The Constant

Chapter 12

RYKER/NARRATOR POV

Bea has not come home yet and I was officially worried. Her Dad wouldn't tell me anything and my parents were also being suspicious when I brought it up. I thought about calling her brother Heath a few times. They weren't super close because of their age gap, but I knew they really cared for each other.

 The only problem was that I had no clue what his number was or where he lived. I knew he lived in South Carolina, but that was it. 

After a week, I was getting desperate. 

RYKER/PRESENT POV

"Mom?" I called as I stepped in the house after another day of school without any sign of Bea. 

"In the living room!" She called back. 

I shrugged off my backpack and set it on the floor before heading towards the living room. 

She was reading a book and I just sat down next to her. "Why the long face?" She asked. 

I shot her a look. "You know why Mom. Please, you have to help me. I need to talk to her." I begged. 

Mom sighed, "Okay. Bea-' I suddenly was distracted by a sight outside my window. It was Bea. 

"She's here." I said, quickly standing up and running out the door despite Mom's calls. 

Bea was standing outside of her Mom's car, gathering things from the back seat. 

"Bea!" I said. She jumped and quickly turned around. 

"Ryker, hi." She said softly. 

I stepped closer to her, grabbing her arm to make sure it was real. 

"I'm so sorry Bea. I didn't mean to push you away or yell at you, or ignore you. I'm so sorry. I can't lose you as a friend" I stuttered quickly. She smiled and grabbed my hand. 

"It's okay Ryker, really. You had a shock and you needed an outlet. You're too important to me to to let that stop me from forgiving you." She said with a small smile. 

I felt a weight lifted off me. "Good. I'm so glad. Now that that's over, I have to ask, what the hell?" Where have you been?" I asked. 

She retracted her hand from mine and stiffened. She scratched the back of her neck, avoiding eye contact with me. "Yeah about that..." She started. 

"About that." I prodded. "Bea you're scaring me. What's going on?" I asked. 

"I'm moving." 

My heart dropped and I feel like I'd been sideswiped. This is not what I expected to hear. "What?" I finally asked after regaining talking abilities. 

She looked up at me, her green-grey eyes watery. "I'm sorry. It's not like I was keeping it from you. It's just something that I have to do." She said. 

"No you don't. Bea talk to me, what's going on?" I asked frantically. 

She shook her head, "I can't, I'm sorry." 

"Please Bea. Why can't you just trust me with the truth?" I asked. 

Her eyes were shimmering, and suddenly mine were too. 

"Goodbye Ryker." 

And with that she turned around into her house, shutting me out possibly for good.