|a n d r e w|
🌊

Watching the waves crash on the beach brings back memories of my near-drowning experience weeks ago. I just wanted to see how far I could go, but as soon as my feet couldn't touch the sandy ground, the water swept me under and I couldn't swim back up. An embarrassed blush subconsciously finds its way onto my face as I remember Aspen saving me. Not my best moment, but I'm glad I got to befriend Aspen in the small amount of time I've been in Mångata so far.

"What're you thinking about?"

I peer at Aspen through the corner of my eye to see her studying me curiously. My eyes flicker back to the water and I shrug. She doesn't say anything as we revert back to enjoying each other's silent company. She's been through a lot these last few days, so a little peace and quiet must be a breath of fresh air.

My mind wanders off to when I found Aspen patching herself up on the floor in her bathroom and doing a terrible job at it. The unspoken words in that moment were so clearly displayed; I don't know how I hadn't seen it earlier. I haven't seen Will since before I found out what he did to Aspen and she hasn't mentioned him in a while.

"Where's Will?" I ask bluntly, turning to look at her. She follows suit with a sigh.

"Poor thing," she starts, confusing me to no end, "his step brother, Teo, went missing sometime during the night. Will hasn't reached out. I can imagine him looking everywhere for him."

I blink. "Teo's missing?" I repeat. Aspen nods, pushing the auburn hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah. He's been hanging out with your sister, right? Does she know?"

"No . . . " I trail off with a frown.

"They were pretty tight, weren't they? Maybe she knows where he could be?" Aspen proposes. My eyebrows scrunch together as I think.

"Yeah, okay, I'll ask her," I say, nodding unconvincingly. I hear her sigh again and turn to see her set a hand on my shoulder. A comforting smile graces her lips, her hazel eyes shining.

"Hey, don't worry about it, I'm sure Teo just ran off again. He loves adventure."

I bite my lip and turn back to the ocean.

🌙

"Teo's gone?!"

"Yeah, he disappeared some time in the night. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Rose stares at Aspen and I with panic filled eyes. She fists her hands around her hair and stares up at the ceiling. "That psycho wasn't joking," she spits under her breath.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

Apsen cocks her head at my sister. "And what psycho?"

"It's a long story, but Teo's in serious trouble." Rose spins around and grabs a duffel bag from off the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. She faces Aspen and I again with serious eyes. "We need to find him. Now."

I lean back against the wall and let my eyes study the garage Rose told us she was at. When I texted her and asked where she was so I could tell her about Teo, she replied saying she was actually in his garage. Weird; I know. Aspen followed me all the way to the Hughes's house to help me break the news to Rose about her friend going missing, but by the looks of it, she saw it coming.

I cross my arms. "Okay, so where do we go?"

Rose brushes past me with grimace. "The cliff."

The walk to the cliff didn't take long, and before I know it, all three of us are searching the top and the beach below the cliff. Rose handed Aspen a camera and kept one for herself.

"Why can't I have one?" I ask. Rose shrugs.

"Because I only have two."

Aspen points the camera at the sky. "And why do you have two cameras in your duffel bag?"

"You never know," my sister says with a shrug. I frown and turn around to face Aspen, who is also frowning. Her thin eyebrows are scrunched down as she stares at her phone in one hand with the camera dangling in the other.

"What's up?" I ask, climbing over a few jagged rocks on the beach to stand beside her. She presses her lips into a thin line and pockets her phone.

"Will's not answering any of my texts or calls."

I try to mask my hatred towards him, but some of it must show on my face because Aspen physically deflates.

"Look, I know you don't like him, but we've known each other our entire lives. I'm worried about him."

"Guys, quit your flirting and come over here!" Rose calls from the rocks directly below the cliff. I roll my eyes but stagger my way towards her the bet I can through the rocks. My confusion deepens and so does my frown as Rose motions to a pink bicycle lying among the boulders and sand.

"So?"

"This is Teo's bike. Well, actually it's his sister's, but it was a hand-me-down."

"So Teo should be around here . . . " I state the obvious. Aspen holds a hand up to shield the sun from her eyes as she scans the beach with her eyes. She points off towards the side of the jagged cliff.

"Could he be in there?" she suggests. I squint at the rocks until I see what she's talking about; a cave semi-hidden by the huge boulders surrounding it.

Rose doesn't wait for anyone as she starts hiking towards it. Aspen sends me a look before we follow close behind.

As soon as we climb through the entrance to the cave, darkness washes over us and the echo of the rushing waves outside fill my ears.

"Sweet," Rose murmurs, and climbs even further inside. I huff and try to do the same when my foot slips and scrapes against the jagged rocks. How is Rose suddenly the little adventurer? I wonder as she deftly makes her way through the cavern.

"Come on," Aspen whispers beside me, helping me back up with her eyebrows drawn. We meet up with Rose, who is standing rigidly as she stares at something.

"What?" I ask, and crane my neck to see a small makeshift campsite in a smooth clearing of the cave. I nod. "I think Teo might be here."

"Nope," a familiar voice speaks up in front of us, scaring the crap out of each of us. The tall, muscular figure appears in front of us.

"Will? Oh my gosh," Aspen gasps, unwinding her arms from around my waist. Wait—when did she do that?

"What are you doing here?" Rose asks suspiciously.

"The same as you; I'm looking for my stepbrother."

"So is this your little camp here?" Aspen asks her boyfriend. I almost gag at the word. Boyfriend. My body courses with shivers.

"Yeah, been staying here for the day while I searched the whole cave. No Teo," he says, and steps forward to wrap an arm around Aspen and kiss her. I force myself to look away.

"Well, we should get out of here. I saw some bats hanging around," Aspen says.

"Sure," I agree, and all four of us climb back out of the cave. Once we make it back outside in the blinding sun, Rose gasps and pats her pockets.

"I must've dropped my phone back there in the cave; I'll be right back," she says, and struts back into the opening without another glance.