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It had been 25 minutes, and we still couldn't find Blair. We'd searched everywhere—the backyard, the house, even the front where some people were hanging out. But nothing. My stomach was twisting into tighter knots with every passing second.
I spotted Connor across the room, casually talking to some girl, a smirk on his face like nothing was wrong. Anger bubbled up inside me. How could he be so relaxed when Blair was missing?
I pushed through the crowd, my heart pounding in my chest as I interrupted his conversation. "Connor!" I snapped, not caring if I was being rude.
He turned, raising an eyebrow at me. "What's up, Eloise?"
"Where's Blair?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady, though my anxiety was clearly showing. "We can't find her anywhere."
Connor's face barely changed. He just looked at me with that same, irritatingly calm expression. "Who?"
"Blair! Your girlfriend," I bit out, my frustration rising. How could he act like he didn't know who I was talking about?
"Oh," he said, shrugging. "She left a while ago. Said she wasn't feeling well, so she got a taxi and went home. Didn't she tell you?"
I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. That didn't sound like Blair at all. "No," I said slowly, shaking my head. "She would've told me. She wouldn't just leave without saying anything."
Connor sighed, clearly annoyed. "Eloise, come on. She probably didn't want to drag you home early. Maybe she didn't want to ruin your night or deal with you fussing over her. She's fine. Just go home and check on her if you're that worried."
I stared at him, feeling a surge of anger and disbelief. How could he be so dismissive? "She wouldn't just leave me here like that, Connor. Are you sure she got a taxi? Did you see her go?"
He rolled his eyes, like I was being difficult on purpose. "She's probably at home, sleeping it off. I don't know what you're getting all worked up about. It's not a big deal. People leave parties early all the time."
My frustration was mixing with fear now, my gut screaming that something was wrong. "No, Connor. Blair would've said something to me, or at least texted. This doesn't make sense."
Connor stepped closer, his tone turning soft, but it felt patronizing. "Eloise, you're overreacting. Blair's fine. You're always getting worked up over nothing. Just go home, check on her, and you'll see."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the way he said it, with such confidence, made me hesitate. Was I overreacting? Was I blowing this out of proportion?
"I... I don't know," I muttered, feeling a bit lost.
Connor sighed and gave me a forced smile. "Look, just go home. Get some rest. Blair's probably already asleep, and tomorrow, everything will be fine."
I swallowed, my mind a whirlwind of doubt. His words were making me second-guess myself, even though everything in my gut screamed that something was off. "Okay," I mumbled, not entirely convinced, but unsure of what else to do.
"Good," he said, turning back to the girl he'd been chatting with as if nothing had happened.
I stood there for a moment, feeling a pit of unease settle in my stomach. This wasn't right, and I knew it. But as I turned to leave, the voice in my head kept repeating the same question over and over: Where the hell was Blair?
I quickly pulled out my phone, my fingers shaking slightly as I typed out a text to Blair.
Hey, you home? I'm sorry I couldn't come with you, you should've got me x.
I stared at the screen, the little "sent" message mocking my anxiety. I tapped my foot, waiting, hoping she'd reply quickly.
A few moments later, my phone buzzed.
I'm okay, gonna sleep now.
I let out a long breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Thank God. Relief washed over me, and I felt the tightness in my chest start to ease.
Thank fuck for that, I thought, feeling like I could finally breathe properly again. Blair was safe at home. At least now I could relax. Maybe Connor was right—I was overreacting.
I shoved my phone back into my pocket, feeling a little lighter. Now, at least, I could sleep better tonight.
