Chapter Four
The next day, Julianna woke up with a splitting headache and a horrible hangover. She opened her eyes, the grogginess refusing to leave her body, and looked at the clock. It was 11 o'clock in the morning already?
She turned towards the side Carol slept and found it empty, unused. The bedsheet did not have a single fold or a crinkle. Where did Carol sleep? She didn't remember anything thing from last night. Did she sleep on the sofa in the living room?
Het door burst open and Sera rushed inside in panic. "Where's Carol?" She asked, with a horrified and pale face.
"I don't know. She didn't sleep with me. Must be in the living room, " said Julianna, holding her head in her hands. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't think straight.
"I can't find her anywhere, Julie. Did she return with us?" Sera asked in a scared voice.
Julianna stared at her with her mouth open. "I'm not sure," she said, scared at what Sera was hinting.
"Let's call her on her mobile, " said River entering the room. "Here, have this Julie," she said, handing her a tylenol and water.
Julianna thankfully gulped the medicine, washing it down with water. She then took out her mobile phone and called Carol. The phone rang for a few minutes and got disconnected.
"Pick up the bloody phone, Carol," she muttered nervously, trying again for the second time. This time a husky male voice answered the call.
"Hello, Maxwell Stephens here," he said, in an irritated tone. Julianna's jaws dropped in shock. That bastard had Carol's phone. Did he take advantage of her?
"Where's Carol? Why do you have her number?" She asked in a rude tone, angry that they could be so careless and leave Carol alone at the club.
"You didn't remember her yesterday night. She's with me. Is that all?" He asked in a bored tone.
"Where's she? I need to talk to her. Tell me your location. We'll come to pick her up," said Julianna, solemnly.
"Carol isn't going anywhere. She's sleeping now," he said, bored with the conversation.
"Who are you to decide where Carol will go? Tell me your address, " said Julianna angrily.
"I'm her husband. We got married yesterday night. So you see why she won't go anywhere? If that's all, I need to go," he said, disconnecting the call. Julianna stared at the phone with her jaws dropped to the floor.
Carol married Maxwell Stephens last night? It was so unbelievable. "What happened? Who did you talk to?" Asked Sera.
"Maxwell Stephens answered Carol's phone. She's with him. They got married last night," she said and both girls stared at her incredulously.
"But she was wasted just like us. Maxwell might have married her in her inebriated state. But why?" Asked River and they all sat thinking what to do.
"I can ask my friend Zachary Reynor to find out where Maxwell Stephens lives. Then we go to his house and save Carol. What do you say?" Suggested River and they all agreed.
She called her friend and he agreed to come to their apartment immediately. Julianna and Sera went to their en-suites to take a shower.
Sera made some bacon and scrambled eggs and toast and they all set down to a late breakfast. They had finished breakfast and cleaned up when Zachary arrived. He was an extremely handsome man with blue twinkling naughty eyes and light brown hair.
"Hey Rivera, you've grown up. Last time we met, you had pigtails, " he said, picking River's hair with his fingers.
"I absolutely did not. Look who's talking. You had pimples, bro," she said and he grinned.
"Ok, truce. We were born with good looks. Yes?" He said bumping his shoulders with her. She grinned back at him.
"Bro, meet my friend Julianna. She's taken, ok," said River and Zachary rolled his eyes at her.
Sera came into the living room, with her mobile phone in her hand, busy glaring at it. She bumped into Zachary and said,"River, you should eat less. You've become hard as a stone."
Loud chuckles and giggles filled the room and she looked up and froze. She had collided with Zachary's chest as he stared down at her in amazement.
"Bro, that's Sera and Sera, this is my friend Zachary Reynor," River introduced and Sera nodded at him and put as much distance as she could between themselves.
Zachary leaned towards River,"Is she taken too? I might murder her boyfriend if she is. I want her for myself, " he said but everyone heard him distinctly. Sera blushed crimson and looked here and there, too embarrassed to be in the same room as Zachary.
"No, she's very much single," said River and Zachary grinned.
"I'm in this room guys," said Sera, rolling her eyes. Then she looked at Zachary with red cheeks. "I might be single but I'm not ready to mingle," she said, curtly. He pouted at her but his eyes blazed with fire and mischief.
"Now can we get down to business? We have to go and save Carol guys," said Sera looking at River and Julianna.
They updated Zachary about everything that had happened so far and asked him to find Maxwell Stephens' address. Zachary made a few phone calls and then waited for his friends to call him back with the information. He flirted with Sera all the time and she just couldn't think straight with him following her everywhere.
Finally one of Zachary's friends called back and gave him the required address. They all trooped out without wasting a minute onto Zachary's car as he drove them to Maxwell Stephens' house.
"Sir has left with ma'am for their honeymoon, half an hour ago," said a maid and they all looked at each other.
"Where did they go?" Asked River.
"I have no idea," said the maid.
"When will they return?" Asked Zachary.
"I don't know, sir," said the maid.
They left the house and went back to the apartment. Now what? Their return flight was in five hours and they didn't have any clue where Carol was.
Julianna's phone buzzed and her eyes went wide with horror. Her dad? Why was he calling her?
"Hello dad," she said into the phone, hesitantly.
"Where the hell are you? I'm here at your college and you have disappeared without informing anyone," her dad yelled. What was he doing at her college?
"I've come to Las Vegas to attend a friend's wedding," she lied, but what else could she say?
"Is that what you do nowadays? I sent you here to study, didn't I? Now come back immediately. Your aunt wasn't well, so I had come down to see her," yelled her dad. "I'm returning just now. I've kept your flight ticket with your aunt. Pack up and come back to Austin forever," he said and disconnected the call without waiting for her reply.
"What happened?" Asked River, concerned.
She told what her dad had said. River sighed,"You go back. I'll call uncle to sort out this mess," said River.
Julianna half-heartedly packed her stuff and Zachary dropped her off at the airport. She felt awful having to leave her best friend Carol behind but what choice did she have?
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Featured picture: Mike Vogel as Zachary Reynor
