It Feels Like Forever || auston matthews

Chapter Two

Auston wasn't showing up for practices or games for a week and a half, the team and the fans were all extremely worried about him, he stayed in a hotel room in Toronto for the next week, not talking to anyone, he couldn't bare to be in his house where she had been, where there were so many memories. His parents flew from Arizona just to see if he was okay. Auston wouldn't even answer the door for them. He scrolled through his camera roll, and Instagram feed for hours just looking at pictures of them together, and ugly selfies she took on his phone, and cute ones she's sent to him on Snapchat. Her last words replaying through his mind. Her scream haunting him when he closes his watery eyes. Auston didn't stop crying.

Auston, he's coming into the room. She sounded so scared, like she never felt anything happy in her life.

Word had gotten around everywhere online about "Auston Matthews' girlfriend falling from life". Auston had reminders of it everywhere, and that was the worst, he couldn't escape the worst thing he's had done to him.

"Auston! Stop it!" She called out laughing. Auston and Riley were baking cookies together, but it really didn't work out to well. Auston threw a handful of flour at her and was only laughing through it.

"Come here!" Auston said waiting with his arms open for his blonde girlfriend. He just wanted to make her laugh, that was Auston's favourite sound.

"No. That was mean, the flour goes into the bowl not on my face." Riley giggled out, acting upset. Auston was staring at how she looked, covered in the white powder, laughing hysterically. Riley walked over to Auston, teasing him that she would be hugging him, she just punched him in the stomach lightly.

"Hey, now that wasn't nice." Auston pouted at her actions.

"That's what I said and did that change it? Nope, so neither is this." Riley giggled brightly. Auston thought that the sparkles in her eyes were one of the most beautiful things in the world, he couldn't see clearly without them.

"Fight me." Auston jokingly said to her, opening up ready for a fight. Riley pouted trying extremely hard not to laugh.

"That's my line."

"Your line? Riles, this isn't a movie or play." Auston laughed.

"Shh in my mind it is." Riley laughed out. Auston called Riley, Riles sometimes, and he's the only one who's ever allowed to call her that, and he likes to take advantage of it. Riley shook her head violently, making a lot of the flour that was just in her hair, fly out and go all over Auston. She opened her arms for him to hug her--

He wanted to remember her hug after that, but he just couldn't. He remembers doing it, but he can't remember the feeling, and that's all Auston wanted in that moment. He wanted to hug her and kiss her, not to just remember her. He wanted Riley here with him.

"Auston open up!" There was a banging on Auston's hotel room. As much as he wanted to be alone, the only other person who would understand what he was going through, was on the other side of that door. Emma, Riley's best friend. Auston ran over to the door and opened it, immediately engulfing Emma into a hug. It came as a slight surprise to her of how sudden the hug came, but she knew he would do that. Emma knew he was missing his everything. "I figured you could use some company, might not want it, I know I don't either, but you need some. And your parents knew I was the only one you open up to...other than Mitch."

"Thank you." Was all Auston could muster out. He hasn't spoken in forever, well that's what it felt like for him. Auston went straight to his messy hotel bed, and patted the spot beside him for Emma to come sit down. She wandered over and sat on the bed, bouncing a little bit, trying to make Auston smile even a little bit, alas it didn't work. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Emma ran her hand through her hair a couple times, Auston teared up as well. "Do you look through your camera roll, and Instagram feed just to look at her too?" Auston asked quietly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Emma nodding and choking back tears.

"Yeah..all the time. I've set her alone as my lockscreen too. Makes me hope that maybe, just maybe it'll mean she's closer." Emma replied quietly as well. The two sounded as if all the happiness had drown from the world, although in their worlds it had. "Did the police tell you that they think she might still be alive, somewhere?"

"No?!" Auston felt happiness again, then it drained when he remembered what Caleb had said.

I can promise she will be...you won't be able to find her.

That was what broke him back down again. There was a hint of hope in Emma's eyes, that he really didn't want to break, Auston knew the feeling, he didn't need to give it to someone else.

"What?" Emma questioned. "What do you know? You looked kind of happy and then...you just didn't anymore."

"Nothing, nothing."

"Auston, Riley told me to much about you to know that there is something, and I can actually use my brain to see that, hey, there's something wrong." Emma said. Auston kept telling her nothing, and she finally let in, but she didn't believe his lies, one bit.

"I don't know how I'm going to deal without her around. She was my rock, the only one who could make me smile after losing a game, just by being there. I don't know what I'm gonna do now." Auston told Emma wholeheartedly.