I wasn't one hundred percent sure if Brad had called me from Valor Park or not, but I assumed that he had called me from there since it was the same place where he had disappeared. I had so many questions in my mind. Where did he go? Why did he leave and why did he need new clothes? Tamara stopped the car on the sidewalk.

"I can't park here Natalie. If I do, I'll get a ticket. I'm going to have to park in that closed store over there," she said pointing at it.

"Okay. Maybe you should wait for me in the van," I said.

"Why?"

"I don't know, in case you have problems with the parking spot or something," I said.

"Okay. I'll be here if you need me," she said and I nodded. I left Tamara to do her thing and I reached the baseball park. I didn't see him anywhere and my heart pounded fast. I wanted to know where my boyfriend was and if he was safe. Then, over at the catcher's box I heard a whistle.

"Over here," Brad said. I turned around and saw him hiding in the box. I frowned wondering why he was hiding from me and as I walked to the box I noticed that his shirt was ripped. I could see parts of his muscled biceps and chest.

"What happened?" I asked him and then handed him the bag of clothes.

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm hungry, tired and confused," he replied. He took off his shirt and his chest was chiseled and muscled. He looked like a beautiful warrior. However, I also noticed that he didn't have a mark on him.

"I don't understand. What happened to your clothes? Why aren't you home? Did you know that your parents are looking for you," I said. I couldn't see his bottom part, but he did take it off and he was putting on his pants. My heart was beating fast knowing that he was half naked in my presence. I was happy to see that he was alright, but I was also angry and confused. I just wanted some answers.

"Natalie, I don't know what happened to my clothes, okay. I don't have a clue. All I know is that I was feeling really sick and the rest is just a blur, okay? It's one big blur," he replied. Then he got out of the box.

"What do you mean a blur? Are you saying you don't remember what happened?"

"I think I was mugged, but I... I don't know. I mean, why the hell would I be half naked in a park?" He asked me.

"I don't know," I replied.

"Neither do I," he said.

"I'm assuming that you're phone is gone," I said placing my hands on my waist.

"Yeah. It's gone. I... I'm sorry I called you. I needed help and you were the only person I could think of," he said. I crossed my arms.

"What are you saying?" I asked him.

"I'm saying that I didn't mean to inconvenience you and it seems like I have."

"Well, you left me last night alone at the Halloween party," I spat back. He looked at me with his puppy blue eyes and I melted. I immediately felt like a pile of shit.

"I'm really sorry."

"Shit, no I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I mean... it's obvious somebody robbed you and here I am talking about Halloween parties like if I were five. I'm so sorry," I said and hugged him.

"I didn't know who else to call. I didn't want to call my parents," he said.

"Oh shut up," I said as I hugged him. I wanted to cry and I did. Then we stopped our embrace and he saw me crying.

"Oh no. I didn't want this to happen, oh my God. Natalie," he said and I brushed my tears with my eyes.

"I'm just a little emotional Brad, that's all," I said.

"Please don't cry for me. Please," he said.

"Are we still a couple?" I asked him with uncertainty. This was the most terrifying moment of my life.

"Of course we're a couple. You'll always be my girl," he said. I loved him so much. I was so worried and now I knew that the party didn't matter to me anymore.

"Did you know that, that thing that bit you was out there?" I asked him.

"Was it?" He asked me.

"Yeah," I replied. Brad brushed his hair with his fingers.

"Wow. It's a good thing it didn't..."

"A good thing it didn't attack you. Brad, you had me worried, you had us all worried. I really think you should call your parents and tell them what happened," I said.

"I will. I promise," he replied. I took my cellphone out.

"Here," I said giving him my cellphone. He looked at the phone like if it was a plague, but he did what he had to do. He called his parents and had a brief conversation with them. I walked away and gave him some distance so that he could talk to his parents privately. I was so relieved to see that he was okay. It was so strange to see his clothes all ripped off though. It seemed like if someone had attacked him, yet he showed no evidence of it, no markings, scrapes or scratches in his body. I was just glad he was alive. Brad walked to me and handed me my cellphone.

"Thanks. They're pissed, but they're also concerned. I have to go home," he said.

"You left your bike at Tamara's," I reminded him. He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Oh, you're right. I forgot," he said. The sun shone over his head and face. Already I began to feel a light warmth on this November day, although there was a slight breeze and if it weren't for the sun, it would be cooler. The colors of the leaves were already different, all passing through their own old age of red, orange, yellow and brown. Soon they would fall off their branches and pass to the next world and the trees would be bare and naked in the fields and they would be filled with white.

"I'm with Tamara," I said.

"Oh," he replied.

"Come on. Let's go," I told him.

Brad and I reached Tamara's van. The music was loud and she was listening to Adele, pretending that she could sing like her, when she damn well knew that she couldn't.

"Brad?" She said and flinched when she heard the car door open. I nearly laughed as she turned down the volume.

"Hi Tamara," Brad replied.

"You look weird in a polo shirt," she said. Brad and I laughed.

"Thanks a lot. I need to go home and my bike's in your driveway, so could you take me to your house," he said. Tamara nodded.

"Sure. But what the hell happened to you?" She asked him.

"I don't know. But I think I was mugged. I was obviously attacked," he said.

"Oh my God. That makes total sense. No wonder you don't have your cellphone with you," she said.

"Yeah. I'm lucky to be alive," he replied. I looked at Brad through the rearview mirror and wondered if he was telling the truth. He was looking out the window, his hair tousled, his blue eyes looking out and all I could see was half of his face, his cheekbones, and his strong jawline. I was just so glad that he was okay. I didn't know how I could be so stupid to think that he had dumped on Halloween. I looked out of my own window and saw the people walking by. A couple of minutes later we arrived at Tamara's house where Brad's bike was still parked.

"Are you sure you can drive Brad?" Tamara asked him. He nodded.

"I'm sure," he said. We got out of the van. Tamara's mom, Mrs. Woods saw us and greeted us from her porch.

"Hi, Tamara, hi Natalie. Brad? Brad is that you?" She asked when he was coming out of the van. He waved at her and said hi.

"Hi, Mrs. Woods," He said with a smile. Diana walked out of the porch and hugged my boyfriend. It seemed that she too was worried.

"Brad, your parents were here last night, what happened?" she asked him. Brad told her what he told me and Tamara, that he had been mugged.

"Did you see by who?" She asked him. It was strange because that question made him pause for a while and it seemed that he didn't know.

"No, I didn't," he said. Diana said that she'd call his parents, but Brad stopped her and told her that he had already called.

"Natalie gave me her cellphone," he explained.

"Oh Natalie. All of this has been so terrible, but thank God, he's alright. It could have been worse," she said and I nodded in agreement. She was right. It could have been a lot worse.