The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

Chapter Forty-Water Over The Bridge

LUC

I'D DITCHED RAYMOND AT THE CABIN and barreled out, grabbing an extra jacket—not for me but for Riley. Her father had the kindness to mention she bolted out without a coat. Again. She was such a mess. I imagined her shivering in the snowstorm that had formed hours ago, camped out in the forest somewhere, and a burst of worry caused me to speed up.

I zipped across the highland, searching every corner and hailing out her name. Either she wasn't answering or wasn't near. I couldn't decide which was worse. Visibility was poor as the air was dense with whirling snowflakes. It didn't feel like night time because of the new inches. I subtly noted to wake up earlier tomorrow for shoveling the driveway. At this point, my lashes had turned into icicles. 

We were balls deep into trouble, and the fact that Riley took it upon herself to run away hitched my frustration to a whole new dimension. The business with Raymond had yet to be sealed, Caldwell was breathing down my neck, and I still didn't discover what shenanigans Lauren intended to pull. My current mental state started at 'fuck me' to 'fuck all', spanning across all the lost fucks over the last months. I was out of fucks to give, except maybe a few. One of them was finding the damn rascal, and when I did, she was in for the scolding of a lifetime.

Standing on a frosted mountaintop, chilly wind whooshing against my ears, I simmered in fury. First, the news about Chuck, then fighting with Riley in the hall, and Raymond being back in town, now this? She had the audacity to pull my ass out in this freezing weather for a lousy version of treasure hunting?  

Bad news just kept flowing on this wonderfully craptastic day. And I was pissed, on edge, everything in between. 

But if she was in danger... 

I shook my head, refusing to conceive it despite the impression that a clock was ticking over my shoulder. She wasn't answering her phone, and now I knew the feeling I put others through. I cracked my knuckles, inhaling. The hills were covered in snowfall. Not a single patch was untouched, and the gale was bending even the sturdiest of trees at their will. I spared a brief thought for Waffle and chided myself for not checking the cabin if she was inside. But she knew the forest. She was practically half-wild, and her fur was enough to stay warm. That wasn't the case for Riley. 

I scoured the depths of the woods as fast as I could, trimming through snow and keeping a sharp eye out. All I found were rabbits sprinting for their hideout, some birds, and a fox caught in the open. I had no choice but to rule the option out, even if the forest was the first place she'd run off to. Anywhere else meant roaming outside and the prospect of it enraged me further. She better not fucking be a sitting duck on the streets.

I covered the rough terrain, zooming past the clusters of trees until I was underneath the open night sky. Thankfully, I checked the school area and noticed one of the doors cracked ajar. I passed through and noticed the pummeled alarm. The good news was that she hadn't wandered outside. I might let her survive until morning. The bad news? I really didn't know what to expect when I walked into the girl's bathroom.

Echoes of Riley's panicked crying filled my ears, merging with the sound of running water. Unease pricked me, giving me gooseflesh. I found her curled in a corner, so small, bawling and shaking. Shoulders hunched forward, she sheltered her head with her arms and knees. The breath I sucked in hurt. 

I was a proud, unapologetic dick, but I couldn't scream at her now. I'd done it once after she went through the party with Adam, and I shouldn't have. 

My boots crunched onto rubbles of shattered glass and busted tiles. I took a quick glance at the bathroom, astonished at the damage. The more I neared, the warmer the atmosphere. I kneeled in the shallow water and gently prodded her ankle. "Sunshine, hey..."