Word count: 1960

Diego's POV

*

"Finally." I muttered immediately I parked my car and locked it. It had been a tiring day.

I heaved a sigh while climbing the stairs to my apartment, glad I would at least be seeing the one person that cared about me most in this world, my doting and loving girlfriend.

Because we had to host some impromptu clients this afternoon and I'd been recently promoted to a managerial position in the company, I called Adrian to tell her I would be home late but her phone was switched off. Anyway, I'm finally home now.

I whistled on my way up but paused for a moment when I got to my door and saw that it was locked.

Did Adrian go out? She should've texted me. I shrugged. Maybe she forgot. Since she went out yesterday, I could tell she'd been in a bad mood so on my way home today, I didn't forget get her some snacks and a beautiful purple short dress which I knew she would love. Thank goodness the store was still open.

Come to think of it, she hadn't even replied any of my text messages since morning, confirming my thoughts that she was in a bad mood.

Shrugging, I unlocked the door and whistled my way in. After taking off my shoes and changing to slippers, I went to drop my things and take off my clothes so I could shower.

Immediately I showered, I strolled out of my room in my towel. Then called her number for the fifth time today but it still didn't get connected.

This made me frown.

Randomly, my eyes moved to the spot she usually had her charger plugged and my heart skipped a beat when I didn't spot the charger there. I wasn't even exaggerating, Adrian never took her charger from that spot. She had spare chargers which she would use in Kara's place or any other place she went.

Panic arose inside me me and I quickly rushed to the room.

"No. This can't be happening. Please. Anything but this." I muttered, praying to the heavens that it wasn't what I was thinking that'd actually happened.

But my steps faltered when I looked at the spot where she had her mini traveling bag. It was empty.

I checked the wardrobe and saw some of her clothes and shoes were missing.

My shoulders slumped as the earth quaked beneath me. Why? Where could she possibly go? And why did she leave me?

Series of questions rang aloud in my head simultaneously but all I could think of was the painful fact that she'd just left. Left me. What did I do wrong?

My heart was heavy, my body numb as I just stood in a spot helplessly. My mind was in a turmoil.

Thinking back to the last few days, I furrowed my brows, wondering if I'd done anything to upset her but I couldn't think of any.

Where could she be? What could've happened?

I quickly dialed Kara's number.

Every second of waiting for Kara to pick her phone felt like a total agony for me.

"Hello?" Kara's voice sounded tired as if she was taking a nap when I woke her.

"Kara, is Adrian with you?"

"No. Why?"

"She wasn't at home when I got back a while ago. Some of her things are also missing."

"What? When did she leave the house?"

"I left her at home this morning. Everything seemed fine." I could remember she still fed me my meds and we even cuddled. She didn't give me at signs that she would leave.

"Did you guys have a fight? Did you let her leave the house just like that? She's not here and I haven't heard from her since yesterday morning. What happened? She rarely gets so upset that she'll leave the house." Kara rained questions, which irritated me.

"I don't know, Kara. We didn't have a fight so don't get so defensive. If she contacts you or mom, let me know asap."

"But wait-" I ended the call and paced around, rubbing the back of my neck. Everything had been perfect.

I dialed her number again but it was still switched off.

She didn't leave any sticky notes or a piece of paper telling me she'd be going somewhere. Even if she did, she would've still dropped me a message. She didn't do any of those.

I didn't even have her parents number and Kara was the only person I knew she was close to here in Italy.

Sighing in despair, I picked my car key and left my apartment.

A drive around town would cool my head right now.

*

I woke up to with pounding headache and lifted my head to gently sit up, groaning. The flash of sunlight momentarily blinded me and I groaned again, looking around.

I realized I was in the living room at Stephano's place, facing the wide window with parted curtains. How did I get here?

Slowly, I sat up and gently patted my throbbing head.

"He's awake." A familiar voice hushed behind me and I turned around to see Kara and mom walking in my direction.

"Mom." I pursed my lips, reading the worry in her eyes as she came over and handed me a warm cup of tea.

"You shouldn't drink too much Diego, especially when you're alone and so vulnerable. Luckily the barman used your fingerprint to unlock your phone and called Kara since she's on your speed dial. Don't act so reckless next time." She scolded softly.

I nodded glumly.

Kara on the other hand, levelled me a reprimanding stare. "What do you think you're doing drinking in a bar, Diego? Adrian is missing and you should be looking for her, not getting drunk. Her line has been switched off since yesterday."

