Later that night.
Everyone was tired, Liam was falling asleep on the couch. Neil never came, but surprisingly, Chris did attend. He danced with Verina
and even met her parents. I, on the other hand, was dreading the rest of the night.
August showed off her ring to the elites of society and I sat at the bar tipping the bartender multiple hundred-dollar bills to keep giving me whiskey.
Everyone was getting ready to go. They were packing themselves up to their limos, expensive cars, and making sure they had their affairs in order. I waited for August to get ready. I grabbed my keys from the front, grabbing my coat as well.
I spot Margo looking frantically around as she sat by the sidewalk, Ben was next to her guarding her like a dog.
I walk up to her, her yes looking at me, pleading with worry and a full horrific expression, “Hamilton, you good?” I asked as she stood up. She shot her panicked eyes at me, her phone besides her ear.
“Have you seen Anna?” She looked terrified.
“She hasn’t been answering her phone.” She calms down as Ben places his hand on her shoulder.
“What do you mean she hasn’t been answering her phone?”
My heart dropped, and my throat tightened, making it hard to breathe. Panic surged through me.
“She left early, and she’s not answering her phone. She always calls me when she gets home safely,” Margo said, her voice strained, as Verina and Juliette came running over.
“We checked the bathroom and asked everyone, but no one has seen her phone.”
I took a deep breath, but my heart wouldn’t stop pounding. “Why the hell did you let her leave early?” I snapped, but Liam stepped in front of me, giving me a look that warned me to stay calm around his girl.
I bit my lip, forcing myself to stay quiet. I grabbed my phone and dialed 911, quickly reporting Adrianna Cassian missing, and made sure to alert her father and other family members.
It wasn’t like Adrianna to disappear without saying anything, especially to Margo. A tight knot formed in my stomach as I swallowed hard. “I can help you search,” I offered, glancing at August. “I can ask Arthur to take you home.”
She scowled at me. “Grayson, I want you to come home with me right now.” Her demand was firm, but I wasn’t in the mood for her stubbornness. I slammed my fist against the car, making her jump.
The only thing that mattered was whether Adrianna had made it home safe. “I can call Neil and ask him to check her house,” Chris suggested, and I nodded in agreement.
“I’m going to drive around.”
Liam looked at me. “I’ll come with you.”
Juliette pulled out her phone. “I’ll start filing a missing person report. Margo, I’m going to drive around on my own.” Her voice was resolute, and no one questioned her decision to go out alone so late.
“No one is going to stop me,” she said firmly. I was already on my phone, calling more officials to organize a search party.
“Grayson, can you try calling her?” Verina asked, but before I could respond, Margo cut in.
“He can’t,” Margo said. “She has you blocked.” I nodded, understanding exactly why she did.
August settled into my car. “I’ll wait here for you,” she said softly. I nodded. “We’re taking Liam’s car.”
Liam and I strapped on our seat belts as Margo got into her car, telling Ben to keep an eye out in the parking lot and around the ball.
Verina, Chris, and Juliette headed off in a car to search New Crest while we looked elsewhere. She couldn’t have gotten far, right?
There was no way she could have gone too far. I prayed to God that she was okay.
I sat next to Liam, not trusting myself to drive in my current state. All I could think about was how much I would give up for her.
I wasn’t known for having many weaknesses. I was known for being tough, severe, and borderline reckless, both in life and on the ice. I wasn’t supposed to care much about people.
That’s how my father was—no weaknesses. I still believe he has none.
I wasn’t supposed to have a weakness, but Adrianna Cassian was mine. Somehow, she managed to slip through my defenses.
I hadn’t told her those famous eight letters and three words yet, and I wasn’t sure if she would believe me if I did, but I knew I meant them… I wanted to tell her.
But right now, all that mattered was her safety. I didn’t care about whether we would end up together—I just wanted her to be safe.
I don’t think I could live with myself if she wasn’t. I couldn’t imagine a life on this earth without her.
She was the reason the world was so beautiful. Please, don’t let Adrianna be taken away from that beauty.
