Deeper

35 | Bloodshot Eyes

I can't think of anything else other than to hug him, and so I do, trying to comfort him. His body is warm, like usual, but so stiff and limp in my arms. It's like I'm hugging an object. Unalive. Soulless.

My heart beats rapidly against my chest.

What happened, Vaughn?

The rest of the night is spent without any sleep. Vaughn keeps tossing on the bed, restless. And I keep wondering what's wrong.

There's no point in asking him anymore because every time I did, he didn't even give me a clear answer.

'Nothing. I just had a bad day'.

That's it. That's the only answer I've got.

He turns his body to the other side, his back facing me. I sigh and lean closer to him before wrapping my arms around his torso, my hands on his chest. Trying to calm my own heartbeat, I press my face against his back, smelling his signature scent which always makes me calm. Then I close my eyes, forcing myself to sleep. Despite many thoughts consuming my mind, my body seems unable to fight the tiredness from yesterday's activities that I fall asleep a moment later.

I wake up to the alarm sound from the clock on my nightstand. Groaning, I smack it off and straighten myself up. When I open my eyes, I'm surprised to find that Vaughn is nowhere in sight.

Crap. I just woke up late because I kept worrying about him last night. And now he's already gone. How could that guy wake up so fast?

I reach for my phone and check my messages. There's a text from him that says:

I'm leaving early.

A desperate sigh escapes my lips. Something is terribly wrong. Until yesterday afternoon, everything was fine. But now, I'm worried sick about him.

What actually happened in Austin's place?

Vaughn has just left me with so many questions in my head. There was no goodnight kiss last night. No cuddling before bed as usual. Not even a simple 'Hi' in the morning. I still remember the last time he gave me a peck on my lips before he left for college while I was still a sleepyhead.

I scoff in disbelief and rake my fingers through my hair, surprised to find that my hand is shaking.

What is happening?

Every step I make as I walk along the corridor of my campus feels heavy. Earlier in my class, I couldn't concentrate on what the lecturer was saying because my mind was still occupied with what could have happened to Vaughn.

He still hasn't contacted me again after his last text this morning, but I can understand that. As far as I remember, his schedule for Wednesday is pretty hectic. I guess that we can talk later at home. We have plenty of time.

I come to a sudden halt when I find something pretty shocking. I blink, wondering if there's something wrong with my sight.

There further down the corridor, in front of the dance club rehearsal room, Vaughn stands, talking to a girl.

And he looks agitated, shouting. The girl looks furious, like she's about to kick his ass.

Before they can notice my existence, I quickly turn around the corner and hide, leaning back against the wall. But I'm still close enough to hear their loud voices.

"Go away, Vaughn!" the girl yells, clearly irritated. "I told you, I don't know where she is." She scoffs. "Funny how you asked me, when in fact, you should be the one telling us. What have you done to her, Vaughn?"

My heart is racing inside my chest. What did I hear just now?

He's looking for her. Camila.

I peek behind the wall, and my heart freezes in place as I take a glance at how frantic he is. How devastated he is. How lost he looks. How his eyes reflect his pain, his longing for her, his determination to find her.

And slowly, the reality comes crashing down on me.