This Rose Bleeds

Chapter ~Thirty-One~

.:~* RYDER *~:.

"I...I don't understand. No...no, no, no. This can't be happening." I sat back on the bed, staring straight ahead as my thoughts began clouding my mind and I couldn't think straight. "That's not true. It can't be true. Nathan...he...he..." I put a hand over my mouth.

Oh my god.

Oh my fucking god.

"Marcus, tell me you're lying."

His glare was still there and he just looked away. "You had no idea. He lied to you once. That Stevens guy threatened him that if he didn't get rid of you, he would. Everything he's done up till now was for you. And you..." He clenched his eyes shut. "And he begged me not to tell you. He's right. You wouldn't have believed me anyway. You thought he made up the whole thing."

"No...no, I would have. I would have–"

He opened his eyes and glared. "You would have what? That night he came to your house, he was going to tell you everything. And what did you do?" He leaned against the wall. "And now he's alone and hurt, and can't do anything."

I couldn't even think any more. My whole body went cold, my thoughts were a huge mess, and I couldn't comprehend anything. "Where is he...?" I whispered.

"What?"

I am a universal asshole. I should never have waited for him to talk to him to talk to me himself. I should have stayed. I should have watched over him instead of Marcus.

I shot off the bed and grabbed Marcus's shoulders. He gaped, taken aback. "Where is he?!" I yelled frantically.

Oh my god.

"He–"

My ringtone cut him off. I fished out my phone and was about to press end call but Marcus grabbed it and flipped it open.

"What's wrong?"

Confused, I watched him as his face paled. He pulled the phone away from his ear an inch as a high voice shouted through the phone, "HE'S GONE!"

"What do you mean? Where is he? He can't even walk!"

"He's not here Marcus!" The voice sobbed. "He's gone! The door was open when I came back! Marcus, he's not here. Nathan's –"

I couldn't hear anything else. Kristy's voice was completely ignored as Marcus and I just stared at each other. Horror was written all over his face, and I could just imagine what I must have looked like.

We practically flew out of the room. I almost fell down the stairs where mom was waiting obviously worried by all the shouting.

"Ry–"

I let my face show all my emotion I was holding in as I looked at my mom. "Mom, Nathan– I– he– H-he's in trouble and I have to go– I have to– he–"

"Can you call Mr. Kenneth?" Marcus said. "Please, we need help." She nodded, her pale face and we continued our sprint out of my house. We jumped into Marcus's car and he began speeding to Nathan's house. I swear he already ran a stoplight. In the back of my mind I heard a siren and Marcus cuss.

"Your phone is ringing."

"Huh?" I looked down at my phone. It read, Fucker.I answered and growled, "Not now Taylors–"