Loving So Hard

Chapter 24: Gone

James's POV

Where would she have gone?

I picked up Riley's things, and rushed downstairs, out the door and back to Kate and Phoebe's place. Everyone was cleaning up, getting ready to head to the competition.

"James, there you are, it's time to go. Is Riley coming?" Kate asked as she was carrying her bags.

"Riley's not here!" I yelled at her, showing her the uniform and note. All of A-Troupe gathered around us.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Kate asked. I clenched my fists.

"Her bags are gone! And she left her damn uniform here!" I snapped, angry. Everyone was lost and confused until Kate gasped.

"Oh god she has her return ticket!" She shrieked. My eyes widened.

"She's at the airport!" Thalia said.

"Kate we have to go after her!" I said,

"But my solo starts in an hour and a half," Eldon protested. Phoebe nodded.

"We'll never have enough time to get to the other side of the city and back in time," Kate said, looking around the group, "Phoebe, they won't let Eldon in unless we're both there. James, Thalia, Giselle, West, Cierra, Michelle, airport! Go stop Riley! The rest of you, let's go," Kate orders,

"What about me?" Emily asked, "she's my sister," she protested.

"You're not running all over that airport with your knee missy," Kate told her. Emily sighed and I turned as me and the other hailed a cab....

Kate's POV

I was panicking as we climbed onto the bus to take the others to the competition. Riley was missing and I was so worried. She was a good girl but she made rash decisions when she was mad or upset. I felt awful. I though it would be ok to have a little laugh about what we had all heard. It was gross, but funny. And I though Riley would be ok with it. She was so happy and bubbly when Ella was at the studio and now she changed completely, back to her old self. I was chewing the end of my pen as I was filling out some papers for Eldon's solo. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Kate you're giving off a very tension filled vibe," Phoebe said. I looked over at her.

"I'm worried about Riley," I said, trying to look back at the papers.

"She'll be fine Kate," she said.

" Yeah, James will convince her to come back," Emily said, peering over the bus seat. I sighed, feeling like it was my fault that I let the team make fun of her like that.

James's POV

We pulled up to the airport nearly 50 minutes later and jumped out of the cab, nearly leaving Giselle behind as she was paying the driver. She ran up behind us. We stood there looking around the packed busy airport.

"We'll never find her," Michelle said, worriedly. I looked around frantically.

"Where would she be?" Giselle asked, just as worried. I groaned in frustration trying to think of something.

"Check the board, see when her flight boards!" Cierra suggested and pushed through the people for more than 10 minutes to get to the desk where the flight schedule was displayed.

"The flight back home departs in 30 minutes!" West said almost on a victorious way, like her won the contest to find the answer to the flight departure. Just then I received a text from Kate tell me that Eldon had won the solo competition. I didn't really care to be honest. I was to worried about Riley.

"Where is she?!" I asked the group.

"Terminal....3!!" Thalia said and we looked at the map. We'd have to run to the other side of the airport to make it in time. So we all took off, pushing past people and bags. Terminal three was a mile and half away. Yes god damn Miami airport was that fucking big. God damn it! I was sprinting as fast as I could way far ahead of the group.

By the time I made it to the other end of the airport to terminal three, 15 minutes later by pushing through people, I was out of breath, my lungs were tugging for air. I stopped, looking around the terminal for Riley. Trying to find her face in the crowd...

Then I spotted her, and ran as fast as I could to her. She looked up, and I saw confusion and worry on her face for only three seconds before I had her on my arms in a tight hug.

Riley's POV

I was sitting in the terminal, waiting for my flight to board. I had my legs up on the waiting chair, my purple and blue carry-on in the seat beside me. I was looking down, my hair in my face as I fiddled with the little pin in my fingers. An A-Troupe pin in my hands. The one that had been pinned to my jacket. It was a pin that said "A-Troupe" with my name underneath. I don't even know why I kept it. Probably because once Kate replaces me she can't give my pin to anyone. I sighed, closing the pin in the palm of my hand.

"Flight 762, is now boarding in Terminal 3!" The loud speaker said. I sighed, standing up, picking up my carry-on.

All of a sudden I heard footstep running towards me and I looked up, and someone wrapped there arms around me, squeezing me in a tight hug.

"Oh God Riley, I'm so glad I found you! What are you doing baby girl?! You can leave!" A voice pleaded. I faltered.

"J-James?" I asked, wondering how he found me. He never let go of me. I gently wrapped my arms around him. He was holding the back of my head so I couldn't move. He just held me for a long time.

"Oh Riles baby don't go please," James begged. I pulled out of his arms. He stared at me. "Please stay," he begged. I gulped hard, ready to cry again. I didn't want to leave him. But I could stay here, not after what the team did to me. I didn't want to be here with them. I couldn't. I looked around and suddenly saw a bunch of my team mates rushing towards us. I backed away from James.

"Riley!!" They were all calling as they rushed up. I backed up further. James caught my wrist.

"Stay," he said.

The team stopped behind James and looked at me.

"Riley please don't go," Giselle begged.

"We need you for internationals," Cierra said.

"Stay," West said. I looked around at them. Then at James.

"Come on Riley, it was joke. You can't leave us here. You're part of the team," Thalia told me. I felt tears well up. Not happy ones. Sad ones. Pained ones.

"You don't need me...." I choked out. You have Michelle and Amanda as alternates," I added, trying to hold back the tears.

"Flight 762 will be boarding for only 5 more minutes," the loud speaker announced. I looked up at James.

"I love you," I whispered to him and took his hand in mine, passing him my pin and squeezing his hand before letting go of it, closing his fingers around the pin and backing away.

"You..- you're breaking up with me?" James asked, a pained and fearful look in his eyes. I stopped.

"No... I just-... need to be alone, for now," I said and kept walking, not looking back until I had entered the gangway, and the door closed behind me, a stewardess guiding me onboard.....

James's POV

Riley disappeared to the plane and I stood there, feeling like my heart was breaking. She left. I looked down at my closed hand and lifted it, slowly opening it, wondering what Riley had left me. I looked down at the little silver pin on my hand. It was Riley's A-Troupe pin....

I tried to hold back tears as I heard more footstep behind me.

"James!!!" I heard Kate yelling as she was running across the terminal. I just stood there, staring at were my girlfriend went.

"Where's Riley?" Phoebe asked. I turned and looked at them.

"She left...." I said, in the edge of crying. I held up her pin, "and she quit...." I added.....