Page 42 of Love at First Ink

“Snowball?” she called again, this time walking into the living room. She quickly scanned the room, but no signs of Snowball. Was the window open wider than it was last night?

Cold fear and dread froze her body as she took a step closer to the window, looking out at the balcony. She remembered cracking it last night, but just enough to let in a breeze. She would remember if the window was a third of the way up. Something had to have pushed it up…or a certain cat who managed to wiggle underneath and run free.

Fuck.

Dread pooled low in her belly. This couldn’t be happening. She stepped away from the window and looked in every spot Snowball usually hung out in. Her bed, the couch, the litter box, food bowl, and even her closet. For an hour, she ripped through her house, not caring about the mess she left in her wake. Each corner she turned or small alcove she searched, she hoped Snowball would be lounging lazily, oblivious to her manic search.

“Snowball!” she cried out in frustration, stubborn tears she could no longer control rolling down from her eyes.

Snowball was gone.

And there was only one reason for that. Because she was fucking stupid and opened the window last night. Once again proving she thought of no one else but herself. She crumbled to the floor, heartbroken.

What made her think she was capable of caring forand loving Snowball when she couldn’t care for herself and failed as a big sister? It was clear to everyone but her that she was a shitty caretaker and had no business trying to fill that role. It backfired every time.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, scaring her out of her dark thoughts. She had half a mind to ignore it, but something made her look to see who was calling her. Cisco’s name flashed across the screen, and she held back a sob.

Her thumb skated over the answer button and pressed down. Marisol brought it up to her ear, but she couldn’t find the words. Each time she opened her mouth, a sob threatened to escape.

“Marisol?” Cisco’s worried voice came from the other end. “Princesa, are you there? What’s wrong?”

The dam shattered at his words, raw and filled with concern. He fucking cared. He was worried about her. No one had ever cared before. Not like this.

She had spent a lifetime having her feelings overlooked, her struggles dismissed, her pain unseen. She had learned to endure, to carry it all alone because there was never anyone to share the weight. But now, faced with genuine care, with someone who actually saw her, she didn’t know how to hold herself together.

So, she didn’t.

The walls she had carefully built crumbled, and all she could do was break down.

There was some rustling on the other side, and Cisco cursed. “I’m coming over. Unlock your door, Princesa. I’ll be there in ten. Stay on the phone with me. You don’t have to talk.”

She heard the sound of a car unlocking, followed by a door closing. He was really on his way to her.

Marisol managed to pick herself off the floor. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision as she made her way to the front door. With a click, the front door was unlocked for Cisco.

Eight minutes later, she got a text from the front office about a visitor and cleared Cisco to come up. A few moments after that, she heard urgent footsteps coming down the hall, followed by her door swinging open. Cisco stood there, eyes wide, with damp hair as if he had recently gotten out of the shower to rush over here.

Marisol could only imagine what he thought about the scene before him. Her red-rimmed, puffy eyes were full of tears. Her house was in shambles, everything out of place, tossed thoughtlessly to the ground, and furniture overturned in her haste to find Snowball.

Cisco said something in Spanish she didn’t understand but didn’t sound good. In three long strides, he crossed the room and took her into his arms. She didn’t fight; Marisol melted into his embrace. She couldn’t produce any more tears, but the impending doom fell over her, casting darkness all around her.

“What happened here? Marisol, are you hurt?” Cisco pulled back enough to search her body, looking for any wounds. He probably thought this was a damn home invasion for how disastrous she left her house. She couldn’t blame him for thinking that.

“Snowball…” she finally managed to croak out. “She’s gone.”

A tiny flicker of relief passed through Cisco before his body tensed again. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. Do you think I normally keep my house looking like this?” she snapped and instantly regretted it. “Sorry…I didn’t mean…I’m just…”

“No apologies necessary. I’ll help you find her. Is she chipped?”

“I…don’t know. I didn’t ask.”Stupid, Marisol, stupid,she chastised herself. “But…” She quickly got out her phone and opened her text from last night. She found Stella’s number and sent her a hasty text asking if Snowball was chipped.

A few minutes later her phone chimed with a text.

Yes. Everything okay?

She’s missing.

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