The day passed in a blur of laughter and sunshine. We all enjoyed the beach, soaking in the rays and playing games. Later, unexpectedly and without anyone's permission, Jenna decided to throw a party, inviting a ton of people from our town and school. As the evening wore on, the house filled with the sounds of music blaring, people yelling, and everyone dancing. The atmosphere was electric, the energy infectious.
Most of the people were either drunk or high, including Jenna and most of our friends. Eve, however, stayed sober, sipping on her lemonade. I kept a close eye on her, always aware of where she was. At one point, I lost track of her in the crowd, the sea of people making it hard to keep tabs on anyone.
I went to sit down in the living room, chatting with a few friends when I noticed Jayden, a senior from our school, gave Eve a drink. They were laughing and chatting, and for a moment, I let my guard down. Later, I went to find Eve to ask her if she wanted some buffalo chicken dip and wings. But I couldn't see her over the throng of people in the house.
I sat down, talking with a couple of friends from my basketball team, but a nagging worry gnawed at me. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jayden. He threw Eve over his shoulder and was heading up the stairs. Panic surged through me. I tried to push through the crowd to get to her, but the mass of bodies slowed me down. By the time I made it to the top of the stairs, he had already taken her into one of the rooms—Eve's room, I realized with horror.
I could hear muffled sounds through the door, and my blood ran cold. I banged on the door, yelling, "Open the fucking door, Jayden!"
"Nah, I'm good," he called back, his voice sickeningly smug. "She's safe with me."
"Jayden, open the door! Right now!" I screamed, my voice breaking with desperation.
Inside, I could hear Eve's faint protests. My heart pounded in my chest, and I banged on the door even harder, nearly bruising my hands. "Jayden, let her go!"
He probably put something in her drink, which meant she was completely vulnerable in there.
I heard rustling inside, and I could imagine him taking off her shirt and bra. Pure rage filled me. "JAYDEN, I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DON'T OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR."
"Yeah, yeah, little girl, go back downstairs with your little friends," he said while laughing.
I ran into the bathroom and grabbed a bobby pin. With shaking hands, I pushed it into the hole of the doorknob to unlock the door. The door finally swung open, and I burst inside. The sight of Eve lying on the bed, looking dazed and vulnerable, with Jayden looming over her, filled me with a white-hot fury. Without thinking, I lunged at Jayden, shoving him away from Eve with all my strength.
He stumbled back, surprised by my attack. "What the hell, Izzy?"
"Get away from her!" I screamed, standing protectively in front of Eve. "Get the fuck out, now!"
Jayden, seeing the ferocity in my eyes, backed down. "Fine, whatever. She's all yours." He sneered, backing out of the room.
As soon as he was gone, I turned to Eve, my heart breaking at the sight of her. "Eve, are you okay?" I asked softly, kneeling beside her and brushing her hair out of her face.
She blinked up at me, her eyes unfocused. "Izzy... I feel weird."
"It's okay, I'm here," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I'm not going anywhere."
I quickly grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around her to cover her exposed body. I stayed by her side, holding her hand, trying to comfort her as best as I could. The sounds of the party continued downstairs, but in that moment, all I cared about was making sure Eve was safe.
"I'm so sorry, Eve," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "I should have been there sooner."
Eve squeezed my hand weakly. "Izzy... thank you."
My heart ached for her, and I promised myself that I would never let anyone hurt her again. In that moment, I realized just how much she meant to me, and I knew I would do anything to protect her.