I winced at the loudness in her voice. "Reduce your voice. I have headache."

"Call her brother or mom, Kara has their details. I need to check the food." Mom patted my shoulder and went back while Kara tapped her foot impatiently. Judging from her neatly combed hair, white tee and black pants with black shoes and a black handbag, I could tell she was on her way to the office.

"Just give me her brother's number."

She rolled her eyes and sat down. "She's at home. She landed in New York very late yesterday and the flight from here to New York usually takes around ten hours, which means she left almost immediately you left for work yesterday morning."

Kara's words made an indescribable feeling surface in my mind.

Sadness. Emptiness. Did I upset her in anyway? Even if I did, couldn't we have talked about it?

"How do you know?" I asked Kara. She didn't call me or reply my texts. Could she have spoken to Kara while ignoring me? What did I even do to deserve that? What went wrong?

Did something happen in there family that she had to book an emergency flight or had she been planning to leave Italy before yesterday?

"Her brother." Kara replied and gestured for me to tale a sip of my tea, which I did absentmindedly.

"Did you talk to her?" Hope lighted up in my heart.

Kara shook her head. "Daniel said she was sleeping."

I sighed.

"Are they all okay? I mean, her parents and Daniel."

"He said they're all fine. Apparently, her arrival caused quite a surprise as well because only her dad knew she was coming. He booked her flight."

My shoulders slumped again. "I need to see her. I...we were fine till she suddenly switched off her phone. Nothing could've gone wrong."

Kara sighed. "Look, I know Adrian better than anyone. She's running from something. Something is bothering her, I just know it. But she's so secretive and will only tell you things bothering her if you can manage to get through that wall she has built around herself. I thought she was fine because these past few days, she'd been doing well. She looked happy and I knew you had something to do about that."

"But we're close. We talk all the time. About everything. I feel hurt that she'd just up and leave that way."

"Let's hear her side of the story." Kara sighed and got up. Then she clicked on her phone for about one minute. "I've sent you their contacts. Both her parents and Daniel's. Let me know how things go. Are you...going to see her in New York?"

"Of course. I'll book an emergency flight right now." I nodded resolutely and got up, groaning when I felt the pain at my temple again. I pursed my lips grimly and picked up the tea mom made, drinking it all up at a go.

Then I headed to the kitchen to peck mom's cheek and tell her of my plans to rush to New York. Mom looked worried but gave me her blessings regardless. I followed Kara out and told her to send me Adrian's house address, which she said I would only get if I spoke with Daniel.

I mailed work that I'd be absent again due to some emergency. Then I got home, showered and prepared to call Daniel, Adrian's brother.

Adrian's POV

*

I turned on my phone after breakfast, steeling my heart with a final resolve. I would eventually have to face Diego, whether I liked it or not.

Dinner went well last night. I gave my curious mom, Daniel and Lola, Daniel's girlfriend a presentable summary of how I met Declan.

Well, I'd told them everything except the fact that he'd kissed me at the club and that was why Diego had started calling him spaghetti head. I merely told them he tried to hit on me.

They found Diego's jealousy hilarious and we had then chatted a bit about Daniel and what he was like as a teenager. While he was embarrassed about the things we had to say to him, I and my step mom didn't care. And neither did Lola, who kept giggling without a care about her boyfriend's bruised ego. Declan didn't speak much.

Later on, they had to leave and Daniel escorted them. Declan said he would visit sometime just to chat a bit with me and I merely told him that would be nice. I wouldn't lead him on if he liked me, because even if I never had anything to do with Diego anymore, I still wouldn't or rather, couldn't open my heart for anyone.

It belonged to Diego.

And I would let Declan know so he wouldn't get any funny ideas. I didn't need anymore complications in my life. If I tried to avoid Declan instead, that wouldn't mean he wouldn't try to reach me through other means. After all, if Daniel ended up with Lola, we would be in-laws. Rightfully so.

Hailey tried to question me about Diego but I avoided it and went up to sleep, though I ended up tossing and crying for hours because I felt so miserable.

Back the present, I heaved a sigh and turned on my phone, gasping when I saw all the messages I'd received within the so an of a day.

I'd missed Diego and Kara's call.

Diego had called me nineteen times and that said a lot for someone like him who would only call once or twice and leave a message if his call wasn't received.

I groaned.

Ghosting on him was indeed a bad idea. I'd just have to tell him I needed some break and then we'd discuss whatever was left later on.

It wasn't fair to him.

And that thought alone killed me a thousand times over.