The Bad Girl

Chapter 18 ~ Breathe

A/N- I've been waiting so long to write this chapter (don't hate me).

Bye xox
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Chapter 18 ~ Breathe

Jacob P.O.V

I stand still for a moment.

"Dude," Chase says, "Are we going to watch her fight or not?"

"Uh, yeah. Let's go." I say as I pass him.

We merge into the hectic crowd, shouts and cheers coming from every direction.

"I have to get closer!" I yell at Chase.

He nods and follows me as we push through the stubborn people. Some people swear at us as we try to get through but I couldn't care less. I have to watch, for Riley's safety.

We finally get close enough to the fight so I can half see what is going on. I stand up on my toes and see Riley struggling out of a headlock. Her opponent is huge but quite weak in the upper half of his body. His strength seems to be coming from his muscular legs and his stance. He is quick, but Riley is quicker.

Whenever he gets her in some sort of lock, she wriggles her way back out again and throws a quick punch or kick. She obviously remembers those martial arts classes she did as a kid.

Seeing this reminds me of the first night I spoke to her after a fight. I remember how reluctant I was to let her come back to my apartment. And now all I want is for her to come back.

"Can you smell that?" Chase asks me as I keep my eyes on the fight.

"Now is not the time for fart jokes, Chase."

Riley gets a hit to the head and I cringe, wishing I could just pull her out and take her home.

"No, seriously," Chase says again. "It smells kind of like...." He sniffs the air.

"FIRE!!!" I voice shouts from the corner of the room.

I turn my head and see a lantern has fallen onto sheet covered furniture and caught fire. My stomach drops as people start pushing and shoving towards the exit in panic.

I immediately begin looking for Riley in the sea of people. I search every face that passes me.

"I have to find Riley!" I yell to Chase over the screams.

"I'll help you!" He confirms and we begin to move around the crowd.

"Riley!!" I shout at the top of my lungs, my voice cracking.

Smoke begins to fill the basement as the fire grows larger and larger. The heat is almost unbearable and people are still flowing past us to the exits. There are no doors out of here unless you go upstairs and out the main doors.

People cough and sputter around me, gasping for fresh air to fill their lungs.

"Riley!!" I scream desperately.

And then I realize I have lost Chase too. I look around frantically but neither of them are anywhere I can see. Not that I can see much anyway as dark smoke sets like fog across the basement.

My only hope is that Chase found Riley and they are on their way out. If I don't leave now, I will die down here anyway.

I rub my burning eyes and run for where I think the exit hallway is. The fire keeps spreading around the room, building in size and heat.

"Riley! Chase!" I call into the emptying basement.

I reach a hallway that splits in two directions.