Morning Regret

The sunlight poured through my bedroom window, stabbing my eyes like tiny needles. My head pounded, and the bitter taste of regret lingered in my mouth. I glanced around. Echo lay sprawled on the floor, one arm draped over a pillow she'd stolen from my bed. Noah was gone, thankfully, though his absence didn't erase what had happened.

What the hell was I thinking?

"Water," Echo groaned, her voice hoarse as she squinted up at me. "Please."

I rolled out of bed, muttering under my breath as I grabbed a bottle from the mini-fridge in the corner of my room. Tossing it to her, I sank onto the bed and tried to gather my thoughts. The memory of Noah's hands on me, his cocky smirk, made my stomach churn.

"So," Echo began after a long sip of water, "last night was... something."

I shot her a look. "Don't start."

"I'm not judging," she said, holding up her hands defensively. "But we do need to talk about Blake. You think she's okay?"

I let out a frustrated sigh. "She's Blake. She'll turn up eventually." My words sounded hollow, even to me.

Blake's Whereabouts

By noon, I still hadn't heard from Blake. My texts went unanswered, and every call went straight to voicemail. Worry began to gnaw at me, replacing the earlier haze of alcohol with a sharp clarity.

"She should be here soon right?" Echo suggested, pulling on her shoes.

"Yeah," I agreed, grabbing my keys. "Let's go."

When we arrived at Doom's place, his younger siblings were playing in the front yard, their laughter a sharp contrast to the anxiety building in my chest. Doom opened the door, his expression unreadable as always.

"She's not here," he said before I could ask. "She took off with some guy last night."

"Do you know who?" I pressed.

Doom hesitated, glancing back into the house before stepping outside and closing the door behind him. "Val... I think it was one of Nash's guys."

Trouble Brewing

The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Nash's guys? Noahs people That was a whole other level of bad. If Blake was with them, she wasn't just partying anymore—she was in real danger.

Echo's face paled. "We need to find her. Now."

Doom nodded. "I'll make some calls, see if I can track them down. But Val..." He trailed off, his eyes locking with mine. "Be careful. This isn't something you can fix with charm and a smile."

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "I'm not just going to sit around and wait. If Nash has her, I'll—"

"You'll do nothing stupid," Doom interrupted, his voice firm. "Let me handle this."

I hated feeling powerless, but I knew he was right. Charging in without a plan would only make things worse.

Unanswered Questions

Back at the house, I paced the living room, my mind racing with possibilities. Echo sat quietly, her phone in hand as she scrolled through social media, looking for any sign of Blake.

"She'll be okay," Echo said softly, though her tone lacked conviction.

I didn't respond. The truth was, I wasn't sure if Blake would be okay. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn't just about her anymore. Nash's guys didn't just happen to pick her up by chance. There was something bigger at play here—something that could put all of us in danger.

And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure if I could fix it If my brother was...You know what a visits overdue.