abuse | zd

twenty

|a few months later|

|alissa|

i guess daddy's money can't save you from everything.

two months after he went missing from a homecoming game, bryce's body was found in the river. it hit the city of crestmont like a shockwave.

although i never said anything to zach, i was immensely worried about the whereabouts of bryce before his body was discovered. it wasn't like him to just disappear, not even for a night or two- let alone two months.

i could still remember the night jess called like it was yesterday.

"hello?" i mumbled into the phone, rubbing my eyes. zach was asleep next to me, quiet snores falling from his lips.

"alissa, are you awake?" jess's voice was hurried, and much too loud for my liking.

i pulled my phone away from my ear, squinting as i looked at the time which read "2:38am". "i am now," i sighed.

"they found him," she said. she sounded out of breath, as if she was hurrying to get all the information out.

"what?" i sat up now. i knew who she was talking about, but i wasn't going to get my hopes up until she confirmed it.

"bryce," she breathed, "they found him."

"where?" i asked. i could hear my heartbeat in my ears as i threw my legs over the edge of my bed, my eyes scanning the darkness in front of me as i waited for her to continue.

"alissa," jessica sighed. she was stalling, and it immediately frustrated me.

"where, jess?" i rose my voice. zach stirred in his sleep behind me.

"they found his body, alissa. in the river. bryce is dead."

my ears rang and i felt my phone hit my thigh before landing on the floor with a thud. my throat dried within an instant and my breathing became manual and labored. i felt like i was spiralling, and the room was closing in on me.

i heard zach's voice, though his words didn't register with me and it all sounded jumbled. i stood up, immediately stumbling before catching myself on the wall.

zach was beside me in an instant, all sleepiness gone from his voice as he repeated my name over and over.

"bryce," i croaked. my eyes and throat burned and i knew that i was seconds away from tears. i looked up to zach, my face now wet with tears, and he looked back to me. he waited patiently for me to speak. "he's dead."

|edited 03/11/2020|