my mind a vague moment that I remember. I think I was being put into the car, when I heard a whisper. A whisper from Noah that I swear was 'I love you'. But I can't be sure, I was drunk I might of just been hearing things.

Instead I ask another one of the questions that are burning a hole in my brain, "when are we going to be questioned?"

He glides his fingertips down the bare skin of my arm, a distraction? Or some sort of soothing action?
"I don't want you to worry about it, you're not going to be in any trouble-"

"I basically led them on to believe there was a murder investigation, I think there will be some sort of punishment for that," I cut him off.

"My point is, if you would have let me finish," he raises his eyebrows, "you're not the first person to have done this there are others who have been in your position and they have had no punishment at all."

"I don't know," I sigh.

"Have hope," is all that he can say.

I close my eyes and lean back into his chest, it makes me feel safe. I still don't have my phone back and more importantly I still don't know who was trying to shoot me. I need to know. I'm tired of being kept in the dark, it is my life.

My toes begin to tingle, I bunch them up to get rid of the sensation but the tingle turns into a shake, and that shake travels up my body. I clench my fists and squeeze my eyes shut trying to control it but it just gets worse.

"Are you okay?" Noah asks as he watches my skin form goosebumps.

"Y-ye-yeah," I stutter as the shaking becomes more erratic, he pulls the duvet up over our legs and then tucks it just below my chin.

"I've got to leave for work but I'm not sure if I want to leave you like this," he says reaching for my hand under the covers and swiping his thumb across it gently.

If I'm being completely honest I didn't want him to leave either, he allowed me to feel safe and content. But that would be selfish of me to keep him here, especially since he saved me last night from revealing my identity.
I couldn't keep him, he needed to get on with his day to day life as normal.

"N-no you go," I lie, "I understand y-you need to go and I will be f-fine."

He looks down at me and holds my face in the palm of his hand as if I am the most fragile thing in the world, "hmmm......I'm not convinced, it's not even like you can call me."

"Noah seriously you go," I try to persuade him, "I have your mum here, I will survive."

"Fine," he agrees but I can tell he is reluctant as he slides out from underneath me and tucks the duvet back around my shaking body.
"I'll see you later okay?"

I nod and he plants a light kiss on my forehead before he leaves me alone to stare once again at the four walls of his bedroom.
Come to think of it I don't even know what he does as a job? I literally know nothing about this family a part from that Julie owns a salon, Mike works for a government security agency and that I think I love their son.

I sink down into the bed and close my eyes trying to get rid of these ridiculous shakes. But just as I feel my body begin to grow numb a familiar voice calls out from a distance,
"God, you don't do hangovers well! Just look at you, let's get you cleaned up."

I open my eyes and the owner of the voice is non other than Sofia's, "Sofia?" I ask aloud.

"Yes Gracie it's me, Julie let me in," she says as she perches on the end of the bed, "I came over to check how you are, you drank a lot last night and I mean....A LOT!"

"Urgh don't!" I say as I slap my forehead, but it's an instant mistake as I let out a groan.

She walks over to the side of the bed and grimaces as she sees the bowl of vomit, my vomit. She then grabs my elbow and hauls me out the bed, my body still shaking.

"Let's get you in the shower, because you stink!" She confesses and giggles at the same time.

I follow her into the bathroom and begin to get ready to take a shower.

This is going to be interesting to say the least. No alcohol. Never. Again.