two doors down (e.d.)

chapter forty

riley~

"quinn," i laugh nervously, "what're you doing here?"

"i just joined this frat. took me quite a bit of money, but i convinced them." he flashes me a pearly white toothy grin and steps closer.

"so where's ethan tonight?" he asks

"um, uh, downstairs." i reply

"that's a shame," he frowns, "i would've loved to show him my room."

"oh," i say, "yeah that's too bad."

"unless!" he snaps, pointing at me, "you want to see it? it's really cool. i have a mini fridge in there too."

"i'm good."

"come on," he smiles, "there's a few bottles of chardonnay available."

"i'm actually gonna go back downstairs," i gulp, "i just wanted to see what it looks like up here."

"leaving so soon?"

"yes."

"i like your outfit tonight, riley." he says, scanning me up and down.

i suddenly wish i listened to ethan.

i tug my shorts down a bit and start to turn for the stairs.

"wait," he says, grabbing my hand, "don't go."

"please don't touch me," i spit, grabbing my hand back.

"woah there," he laughs, "don't get so aggressive."

"ethan's waiting for me," i lie

"i'm sure he can wait a bit more."

"pass." i say forcefully and start to stomp down the stairs.

"no," he growls, grabbing my arm again.

"can you just leave me be already?" i yell over the music floating up the stairs.

"let me just show you around," he says, starting to drag me up the stairs.

"ethan!" i yell, but i know he can't hear me. it's too loud.

quinn is too strong for me.

he drags across the hall and into the third door on the right. he closes the door behind him, which makes my heart race.

"quinn please just let me go back downstairs. we can grab lunch sometime?" i try to negotiate, fighting back tears.

"oh riley," he smirks, "you've already decided how you feel about me."

"what?"

"you made me look stupid. you made me embarrassed." he spits, getting close to my face. i close my eyes with the impact and try to send telepathic messages to ethan hopelessly.

ethan please.

come upstairs.

"i'm sorry!" i yell, getting desperate, "i won't do it again."

"ethan's not here to keep me away anymore."

ethan~

something isn't right.

i haven't seen riley around the party.

"hey," i say, interrupting my friend's sentence, "i'm gonna go look for riley. i haven't seen her in awhile."

"okay?" tyler says, more as a question.

i throw my sprite cup in the nearest trash can i can find and bulldoze through the crowd.

"hey! lily!" i yell, spotting the girl who almost ruined riley and i's relationship.

"ethan!" she dances over to me

"have you seen the girl that ran into us at the last party anywhere?"

"uh no," she says, her face becoming worried, "sorry. can i help find her?"

"no it's okay. enjoy yourself." i reply, scanning the party thoroughly.

"no it's okay. i'll help." she says, being the mom she always is.

"thank you. so much."

we start in the kitchen, asking people if they've seen her.

i pull out a picture of the two of us that she took a few days ago.

everyone says no.

we also don't find her in the living room, the lounge area, or the study rooms.

"she's probably in the main area," lily says, trying to stay positive.

but i have a horrible feeling in my stomach that she's not.

"we need to check upstairs."

"ethan," lily says, "why would she be upstairs? this is your girlfriend right?"

"yeah?"

"she seems loyal. she wouldn't be upstairs. let's check the main area again, and then we can go to the last resort."

"lily you don't understand," i say urgently, "i just know she's up there, by will or not."

her eyes widen and her lips part.

"no," she whispers, "you don't really think-"

"i don't know what to think." i interrupt, "but i can't not check."

"okay," lily nods, "let's go."

i say a silent prayer and we creep up the stairs, listening for voices.

"shhh," lily whispers, "i hear a noise. it's talking. i can't make out any words."

"where?" i ask urgently.

she points at the door across from us and i book it.

i knock on it loudly, earning a glare from lily.

"hello? riley?"

"no riley in here man," the door swings open and i see two guys playing video games.

"did you see a girl come up here?"

"there's been a lot," one of them smirks

"how about this one?" i ask, fumbling for my phone to show them the picture.

one guy takes my phone in his hands, furrowing his eyebrows.

"no," he says finally, "sorry."

"did you hear anyone by the name riley come up here?" lily asks

a look comes across the second guys' face and he turns to his friend.

"didn't we hear mcallister talking about some riley? he said he was gonna get her up here?"

"who's mcallister?" i ask urgently, "and where is he?"

"he's new," the first guy scratches his head, "mcallister is his last name. i don't how his first name, but he was talking about a girl named riley."

"where's his room?" lily asks

they point a few doors down on the opposite side of the hallway.

i scramble for it, my hands and limbs shaking.

"hello?" i pound on the door.

"ethan!" a small voice calls out and my blood runs cold.

"riley? riley is that you?"

"hello to you," the door opens and reveals quinn.

quinn mcallister.

"where is she?" lily asks, voice getting tough.

"where's who?" quinn asks, putting up an innocent front.

i barge past him with a strength i didn't know i had.

he stumbles back and fall to the floor, grunting.

"riley?" my eyes flick around the room, expecting to see her standing there.

"ethan," a trembling voice says from below me, "thank god you're here."