💗

T: hey! so, something came up urgently and I need to head to my mom's place for a while. Obviously, the apartment's ur home so don't worry about a thing. Take care! x

A: is everything okay??? did something happen?

T: Everything's fine! I just need to take care of a few things

A: is your mom okay though?

T: Yeah, don't worry! Everyone's fine

A: okay... can i help in any way?

T: it's all good, but thanks anyway!

A: if you're sure then! Do you know when youre gonna be back?

T: I'm not sure yet

A: alrighty then!! keep me posted <3

Taylor did not keep her posted. In fact, August hadn't heard from her in two days.

She debated texting her and even calling her a few times. But she never did. She felt that if Taylor wanted to talk, she would have approached her first.

But the silence was deafening.

She did go back to the apartment the same evening that Taylor had left, but somehow, without all the cats running around and a certain blonde humming in another room, the house felt incredibly empty and haunting. So, she grabbed a backpack, stuffed a few items of clothing in there, borrowed a sweater from Taylor's basket of clean laundry, and took the subway with Phoebe in her arms to Niko's Nonna's house.

On Monday evening, after having returned from the studio, she changed into her pyjamas and snuck into Niko's room. His door was open anyway, so she didn't bother knocking. He was in bed with his laptop perched over his knees. Silently, she climbed into bed next to him and pulled the covers over her legs.

"Where's your tiny shadow?" Niko asked, his eyes still glued to his computer screen.

August chuckled softly, turning on her side to rest her head on his shoulder. "Your grandma's been feeding her pretty well. Phoebe's never leaving her side again."

Niko laughed, finally pushing his laptop to the side and giving August his full attention. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in so that her face was smushed against his chest. She didn't fight him off.

"No news?" he asked and August's sigh was all the answer he needed. He hugged her even closer and kissed her forehead. "You know, you could always text her first."

August shook her head furiously. "She said she'd get back to me. So, I guess she'll do that whenever she can."

Niko was quiet for a few moments, his cheek resting over August's head. His fingers drummed steadily over her elbow until finally he said in a hesitant voice, "do you think maybe there's nothing going on and she just, you know..."

He didn't finish his sentence, and only shrugged his shoulders instead, causing August's head to bob upwards.

"You say that like it hasn't been the only thing going through my mind for the past two fricken days," she huffed, closing her eyes in frustration. "One second, everything's quite literally perfect and the next she's on a plane to Nashville after a fricken flip-phone picture of us possibly kissing surfaced on the internet for like two seconds. It's not a coincidence."

Niko scratched his week-old stubble and moved his hand up his face and through his curls. "Would she really just bail? Just like that?"

"I don't know, Niko," August sighed heavily, flopping on her back with one arm behind her head and the other resting over her abdomen. "I've only known her for a few months. It just feels like she fucking ran away."

"I don't know, maybe there's a like a reasonable explanation to it," Niko tried to reason but August was upset enough to glare at him.

"I don't care if she's your celebrity crush. That was a dick move."

"Right, I'm with you on that page," Niko said, glancing sideways at August. "But she wouldn't just disappear on you like that. I saw the way she looked at you the other day, August. She really likes you."

"Then, why won't she text me?" August pouted, grabbing Niko's arm and hugging it.

Niko laughed softly and kissed her forehead again. "I don't know, babe. But like I said, maybe you should text her first."

"And tell her what?"

"I don't know, 'I miss you' or something?"

August scoffed, releasing Niko's arm. "That sounds desperate."

"Or like the truth."

"Nonsense," August mumbled, hugging a pillow instead.

They sat there quietly for a few moments until Niko grabbed the remote control and turned the television on. He started flipping through Netflix but eventually got bored and handed the remote control over to August.

"Why would she give up before any of it was even... real?" August murmured, her eyes blurring at the edges. She blinked until her vision cleared and pressed play on Howl's Moving Castle. She needed some comfort. Niko didn't complain. Everyone liked a good Ghibli movie.

"I don't know Auggie," Niko replied softly. "I'm sure she'll talk to you soon enough."