Tethered (Book Two of The Invisible String Series)

The Runaway: Part One

Pushing myself off my bike, I hurry up the sidewalk and into the house, tossing my bag near the door. "You're joking, right? Why the hell would they tell her that?! We said we wanted to tell her after we had confirmation next week."

"I know. Believe me, Y/N, I am just as upset about this as you are. The employee who spoke to her about it has been placed on leave and is being dealt with. Right now, though, our biggest priority is trying to find Olivia."

I nod, swallowing down my panic as I move into the living room, catching Lizzie's attention from her position on the couch. She instantly frowns upon seeing me, closing the book she'd been reading before standing, her concerned green eyes raking over me. "What's wrong?"

I tilt the phone away from my mouth, feeling slightly better now in the brunette's presence as I explain everything I'd been told. Lizzie's eyes widen and before I can blink she nods, her own phone already pressed to her ear as she begins pacing just a few feet away, cursing her when I assume she receives no answer and angrily tosses the phone onto the now unoccupied couch.

After promising Nancy we would keep her updated if Liv reached out, and vice versa, I hang up the phone and turn my attention towards my girlfriend, who's pacing has increased and is currently mumbling under her breath. "Lizzie?"

Lizzie continues pacing, even as her green eyes move over towards me, the woman looking absolutely pissed off. Honestly if I wasn't so worried about Olivia, I'd openly admit that Lizzie's angry face is fucking hot as hell, but now certainly isn't the time for that. "What the hell were they thinking?! No one had the right to tell her anything about any of this, except for us!"

"I know, my love. I know. I'm just as upset about this as you are. But I need you to calm down."

Lizzie turns her angry gaze on me, her eyes narrowing as she continues her anxious pacing. "Don't tell me to calm down when our teenager is out there all alone and no one knows where she is!"

Realizing that talking obviously isn't going to get me anywhere, I let out a sigh and step directly into the brunette's path, wrapping my arms around her shoulder as soon as she's close enough to, one hand running what I hope is a soothing path up and down her spine. "Take a deep breath for me, baby."

She doesn't move to hug me back right away, but I feel the anger radiating off her in waves and I honestly don't blame her for being so upset. It had been at Lizzie's request that we keep everything as far under the radar as possible, which I completely understood. As much as Lizzie loves being an actress, she hates constantly being in the public's eye, and I get that a lot of that stems from growing up with her sisters in the spotlight basically 24/7. And when we first started dating, as much as she never wants to admit it, I know all the rumors the tabloids spread about us bothered her. So her anger is completely valid, and I feel it, too. No one had the right to tell Liv about our plans, even if they didn't know it was us. It only led to this gigantic mess that we've found ourselves in.

After a few seconds Lizzie's weight sinks into my own, and her arms come up to wrap around my middle section, her voice slightly muffled in the fabric of my shirt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay. You were upset, babe. You're allowed to feel your feelings."

The brunette pulls away just enough so our gazes can meet, her eyes glossed over with unshed tears. "I know, I just...I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You were only trying to help. I'm just so worried about her."

Her voice cracks just as she says that last part, and it causes my heart to ache more than it already does out of worry for Olivia, so I pull her back into a tight hug while placing a few kisses to the top of her head. "I know, my love. So am I."

I silently pray that wherever Olivia is, she's safe and will eventually break this silence to let us, or someone, know that she's safe. Until then, though, it's just a matter of waiting and hoping.

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Woo, a nice little cliffhanger for you all. I feel like I haven't done one of those in a while. Plus it worked out in my favor, because this chapter is actually super long and I wanted to break it up into parts.

This is pretty much the most angsty this book will get. There might be a little bit more later on, but that's just to lead up into the 3rd book. Then shit is gonna get real, real fast. I hope you all are ready for that.

Also, this has nothing to do with this story, but I just found out that my creative non-fiction piece and one of my poems are gonna be published in my University's literary arts journal! So I'm officially published, even if it's just for a collegiate journal! I'm super excited about that! I have to attend the journal's launch party in a few weeks where I get to take a bunch of pictures with the Dean of Student Affairs and the President of the University and read my stuff to everyone in attendance. I'm super proud of my writing and how far it's come. I certainly don't think my jaded fifteen-year-old self would have ever imagined we'd be here today, but we are and I'm proud of how far we've grown as a writer.

Anyway, let me know what you all thought about this chapter! Until next time: remember to eat some food, drink some water, and take a break from your electronics and go outside and breathe a little fresh air or something! -C