I couldn’t stop tapping my knee against Liam’s car door, and he glanced over at me. “She’ll be okay,” he assured me.
“She better be fucking okay, for everyone’s sake,” I muttered, my voice edged with anger. I knew how I’d react if Adrianna had been harmed in any way.
Liam swallowed visibly.
“If she fucking dies, the doctors that tried to help her die.” All hail the wrath of the Prince himself.
 |
iam and I drove around for eight hours.
LI felt bad as he started to get droopy, his eyes starting to fall close as I still felt very much awake.
I mean how could I sleep when I knew she was still not fucking found. Neil went to check at her house, anywhere I really thought she
would be, but she was nowhere to be found.
It sounded terrible, but I’ve dreamt about this often. I had nightmares about these types of situations. I would wake up in the middle of the night and I wouldn’t be able to go back to bed again.
I couldn’t fathom losing her.
I could feel the darker parts of my body devouring me. I’m a damn prisoner in my whole brain. I often found that I waited for her to fall asleep before I could.
I was scared one day maybe she would disappear. God would take away the only angel he sent me because she didn’t think I would need saving anymore.
I would watch her breathe, every inhale and exhale until I fell asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. She looked beautiful. If we were in a museum full of exquisite art, my eyes would only remain and be lost in hers.
Her warmth would fill my coldness.
Her brightness lit up the dark and disturbing thoughts that roamed in my head, keeping me up at night.
She was my damn weakness.
But damn, I’m Grayson fucking Prince. I was known to have no weaknesses.
But the moment I saw her, I knew she would be in my fucking blood.
I’d live and breathe her.
Both Liam and I jerk, hearing my phone ring. My heart stops, Liam looks at me then back at the road.
I looked down to my phone, seeing Margo’s name on the caller ID, I felt my throat tighten. My hand shaking finding it hard to answer, I took a breath before finally picking up.
“Grayson?”
I swallow, closing my eyes, “Margo.” I address as I hear heavy sobs on her end of the call.
“I found her.” She sniffles as my heart drops to my stomach. Liam hears his girl’s sobs, pressing the brakes of the car, giving me look asking if Margo was okay.
“Margo, what’s going on? Are you and Adrianna, okay?” I ask, afraid of what the answer might be.
She said nothing and it made my heart pause.
“Where are you guys?” I asked as she sobbed even more. “She’s dying.”
She muttered, silence filled the whole car, voices in my head exploding.
Margo’s voice was flat and voiceless.
“She’s dying.”
It was the only sentence needed to destroy my whole fucking world in a damn second.
“What are you talking about? Where is she?” I let out, hoping Margo was pulling a damn joke over my fucking head.
“There’s so much blood, Grayson.” She voiced with a serious and worried expression.
“Is she alive?!” I yell as Liam turned the car around, “Where are you?” “We are near the abandoned hospital in New Crest, the intersection.”
She stressed as Liam floors the gas pedal on the car. “Is there a pulse?” I asked, terrified.
“No.” She sobbed, “She was breathing a minute ago, and now she’s not.” I heard Margo set the phone down, hysterical found itself in her voice as I gripped on my phone scared it might break.
“Margo, do you know how to do CPR?” I ask as she cries even more. “I’m doing it now.” She stresses.
“Call 911.” I order as I swallow, “Is she wearing a clock necklace?” I asked, hoping she was.
Margo takes a moment, “Yes.”
I breath out, “Press the back.” I look at the GPS on my phone, “You just alerted all the hospitals nearby that you need help, and you called 911.”
“I’m losing her Grayson.” She cries, my heart throbbed as did my temples, my fist building up.
“Don’t you dare give up Margo.” I demand, my voice losing composure.
“God, please don’t give up.”
MARGO
My eyes dart to Adrianna’s weakened body, she was fail and white as a ghost.
I pushed down her chest.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.
Was it my imagination or was this really happening? I stared at the only person I ever really chosen to love. I wanted to die with her, wanting to kill myself for letting her leave the party.
It was all my fault.
“Margo?” Grayson’s voice sliced through me like a damn knife. I could hear his voice break; I pressed my hands down against her chest harder, feeling my tears fall.
Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.
Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty.
Grayson’s voice appeared once again. I had forgot he was on the phone; my tears fell on her dress. “Help is coming don’t worry, but you have to get her breathing Margo.”
He was telling me not to worry?!
I closed my eyes, pressing down on her chest again.
Twenty-one. Twenty-two. Twenty-three. Twenty-four Twenty-five.
Twenty-six. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty.
I cupped Adrianna’s face, pressing my lips on hers, blowing air into her lungs.
I speed up my compression, breathing into her mouth twice the next time. “Nothing’s working!” I yelled, I started to cry even more as I heard the ambulances nearing the road.
“Keep trying Margo.” Grayson pleads as I start up my compressions again. My fingers starting to cramp up, they were sticky as her blood seeped through and stained my hands. My eyes blurred with tears I watched my best friend going through death once again.
She was my sister, my best friend, my soulmate. Watching my sister not breathing, surrounded by blood mentally drained by brain and my body. I couldn’t stop crying, I only pushed harder into her chest, drawing another breath of life into her mouth.
My heart pausing hearing the light breeze of her breath on my cheek. I froze, I had to make sure I didn’t imagine it, so I stayed there for another
minute, hearing her breathing.
I placed my bloody fingers on her pulse point, her pulse was back, it was weak and fragile, but it was there. My eyes closed in relief, pulling her frail body close to mine, noticing the shard of glass pierced her leg.
I cradled her head into my lap, my hand rested on her chest, hoping it kept rising and falling. I held her tighter, hearing the ambulance approach.
“Margo?” Grayson called out once more, “Hello?”
“Yes. I’m here.” I breathe out in relief, “She’s breathing.”
I could hear Grayson’s breath release, a large pause as I look up to the sky thanking God.
“We are near.” He notes as I nod, tears shedding more, “I don’t think you should come here, it’s not a good sight.” I pointed out to Grayson as he gave a pause.
“The ambulance is here; you might as well meet us at the hospital.” I ramble as he pauses, “No, Liam wants to see if you’re okay.”
My vision swamped my hazy tears and her complexion against the hue of red. I couldn’t even disagree with Grayson. I had no energy to.
The ambulance arrives near us, pulling out the stretcher. The paramedics jumped out of the vehicle, barely sparing me a look or glance. Two men knelt beside us, feeling her heartbeat, giving a quick scan of her injuries.
They started asking me questions, I simply could not answer. I blur them out, clearly in shock as they pulled her away from me.
I felt a hard figure touching my arm, I turned to see Liam’s face. He appeared in my field of vision as a lifeline.
I wrap my arms around his neck, sagging against his body, feeling drained. Sobs escape my throat as he brushed my hair away from my face, “Are you hurt?” He asked with concern and full anxiety as I tried to speak but I couldn’t.
Grayson rushed next to the stretcher, his hand clamped around Adrianna’s as he looked like he was gripping for life, “ If she fucking dies, you fucking die.” He seethes out like he was spitting venom.
I look at them closely, Romeo and Juliet. He looked about ready to sacrifice himself just to join her on her death bed if she didn’t make it.
I would do it for Anna too, she had that effect on people. But right now, I did what I could, I didn’t sob anymore. Instead, I cried softly, using as many little tears as possible.
I looked at Adrianna’s body as the doors of the ambulance shut. I asked Grayson if I could ride with her to the hospital and he quickly agreed.
Not that his objection would’ve stopped me, I sat behind the ambulance next to her, her lashes fluttered so beautifully. I felt frantic, like my skull was being cracked open and I was being picked apart as they asked me about Adrianna’s medical history.
I held her hand, my limbs were useless, and my heart consistently convulsed in pain. I didn’t even want to see want I looked like right now, my eyes were so red, and my lips couldn’t stop shaking.
But as the ride quieted and they got her hooked on a machine, my breathing leveled, and my heartbeat calmed. I look at her strong and conquering body.
Oh Anna, there’s so much untouched and unfinished in your life that you need to do and see.
