I didn’t have a chance to discern his features as he quickly disappeared in a sea of bodies congregating the side of the mansion.
A series of goosebumps rose over my skin. The strange sensation of being watched slithered over my frame. I glanced around, feeling uneasy. There was nothing but darkness and trees in my close proximity and yet…something felt wrong.
There was a voice in my mind chanting that I needed to find Cade.
Now.
I locked my car after grabbing the piñata and crossed the courtyard, the smell of alcohol and weed assaulting my nostrils. It was triggering and I fought the urge to puke. First trimester clearly sucked. I feared it would only get worse from here.
A few St. Victorians—alumni and current students—recognized me and waved, laughing when they saw what I was dragging into the party. I greeted them back. While I would miss high school, the people, and the daily shenanigans that took place in that institute, I was more excited for this new chapter in my life. Pregnancy and starting my undergrad.
Though you’ll probably have to drop out once the baby arrives, Ella. Raising newborns is not an easy fit. They need stability and routine. You won’t be able to attend school like a regular student.
That chilling thought made my nausea worse.
I pushed it aside the second I entered the raging party. My stomach was in knots and my nerves were having a field day as I worked through a flock of people in the foyer, being mindful of keeping my middle shielded. I was already possessive and protective of a fetus that was barely the size of a pomegranate seed.
Searching for Cade and my friends would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Instead of wandering around aimlessly, I figured messaging the group chat for everyone’s whereabouts was the best course of action. But when I dipped my hand into my purse for my phone…
It wasn’t there.
Confused, I searched through the interior frantically. Bobby pins, cash, credit card, driver’s license, scrunchie…
Still no cell phone.
How was that possible?
I had it with me before I left my place.
Did I…drop it somewhere between there and here?
My shoulders drooped. Well, this was inconvenient.
I guess I’d just have to look around for Cade. Deciding to start with his room, I climbed the grand staircase, bypassing dancing bodies and a guy doing lines on a girl’s tits.
The second floor was just as crowded as the ground floor, harbouring an even stronger rancid smell of weed. I was so close to vomiting and the more I neared Cade’s bedroom, the more my skin prickled. There was a group of rowdy partygoers gathered close to his door, drinking liquor straight out of the bottle with no chaser.
I recognized a few of the boys and girls from St. Victoria. Shallow, vain, and most importantly: the gossiping kind.
They eyed me with interest, jealousy, and fake smiles.
I simply grinned back and waved my fingers, used to thiskind of attention. At school, there were two categories of students. Those that fawned over me and my boyfriend and those that loathed us. It came with the territory of being St. Victoria’s most revered. The queen bee, cheerleading co-captain, and the broody, hockey alternate captain. Children of the most affluent families in South Side, Montardor. Getting crowned prom king and queen was the cherry on top of their shitcakes.
Eventually, I reached Cade’s door.
That same prickling feeling intensified when I twisted the handle and pushed, taking a step into the dark room. It was illuminated with the barest amount of light coming from a small lamp.
And suddenly, my entire world came crashing down.
I froze.
My gaze captured the scene before me in vivid details, a picture that would forever be etched in my mind under the word betrayal.
Cade.
Sitting next to another girl on his bed.
Red-stained kisses on his mouth, jaw, and neck.
