Look Away, Ignore the Pain

Chapter 29: You Shoot Me Down, But I Get... Up?

~Ashton’s Point of View~

I kept screaming out Kaitlynn’s name frantically while looking for her in the entire apartment. Also, I found my phone, so I decided to call her, but she didn’t pick up the three times I called her.

“Shit!” I shouted out and threw my phone on the couch in frustration and buried my face in my hands.Where could she have she gone to? She didn’t leave a note anywhere or anything, did she? God damn it, Kathy! I decided to check her room again for the billionth time, hoping that I missed something about it all. I spotted a long black box next to her painting stand with a note attached to it with sellotape.

“Hey Ash, this is your last Christmas gift from me. It came out kind of sucky, but I hope you don’t mind. You seemed excited for some reason when I was painting yesterday, so I decided to paint something for you, too. I hope you don’t hate it too much.

KAH”

I folded the note back and put it back into my pocket. Carefully I opened the black box to find two blue drum sticks with various paintings on them. Spread your wings. I read in my head countless times as I caressed my fingers over the gentle and measured work of her touch.

“You’re incredible, Kaitlynn.” I mumbled and was shot straight back to reality with the realisation that she is not yet back. I tried one more time calling her.

“Hey, you’ve reached Kaitlynn’s number, so… leave a message, I guess.”

“Kathy, please, please call me back! Where are you? I have a really bad feeling about this, so please call me back when you get this!” I pleaded to her recorded voice.

“Hello?” Liam answered with a voice heavy from sleep.

“Liam, I –“

“Ashton, do you have an idea what time is it?” he asked huskily.

“I know, but Kaitlynn’s missing.” I explained as calmly as I can while sitting on the couch, gripping my hair with a tightly clenched fist.

“What do you mean ‘she’s missing’?” he asked in panic, now much more awake.

“As in she’s not here. I couldn’t get her on the phone at first, but now it’s completely off.” Hearing myself say the words I was thinking was 10 times worse.

“I’ll be right there.” He said and the dial tone came not a second later. I swung the door open when I merely heard the footsteps in the corridor, but I was anxious, nervous, scared, stressed, and worried. “Calm down, panicking won’t help anything, especially not her.” He said as calmly as he could, but I saw through his mask. He was just as worried as I was.

“Where could she go?” I asked in devastation and plumped on the couch with my hands shielding my face.

“Try ringing her again.” Liam said with a long yawn. How could he be tired? How could he even think about sleep?