10 Something’s wrong
Walking away from Harvey and Nicolas at the airport felt like lifting a weight off my
the shoulders. The air in Italy was warm, scent of lemon trees surrounding me, and each step I took felt lighter than the last. Freedom wasn’t a feeling I’d expected to find, but it washed over me in waves as I moved further from the lives we’d tangled together for so long.
By the time I got to my hotel, I’d blocked both of them, removing every trace of them from my life. The finality of it settled over me, and for the first time. I felt at peace. I deserved to be somewhere I wasn’t constantly questioned, overlooked, or belittled. Italy would be that place.
Hours later, my phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. Savvy‘ s name appeared on my screen with a new message. I almost laughed, already suspecting what it would be. Sure enough,
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a photo loaded: her view from the plane window over Sicily’s mountains. The caption read, Wish you could see this with
- us.
I rolled my eyes, unfazed by her
predictable attempt to get under my skin. I blocked her, too, without a second thought.
The next couple of days were blissfully quiet. I spent time exploring the narrow streets, sipping espresso at little cafes, and watching the Italians pass by, living their lives without a clue about mine. It was like stepping into a whole new world, one where I didn’t have to pretend or defend myself. I let the past go, piece by piece, finding comfort in the beauty of the city around me.
Then, Bree called. She‘ d always known when something was wrong, even from across the world. I explained everything- how Harvey and Nicolas had treated me like an afterthought, the final blow–up with Savvy, and why I’d left for good. Bree s
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anger was immediate.
“They actually have the nerve to treat you like that after everything?” she said.
“Sabrina, I don‘ t blame you for walking away. Honestly, I’m glad you did. If they show up looking for you, I’ll be sure to set them straight.”
I felt a flicker of satisfaction, knowing Bree would handle things if they went to her for answers. And when I turned off my phone that night, I felt a rare, settled calm.
Harvey‘ s pov
Two days after Sabrina‘ s departure, her silence had gone from frustrating to concerning. Neither Nicolas nor I could reach her, and every attempt was met with the same cold wall. Sabrina had gone silent before, but this… this was different.
“Maybe we should not have pushed her so far,” Nicolas muttered as we stood on our hotel balcony, watching the city lights
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stretch out before us. “Maybe she was right. We’ve been so focused on Savvy…”
Savvy strolled out onto the terrace, phone in hand, scrolling absently. “You guys need to chill. Sabrina‘ s just being dramatic. She‘ s probably just sulking.
“Maybe,” Nicolas murmured, though he didn’t sound convinced. “But if she’s actually upset, we should talk to her. Really talk to her. We owe her that.”
I glanced at Savvy, who didn’t seem to share our worry, and sighed. “Savvy, could you book a hotel room for yourself? Nicolas and I are going back. We need to find Sabrina.”
Savvy frowned but nodded, though I caught the eye–roll she tried to hide. I didn’t have time to address it.
Guilt twisted inside me, my mind replaying every moment we‘ d dismissed Sabrina’s feelings, brushed off her frustration, and put Savvy‘ s needs first. She d always
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been so patient, so understanding, until
she wasn’t.
I exhaled, glancing over at Nicolas.
“Let’s go back. We need to fix this.”
Nicolas nodded. Without a second thought, we packed up, leaving Savvy to her own plans as we caught the first flight home. It wasn’t long before we found ourselves on Bree’s doorstep, our only hope for finding out where Sabrina had gone.
Bree answered with a sharp glare, barely letting us finish before she cut in. “You think Sabrina’s waiting around for you? After everything?” Her voice was harsh, laced with the frustration that had finally boiled over. “She’s gone, and she doesn’t want to hear from you.”
“We need to talk to her,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We… we didn’t mean to push her away, she s misunderstanding us.
Bree crossed her arms, unyielding. “You
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pushed her, alright. You didn‘ teven realize what your were doing. And now you want to fix it? She deserves better than to keep waiting for you two to see her.”
Lopened my mouth to respond, but Brees steely gaze silenced me. “She blocked both of you. Don‘ Leven think about dragging her back into this mess.”
Just then, her cat, Morticia, appeared by her feet, her gray fur bristling as she glared up at us. She let out a low hiss, her green eyes narrowing with the same disdain as her owners. For some reason, the sound was enough to make me take a step back, a mix of guilt and unease churning inside
- me.
“Bree?” A voice called from inside the house. Bree’s boyfriend, Max, I think was his name, poked his head out, giving us a quick once over. “You com
“You coming back in?”
Bree glanced back at him, her expression softening. “Yeah. Just finishing up here.”
10 something’s wrong
She turned to us one last time. “Goodbye, Harvey. Nicolas.” Without another word, she stepped back and shut the door, leaving us standing alone on her porch.
For a moment, I stood there, a hollow ache settling in my chest. This was real–Sabrina was gone, and we had no way of reaching her.
As I glanced at Nicolas, the dread in his expression mirrored my own. This was Sabrina’s hometown, a place that held pieces of her past. Her mother’s family was from Italy–she might be somewhere nearby, blending into the backdrop of her
roots.
“Do you think she’d go to her mother’s side of the family?” Nicolas asked. frowning as he scanned the streets around us, as if she might somehow appear. “I remember her saying once that her mom’s family has places around the city. Cousins, maybe?”
I thought back to every story Sabrina had
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told us over the years, piecing together any memory that might lead us closer.
“Maybe. She always talked about wanting to feel connected here, like this was the place where she truly belonged.” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “If she’s somewhere she feels safe, it could be anywhere–somewhere familiar, a family friend, maybe even an old favorite spot.
We exchanged a look, both of us feeling the same weight. For the first time, the city felt impossibly large, its streets and alleys like a maze that only Sabrina knew how to move around.
I let out a breath. “But if she’s gone to ground, trying to avoid us, she’s not going to make it easy to find her. We need someone who knows her… who knows her well enough to guess.”
Nicolas s eyes narrowed, his face settling into a determined expression. “Her grandfather. He’s the only one who might be able to help.”
to Something’s wrong
It was our last option, and we both knew it. Her grandfather was the one connection that held strong through every change in her life. If anyone could tell us where
Sabrina might be, or why she’d really left,
it would be him.
So right now there was only one other person who might be able to help us find her: Sabrina’s grandfather.
