Connor woke to the cold, disquieting emptiness of the bed beside him. The warmth of the previous night had vanished, replaced by a growing unease that gnawed at his chest. He blinked against the early morning light filtering through the curtains, his hand instinctively reaching out to the space where Wren had lain. But the sheets were cold.

"Wren?" he called out, his voice cracking slightly as he sat up, scanning the room. The apartment was eerily silent. "Wren, where are you? Are you up already?"

No answer. The knot in his stomach tightened as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet touching the cool floor. That’s when he noticed it—a small piece of paper on the bedside table. It hadn’t been there the night before.

Connor’s heart pounded as he reached for the note, his fingers trembling slightly. He unfolded it, his eyes quickly scanning the handwritten words.

"Connor,
Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. In the past two days, I experienced pure happiness being by your side. However, I must go now. Please don’t look for me. I know you think you love me, but you will realize one day that I’m too broken. You deserve a pure and innocent love, not a broken person filled with past regrets and scars.
Sorry,
Wren"

The note slipped from Connor’s fingers, fluttering to the floor like a fallen leaf. For a moment, he stood frozen, his mind reeling. And then, without hesitation, he grabbed his phone, his thoughts racing.

She’s gone. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. But he wasn’t about to let her go. Not like this. Not when she was so lost, so vulnerable.

He quickly dialed Stormi’s number, pacing the room as the phone rang. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, each second feeling like an eternity until finally, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Where is she?” Connor’s voice was urgent, a mix of fear and determination.

“Who?” Stormi’s voice was tinged with confusion.

“Don’t play stupid, Stormi. Wren…where is she?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, a silence that made Connor’s blood run cold. “Connor, she’s gone.”

“She can’t be by herself right now,” he snapped, his voice rising. “She isn’t stable.”

“What do you mean?” Stormi’s tone shifted, worry creeping in. “She seemed fine when I saw her.”

“That bastard raped her again the other night,” Connor’s voice broke, raw with emotion. “And she tried to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge.”

“What?!” Stormi’s shock was palpable, the word echoing through the phone.

“She’s running because she doesn’t want to trouble anyone,” Connor continued, his hands shaking. “She might hurt herself again, Stormi.”

“I didn’t know…” Stormi’s voice wavered. “I would have stopped her from leaving if I had known.”

“Did she say where she was going?”

“No, but…” Stormi hesitated. “I overheard her buying a plane ticket. She’s probably headed to the airport right now.”

Connor’s heart skipped a beat. “We have to stop her!”

“I just ran into your brother,” Stormi said, her voice quickening with purpose. “I’ll get him to help.”

Connor hung up, his mind already racing with a plan. He wasn’t going to let Wren disappear. Not when she needed him the most. Not when he needed her just as badly.

Meanwhile, Wren sat in the back of a taxi, her gaze distant as she watched the city blur past the window. The weight of her decision settled heavily on her chest, each passing minute bringing her closer to leaving everything behind.

I hope Connor won’t be too upset, she thought, her heart aching with the thought of him waking up to an empty bed, reading the note she had left behind. This is best for him and everyone else. It’s best that I disappear from their lives.

As the taxi pulled up to the airport, Wren took a deep breath, trying to steel herself against the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. The driver handed her the luggage, and she thanked him with a small, forced smile before turning towards the terminal.

But before she could take more than a few steps, a hand suddenly clamped down on her arm, yanking her into a small janitor’s closet. Panic flared in her chest, her mind scrambling to make sense of what was happening.

“Help…someone help me!” she screamed, her voice echoing off the walls.

But the hand was already over her mouth, silencing her desperate cries. “Shut the hell up,” a familiar, venomous voice hissed in her ear.

Wren’s blood ran cold. No…no…no. He found me. This can’t be happening.

Trevor’s grip tightened, his breath hot and rancid against her skin. Desperation surged through Wren, and she did the only thing she could think of—she bit down hard on his hand, her teeth sinking into his flesh.

Trevor yelped in pain, jerking his hand away from her mouth. “You bitch!” he snarled, his voice laced with fury. “How dare you bite me.”

Before she could react, his hand came down in a vicious backhand across her face, the impact sending her head spinning. Stars danced in her vision, and she stumbled, her legs giving out beneath her. But before she could hit the floor, Trevor caught her, pressing a rag to her face.

The world blurred, her thoughts muddled as the acrid smell of chemicals filled her senses. No…no…not again, she tried to scream, but the sound died in her throat. And then, everything went dark.