Sapphire

Prologue

"Take me out for a drink."

Noah had been sitting on his bed reading a magazine when Shay poked her head in. Leaning against the wall, she was dressed in tight jeans and a crop top, her midsection exposed and dark makeup covering her face.

"You said you would on my 18th birthday. Remember?" She asked impatiently.

Noah closed the magazine and stood up from his bed. "Yeah."

"So let's go."

Turning on her stilletos, she left him standing there dumbfounded. Since when had that little girl looked so...adult?

With a shake of his head, he threw on a black biker jacket and met her in the garage. She was already waiting in the passengers seat of his BMW.

"I didn't think you still wanted to do this." Noah commented as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Why not?"

"I dunno. You've been quieter than usual."

"Just nervous about what comes next."

Noah clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on the wheel as he winded through the back roads of Massachusetts.

She smelled good. Noah realized that as soon as he got in the car. Like vanilla maybe. Or cookies. The scent still filled in the interior of his car, but not in an overwhelming way.

"You look nice, by the way." He'd never seen her dress like that. He almost forgot she was three years younger than him. 

"Thanks."

Noah parked the car parallel to the sidewalk. Shay stood on the curb and followed him once he walked inside. There was no bouncer and the Irish pub was nearly dead, thanks to it being a Tuesday. Noah took her to the u-shaped bar where they perched on two of the tall stools.

"Hey Noah. Who's this?" James, the chubby bartender that always seemed to be working, looked over at Shay after greeting Noah.

"Shay. It's her birthday." Noah replied.

"No shit. I'll get shots for you then." James said.

Shay didn't look as pleased as Noah wanted her to. They were at the only bar in Cori that wouldn't card, and she was sulking, looking down at her fingers with an occasional glance at the door. It was creeping him out.

"You okay?" Noah placed his hand lightly on her side, forgetting that there was no material there until it was too late. She flinched at the skin to skin contact before looking at him with a half-assed smile.

"Yeah."

James gave them double shots of tequila, Noah's favorite. After licking his hand and putting salt on it, Noah watched Shay follow suit. With a cheers, they took the shot.

"Fuck." Shay choked. James slid her a glass of water that she drank without hesitation. Her face was a mixture of disgust and elation.

"That your first?" James asked.

Shay nodded. The only time Noah had ever seen her drink before was a glass of wine at dinner or a beer on a hot sunny day. He'd never seen her drunk, that was for sure.

Maybe that was about to change.

A phone ringing distracted Noah from ordering another. Shay looked at him apologetically after glancing at her screen. "I'll be right back, ok?"

Noah nodded. Then watched her walk away. His eyes moved to her ass before he could stop himself. Heels and tight jeans were just too perfect of a combo, no matter who was wearing them. 

"She your girl?" James asked.

Noah cleared his throat and looked back at the bartender's far less attractive face.

"Nah."

"Not yet anyway."

Noah rolled his eyes. "Just give me another shot, will ya?"

Since he and Shay were both orphans adopted by the same woman, and even lived across the hall from each other, he'd thought of her as nothing more than a friend. Maybe even a sibling.    

Noah spent the next twenty minutes at the bar by himself. Glancing over at the door every minute or so, he was disappointed when he didn't see her come waltzing back in.

Then the worry came.

He remembered then how sketchy of a street it was. Without another thought, Noah walked outside to look for her. The street was empty, save for a homeless guy a couple doors down. He peered down both directions and came up empty.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed her number. He heard the ring in the distance and quickly walked toward it, his heart beating faster the closer he got.

Then he found it. Laying on the cement, screen cracked without any sign of its owner.
She was gone.