DEMI

A/N: *IF YOU WERE AN EARLY READER FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER I SUGGEST YOU TO GO BACK TO THE ENDING BECAUSE I MADE CORRECTIONS*

EMPRESS POV:

Three days.

Three whole days since I last saw Demi. Since she walked out my door without looking back. Since I let her.

I told myself I wasn't going to be the one reaching out first. Not this time.

Now, sitting across from Devon at a booth in our favorite spot and I was trying to act like I wasn't thinking about her.

But even as Devon scrolled through his phone, talking about some dude that got exposed for cheating.

"Man, I told you he was trash," Devon said, shaking his head as she showed me a screenshot. "Niggas be dumb as hell."

I hummed in response, barely looking.

Devon narrowed his eyes at me. "You real quiet. That mean you still in ya feelings?"

I shot him a look. "Ain't nobody in they feelings."

Devon smirked, sipping his drink. "Aight. If you say so."

Before I could respond, my phone started buzzing on the table. I glanced down and saw Jada's name flashing on the screen.

I sighed. "Why is she calling me?"

Devon leaned back. "Better answer it. Might be about you know who."

I rolled my eyes and swiped to answer. "What's up, Jay?"

"Empress, have you talked to Demi?"

I frowned at the urgency in her voice. "No. She still mad or somethin'?"

Jada exhaled sharply. "No, Empress. She's gone."

I sat up straighter. "What you mean gone?"

"She ain't been home in three days." Jada said quickly. "Her car not in the parking garage. I knocked on her door earlier and she didn't answer."

I leaned forward, gripping my phone tighter. "Maybe she just ghostin' everybody. You know how she get."

Jada sighed. "I thought that too but she don't disappear like this. She don't just leave her place for days without saying shit to nobody."

I looked up, meeting Devon's questioning eyes.

"When was the last time you talked to her?" Jada pressed.

I swallowed. "Three days ago."

"The night y'all argued?"

I hesitated before answering. "...Yeah."

Jada was quiet for a second. "Then where the hell she at?"

That same question was now screaming in my head.

I glanced at Devon again, my heart beating faster. "I—I don't know."

"Em please come over here I'm scared something happened to her. Or worse, Kevo did something to her." She pleaded with desperation.

I barely remembered hanging up the phone before rushing out of the restaurant.

"I'll meet you at Jada's." he said, unlocking his car.

Where the hell are you, Demi?

The drive to Jada's felt longer than it should've. I tried to tell myself she was just being stubborn, that she was laying low, waiting for the dust to settle before coming back around.