“Lydia?” I pressed my fingers to my other ear. “What’s wrong?”
“Jane—” The words were cut off by laughter and people shouting about doing shots.
“I can’t hear you, Lydia. Where’s Jane?” My voice shook.
Dean got to his feet, helping me up with him before he pulled his car keys from his pocket. He mentioned something to the others about us leaving but I couldn’t hear as I pressed my hand to my ear again. Trying to listen to what Lydia was saying as he led us out of the basketball court.
When the music changed on the other end of the call, Lydia was finally able to get a word in. “Jane is in trouble.”
Chapter 52
Lily
She’s only 16 years old . It was the one thing on a constant loop in my head amongst the other worries fogging my brain as we drove back to Bay Ridge.
Once Lydia found somewhere quieter to talk over the phone, she told me the party was supposed to be a small gathering but had gotten out of hand. The host’s parents were out of town. Jane and Lydia were invited via Snapchat because some of the senior boys deemed them cute enough to attend. That alone was disgusting enough.
Lydia said Jane had been drinking with three boys before one encouraged her to head upstairs because she didn’t look too good. Instead of going to the bathroom, he took her to a bedroom and locked the door.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I muttered, pulling my hand through my hair as I checked my phone again for anything; an update from Lydia saying Jane got out okay, or maybe even a text from Jane herself.
“We’re almost there,” Dean said, eyes fixed on the road.
I didn’t care if he was traveling over the limit, I just needed to get to Jane.
We soon pulled up across the street from a large townhouse in Bay Ridge, several blocks from Lydia’s house. It was packed to the brim with drunk teenagers. Why they started the party so early in the afternoon was beyond me, but also the least of my concerns. The neighbors either didn’t mind the noise or weren’t home for the summer.
Lydia was standing on the porch, waiting anxiously for us to reach her. Tears lined her eyes and wet her brown skin as her bottom lip began to tremble when we got to the top of the stairs.
“Lily, I didn’t know what to do—”
I took her hands. “Where is she?”
Dean stood nearby as he cupped his hand against the window to see inside.
“Upstairs in the room at the end of the hall,” she sniffed.
“Wait here, okay? We’ll be right back, and then I’m taking you home,” I said, squeezing her hands gently.
She nodded without another word.
Dean opened the front door, and I walked past him, pushing my way through the tight wall of bodies inside to get to the stairs just a few feet away. I could feel Dean’s hand on the small of my back the entire time. Guiding. Reassuring.
I couldn’t tell if it was the beat of the music against my eardrums or my heart pounding in my ears that drowned out the sound of everything else. My mind had funneled into one thought; find Jane.
We broke from the crowd and took to the stairs. Once at the top, the only other way to go was left, to the end of the hall as Lydia said. I didn’t hesitate to keep going, marching directly for the bedroom door. It was only when I tried the doorknob, finding it locked, that I stalled.
I gritted my teeth and tried again. My voice wavered. “Dammit.”
“This room is taken,” chuckled a male voice from inside.
My blood ran cold.
“Lily, move,” Dean said, backing away from the door.
I stepped aside, sucking in a shuddering breath as Dean lined himself up opposite the door. Then kicked it so hard it flew wide open with a loud crack, splintering the frame and separating the doorknob from the door. His face became a mask of lethal calm as he entered the room.
The souls of my shoes crunched against the pieces of wood on the floor as I rushed in after him. I caught a glimpse of the blonde-haired, jock-type boy lying on top of my sister. His hand was up her top when he looked at us in shock before Dean grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him off the bed with so much force the jock stumbled when Dean let go and fell into the dresser beside me.
