Devil's Eyes

Chapter 23: AWOL

Song recommendation: Thousand Eyes by FKA Twigs "If I walk out the door, it starts our last goodbyes"
It's like a part of him was missing, the panic of losing someone began to kick in. This was unlike anything that he's felt in a long time, since the incident with his parents. When he was given the news that his mother was dead, that his father successfully took her away from him forever, David's heart hardened and it became a challenge to induce any deep feelings for anyone afterwards. Now, it was impossible for him to rest not knowing where his girlfriend was, someone he very much had deep feelings for.

     "What's going through your mind right now?" Ella wanted to know. It was such a loaded question that he didn't even know how to answer. Aubrey patted her knee to stop her from pressing him any further. She rolled her eyes and fell back into his chest.

     "Yo, you recognize an address on 36th street in Brooklyn?" A boy named Khalif spoke up pointing to the full address on screen.The four were all in Dave's apartment sitting around the living room trying to piece together Sage's disappearance. Another fountain of tears gushed out of Ella and Aubrey hugged her tight. Sometimes she could keep her composure, but then a wave of sadness hits when she thinks about the possibility of never seeing Sage ever again.

     "We need to--t-to tell her parents..." Ella hiccuped. Her eyes were puffy and her nose a bright red. This was the worst thing that could happen to her.

     "No we're going to find her." This was the first words David said in a minute. He got up and walked over to the kitchen counter where Khalif was on his laptop, researching.

     "Well, that's my best friend. I know what's best for her!" She shot back. She was not in the mood for petty arguments but she needed to let them know how she felt.

     Aubrey grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him, "Please, we do this shit! We're gonna find her...just trust us, okay?" He begged for Ella to put her faith into them. This was the lifestyle they lived, they knew girls who went missing all the time and it was mainly because of a bad business transaction. She pulled her face from his grip and turned away, continuing to sob.

     "Yo, Swae, let's go." Dave announced, he gestured for them to leave.

     "Where you going?" Aubrey asked.

     "To find Sage. Where else?" Khalif and Dave grabbed their jackets but Aubrey stood up.

     "Yo, relax, let's talk about this. We not getting anywhere if we don't think first...you tell me that all the time." Dave knew he was right but he didn't feel productive when he just sat around talking about it. He wanted to actually do something, mainly to keep sane.

     "Is there any reason she'd just leave?" Khalif chimed in. The air in the room seemed heavier as everyone became quiet.

     "No." Ella spoke up. Dave almost forgot she was still in the room for a second.

"Yeah, she's right. She doesn't just leave..." He said backing her up. It was a valid question in Khalif's eyes but that was because he didn't know the levels to their relationship. David was more private with his love life and only spoke to Aubrey about her. He had no parents and a large group of friends that he fucked with enough to have "family events."

     "No like, definitely not...she's pregnant with your baby, East..." She didn't want to be the one to say it but she knew her more than anyone and to make sure they understood how bizarre her absence was, she shared the news.

     David's heart sank, it felt like he was going to pass out. Of course he wanted to be happy he was having a baby but the urgency to find her--them surged. Aubrey's eyes widened, this wasn't how he wanted to find out he was going to be an uncle. He looked towards his best friend and for the first time he saw fear in his eyes.

     "East--" But before he could get another word out, David punched the wall, creating a large hole by the door. Khalif stood back and looked between the two not sure what to make of all of this. He's never got to know East personally, but most times they were around each other he was cool, calm, and collected. "She's been missing for one day, that's more than enough possibility she's still alive."

     "My nigga you know damn well one day is one too many!" He was enraged, feeling his blood boil and his head get hot.

     "Well let's look at the address Khalif was looking at. If it's from her last updated location and that was almost 24 hours ago, someone knew to turn it off or get rid of the sim on her phone," Ella piped up. She wanted everyone to move away from emotion and to start thinking logically, including herself, so that they were closer to finding her.

     Khalif nodded in agreeance at what she said and popped his laptop open again on the kitchen counter. "No one knew who she was last with? Because I put this address in the database and at first it was private, but then..." He flipped to the next page that revealed more information about the address, "I was able to dig deeper and the person who owns it is the Critch family. That rich ass--"

     "Yo that's the nigga that bought out our stomping grounds!" Aubrey declared, putting two and two together.

     "His name is Jay..." The words slipped out Ella's mouth like hot butter. What the fuck is going on? Jay was behind this?

     Endnote: VERRRRY SHORT but I just updated. Shit getting outta hand what y'all predict now? ALSO, y'all do know the Lolita/age gap ties into the story? This is more for the readers who come in and out but I just wanted to address it cause everyone gets shocked when I write about it throughout this story even though I mentioned it a few times waaay early in the story and warned people beforehand. Anyways, not writing a story based off this controversial age thing again but it's only literature don't get mad pls.