Chapter Thirty-Nine

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By the time I finish watching three episodes, the front door hasn't opened, and I'm no longer calm, I'm heated. Annoyed. Where the hell is she? It's fucking negative ten degrees outside and most businesses are closed. Where could she have possibly gone? An image of her stubborn-ass shivering on a park bench crosses my mind, and I growl. If she's this determined to 'give me a taste of my own medicine' then I'll have to cut her crazy fantasy off right the fuck now. After turning the TV off, I grab my keys off the hook by the front door and call her phone, but it goes straight to voicemail.

"I get it, you're angry at me. But it's been two hours. You can stop hiding and come out. Where are you?" I hang up after leaving a voicemail and hop on the elevator.

The lobby is empty and there aren't snowy footprints on the polished floor. I ask the landlord at his office if he saw her leave, and he shakes his head no. Useless fucker. I visit every single floor and end up at our apartment on the eighth floor. I curse under my breath and call Riley.

"What do you want, douchebag?" She answers on the last ring.

I arch a brow. "Excuse me?"

"You aren't excused."

"Okay... whatever beef you have with me, can you leave it alone for a second and help me out?"

"I would never help you, asshole," she spits.

What the hell did I do to her?

"What crawled up your ass?" I ask incredulously.

"You, you asshole. You hurt my best friend, left without a word if you were dead or alive. You made her worry about you for days, and you want me to help you?" She scoffs, and I run a frustrated hand over my face then my hair, gripping the long ends.

"Okay, look, I already apologized to her—"

"Lies," she interjects coolly.

"What? How the fuck would you know if I was lying or not?"

"Because you want me to help you with Lily."

"Listen, I just need you to tell me if she's with you at the dorms? Or if she called you two hours ago." Hopefully she can be less of a loyal friend for one split second and actually be helpful.

"Okay, let me think." I'm shocked by her willingness to help, but so relieved.

"Thank you," I breathe out.

After a few silent seconds, she deadpans, "I won't help you," and then hangs up.

I stare at my phone for a second and squeeze it so tight I think I hear a crack splinter through the screen. Honestly, was I expecting her to be of any use? That was stupid of me on my part. Now I'm back to square one. I would call and ask Finn, but I have a feeling he'd react the same way. Why do all of her two friends have to be so devoted to her?

But I won't give up, not this easily. I catch the elevator and go up a floor. I hear the faint music and loud voices before I even step off. I follow the sound to a door near the end of the hallway. I don't even bother knocking and find it's already unlocked. I push the door open and step into the dim lit apartment. The first thing I see are people sitting on the floor and on couches and chairs, all staring at the TV screen. The overrated show Stranger Things is playing. There have to be at least thirty people here. Someone laughs and everyone else follows suit and there's a hush of conversation in the kitchen.

What in the utter fuck is this?

"Who wants more popcorn?" a guy says and walks into the living room. Is this some sort of sleep over for people who haven't grown up past ten years old?

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