Kaylee's POV
The car ride to Nick's house was silent, except for the occasional rustle of the paper bag in my lap — her favorite chocolate and sour gummies. I held it like it might somehow make everything okay. Like it could turn time back two weeks, erase prom, delete every tear she cried over someone who never deserved her.
Nick was gripping the wheel tighter than I'd ever seen, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the road like he was chasing something he couldn't name. I knew the feeling.
"I still can't believe she had to hear that today," I murmured, breaking the silence.
Nick let out a sharp breath. First he kissed Beatrice in front of her locker like none of it ever happened. Like Zara meant nothing. And now she was just a pawn in another game."
The words tasted bitter. I closed my eyes, imagining her standing there, her world caving in all over again. She had barely recovered from prom night, and now this?
When we pulled into Nick's driveway, we didn't need to speak. We just got out, grabbed the bag, and headed straight into the house.
"Zara?" I called out gently as we walked in.
No answer.
I glanced at Nick, who motioned for me to follow him upstairs. Her door was slightly open — not like her. She always kept it shut, music blasting, sketchbook open, usually with a hoodie slung over her head like armor.
Nick pushed the door open fully, and we both froze.
The room was empty.
No Zara.
Her bed was still made, the lights off. Liam's oversized hoodie — the one she used to wear always was folded neatly on the bed. The one that used to make her smile in quiet moments when she thought no one was looking.
"She's not here," I whispered.
Nick's brows furrowed. "Where the hell would she go? I drove her home myself."
I stepped inside slowly, scanning the room for clues. Her school bag was thrown on the floor like she had rushed in, but the jacket she always wore — the one she kept in her locker and pulled tight around her shoulders when she was upset — was missing.
"She took her jacket," I murmured.
Nick swore under his breath, pacing. "She said she wasn't well. She even asked me to drive her home myself."
I sank onto the edge of her bed, placing the candy on her nightstand. The silence in the room was loud — too loud. And it scared me.
Nick stopped pacing and looked at me, his voice low. "Do you think she'd… do something stupid?"
"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. "No, she wouldn't. Not Zara. She's hurting, yeah, but she's strong. She just… she doesn't like people seeing her fall apart."
He sat beside me, raking a hand through his hair. "She shouldn't be alone right now."
I glanced at the sketchbook lying half-open on her desk. A page fluttered as the fan hummed softly above us. Her most recent drawing was smudged — half-finished — a girl curled in on herself with tears bleeding into the paper.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I'll try calling her again."
My fingers trembled slightly as I dialed her number. It rang. Once. Twice. Voicemail.
Nick got up, pacing again. "I'll check the garage. Maybe she just went out for a ride to clear her head."
I nodded, heart racing. If I knew Zara — and I did — she wasn't hiding. She was breaking somewhere quiet, somewhere no one could see.
She always smiled when she was sad.
Always cracked jokes when she was about to cry.
But this time felt different. Heavier.
And I hated that I couldn't find the words to pull her out of it.
*************
Nick pushed the door open with more force than necessary, his footsteps heavy as he walked back into the room. I stood up instantly, meeting his eyes.
"She took the bike," he said, voice rough. "It's not in the garage."
My stomach dropped.
"Did she say anything earlier today? Give any hint about where she might go?"
Nick shook his head, pacing again. "Nothing. Just that she let me drive her home in silence."
I chewed the inside of my cheek, thinking. "She wouldn't go far… right? Maybe the pier? Or that spot by the cliffs she used to take her sketchbook?"
Nick glanced toward the window, his jaw clenching. "I don't like that she's out there, riding, when she's like this."
"Neither do I," I whispered, crossing my arms as if I could hug away the ache in my chest. "She's not herself, Nick. You know that."
"She was herself," he muttered. "Until Liam ruined everything."
There was a dangerous edge to his voice, and I didn't know how to ease it. All I could do was focus on Zara — on the image of her riding through dusk with tears in her eyes and a storm in her chest.
"She probably just needed to clear her head," I offered weakly. "Maybe she didn't want us to see her fall apart again."
"She doesn't have to hide it," he snapped. "Not from me. Not from you."
"I know," I said softly. "But she doesn't see it that way. Zara's always been the strong one. And now? Now she's shattered."
Nick stopped pacing and looked at me, eyes full of helpless rage. "What do we do?"
I glanced at the clock. It was nearing six. The sun had already started to dip, throwing long shadows across the floor. I turned to him.
"We wait," I said. "She always comes back before dark. If she's not back in an hour, we'll go looking for her."
He nodded slowly, jaw tight. "She better come back, Kay. Because if something happens to her…"
His voice cracked slightly, and that scared me more than anything. I walked to him and rested a hand on his arm.
"She'll come back," I whispered. "She just needs a moment… to remember she's not alone anymore."