GREEN SWEATER - Elizabeth Olsen

Chapter 34

Arriving at the stairs, she could already see Cedric waiting for her through the still-celebrating people. With her hands tightly around the box, she walked towards him, who had already noticed her.

"What's this?" he asked as he was already making his way out.

"The camera plus the some sd cards."

He briefly looked back at me with wide eyes before continuing to walk forward.

"You're kidding me. How badly must he have hidden it for you to find it."

I didn't answer but kept following the gray-eyed one.

Hectically we went to my car to put it away, constantly with a look around us, if someone was watching us. Without worries I unlocked the trunk.

But then my heart jumped for a moment.

A hand on my shoulder brought me back out of my trance.

"Are you okay?" the taller boy asked.

I nodded my head before pushing aside Alex's things like some clothes, decorations from his room and framed pictures to stow the box next to them.

Then a second punch hit me again after seeing something particularly.

I frantically threw the box in before moving to the side of the car to lean my back against it. I felt Cedric's eyes on me while I held a hand in front of my mouth to let out a long sigh.

After things have been moved around and the trunk beeing closed with force foot steps approached me.. then I felt an arm wrapping around my shoulders.

I went into the half hug without saying anything.

After a while I looked up from the floor to say something.

"I really should have cleaned up the stuff in the car, huh?" I said with a smirk.

The boy next to me said nothing.

"He gave me the jacket before I made it out. He put it around me forcefully and told me to promise him to make it out."

I broke away from the hug to walk pointless steps on the path in front of us.

"After I got the car I threw all the stuff in it just to force myself to forget about him... of course it didn't work."

I scratched my forearm harder out of nervousness.

"The jacket probably still has his bloodstains on it from back then. Never dared to wash it either for fear it might lose his smell."

Since my gaze was elsewhere I did not see an arm suddenly come to rest on my forearm, so I stopped scratching myself.

I looked up to see caring eyes looking at me.

"Bella it's okay. I wasn't going to judge you in any way. You have my deepest respect for everything you've been through, you understand?"

I nodded.

"And you know what?" he asked me with a grin.

I looked at him with questioning eyes.

"We now have everything we need to lock that bastard up." he said with an excited face.

My face fell into a grin.

He was right. We had nothing left to lose.

The tapes were there. The camera was there with the memory cards and I could even show the chats on my phone with the boy.

After I locked the car we headed back to the house carefree to get the Olsen girl and leave as quickly as possible.

The music was still blasting at full volume through the house as we squeezed through the teenagers. We approached the room expecting to run into our green eyed friend.

But there was no sign of her at the table.

The football players were still sitting there next to the twins and the redhead... all in a conversation.

Arriving, the baseball player spoke up.

"Hey you guys... we're going to hit the road. Did you guys by any chance see Elizabeth?"

The guys continued to talk to the redhead without worry. Only Ashley who was sitting on the edge noticed our presence.

"Oh hello there. You guys have been gone a long time... and Lizzie.. let me think." She put on a thoughtful face.

I could tell by the cups and glasses on the table that there was a lot of drinking going on.

"That's right. She wasn't feeling well and that's when Mason took her so she could lie down."

How did I not notice that?

Mason wasn't even present at the table.

"Thanks Ashley... have fun."

"Bye bye." she waved drunkenly after us.

Personally, I sprinted off after already hearing Mason's name.

How could I be so stupid?

Had he taken the redhead's advantage to confuse us?

Had he been planning to take the dark blonde with him all along?

If something happened to her, I could never forgive myself.

"Bella. Slow down!" The older boy called after me.

However, I didn't listen but sprinted past each person without worrying if anyone would get knocked down. Down the stairs I now sprinted towards the end of the corridor.

Would it be too late?

With full force I stormed into the room.

"Mason!"

But no one was there.

However, something caught the corner of my eye... the piece of wood in the floor was left open.

He had been here.

Cedric behind me now came running into the room as well.

"Any sign?"

I continued to stare at the floor.

"They were here."

He said nothing but instead walked towards the direction of the open floor.

"This is where the camera was, right?"

I nodded.

"Shit."

Suddenly, a message rang from my phone.

The boy looked over at me with a tense expression on his face.

I pulled out my phone.

Meanwhile, running my hands through my hair to keep myself from losing my nerves, I read the message out loud.

"Meet me at school with your stolen things from me or you will never see her again."

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Don't hate me.

-A