The Why Behind What We Feel

Chapter 17- Good Luck

"I'm sure he didn't mean it that way," Drake assures me, watching me pace back and forth in front of him.

The second I saw Aspen's text, I went into panic mode. No one can reach him, not even Drake. No one saw him leave, but all of his stuff is gone. It's like he's just...disappeared.

"You don't understand. Aspen is not okay. I'm afraid he's going to do something stupid. We've got to find him, fast," I say seriously, stopping in front of him and meeting his dark brown eyes.

"We will," Lizzy says, standing from her seat on the sofa next to Drake. She wraps her arm around me and rests her head on my shoulder. "Everything will be okay. No matter what Aspen was going through, he knew he had you. That's enough of a reason to live."

"She's right," Drake chimes in. "He wouldn't hurt himself because of you. His text didn't mean that. I can't explain why he left like he did, but I'm sure it was for a good reason. Maybe something happened with his family."

"He doesn't have any family, Drake!" I cry. "He has no one! That's why we have to find him. We have to make sure he's okay."

"Then let's find him," Drake sighs, standing up. "Lizzy and I will start looking at his usual spots on Bourbon. I'll get Tristan and his friends to start looking as well."

"Thank you," I cry in relief.

I'm all dressed up in my fancy yellow dress I wore to the formal, but Drake cancelled the party at my request so we can find Aspen. I just want to know that he's okay. I need to know.

I hurry out to my car, knowing exactly where it is I have to go first. I take my heels off and throw them into the passenger seat when I get in. I check my phone one last time and my heart sinks when I don't see a text from Aspen.

I fight the urge to cry. He might be okay. He probably is.

He has to be....

I pull up to the old radio tower next to the river and quickly get out of my car. I hurry to the ladder and only pause for a second before I force myself to climb up.

My heart is racing, but this time, it's not because of the danger I'm putting myself in. I just want to see Aspen at the top of this tower; the way I always have when I climbed up.

I pull myself up to the top, but I pause when I see the empty platform.

He's not here.

I just knew he would be.

I climb up onto the platform and swing my legs over the side. I stare out across the Mississippi River, wondering where Aspen is and why he left the way he did.

My body tenses up when I hear a creaking sound beneath me. I've heard this old tower creak before, but I wasn't afraid because Apsen was here with me. Now that I'm alone, I'm wondering just what the hell I'm doing up here. I should've started climbing back down the second I realized he's not here.

I slowly pull my legs up, but just as I do, I hear the creaking again. This time, it's much louder.

For a few agonizing seconds, I don't know what to do. I can't stay up here all night, but getting down from here might be the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life.

I try to slow my racing mind and think rationally about what I should do. Climbing down seems like the only logical choice. My phone is in my car and if I scream for help, who knows if anyone will hear me? This is a part of town where no one walks the streets after dark, so calling for help could put me in more danger than I'm already in.

I start for the ladder, moving quickly when the creaking continues. I start climbing down as fast as I can, being careful not to miss a step.

When I'm about halfway down, the tower begins to lean. I pause and look around, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach when I realize how far the ground is below.