Playlist:
A little too much- Shawn Mendes
They'll Never Know- Ross Copperman
Ryder's POV
I walk down the vast staircase after changing out of the suffocating dress and goody two shoes hair, up in Shawn's bathroom. The beating lift up music could be heard throughout the house along with the occasional drunk cheering from the few intoxicated bodies from school and a few strangers from the neighborhood that made up most of the occupancy.
I step down the last step turning my body around to the dark framed rectangular shape mirror that hung on the white wall. Scanning my reflection in the mirror, I gather both side of my leather jacket pulling them closer together over my chest, covering my white low cut shirt, the hem showing an inch of my skin above the waistband of my black skinny jeans. I reach my hands up to my hair shaking it a bit through my fingers adding a bit more volume. Once I was satisfied, I smile turning away from the mirror stepping into the large living room where the music could be heard even louder through the sound system by the large flat screen TV.
The room was packed and I'm pretty sure the backyard, pool and kitchen were as occupied.
I may not know most of these people but at least I'm not alone.
Shawn's POV
"You let her leave?" I ask, starring at my dad in disbelief. "Why didn't you stop her?"
"She was pretty upset with me." He shrugs. "The last thing I need is for her to act like I'm dead."
I scowl at him. Seriously?
"I tried reasoning with her but you know how she is." Dad says trying to defend himself.
"Yea, I do know. She is stubborn like you." I retort before turning away from him, walking over to Hannah who was sitting at a table next to my mom, a bright smile on her beautiful face as she let out a small laugh.
"Hey, baby." I say, trying to cut myself into their conversation, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"Hey." She replies but as soon as her eyes meet me she frowns.
"What's wrong?" She asks me before moving her eyes over to my dad who came to a stop beside me, letting out a sigh running a hand through his hair.
"Ryder left." I answer. "I have to find her."
Where the fuck could she have run off to? She doesn't have a cellphone so calling Evan to come and get her is out of the question. She doesn't have a car which means she is walking the streets alone...
"Hannah, you stay here." I order her gently, feeling a rush of anxiety rush through me.
I know she is twenty and she can do what she pleases but Ryder is still my sister. I have to know if she is okay.
"What? No." She says shaking her head at me. "I'm coming with you."
I shake my head." Babe, stay, have fun with your friends."
"No, Ryder is more important. I'm coming." Hannah insists standing up from her chair as I give her a small smile.
This is why I love this woman.
"Okay." I nod lacing my hand with hers. I turn my head and my eyes briefly meet my dad's before I step around him.
"Shawn I-"
"Come on, we have to find her." I say dismissively leaving my dad behind. I quickly made our way out of the hotel and down the steps towards the valet that stood by the sidewalk.
"I need you to get my car please." I say in a stern voice coming to a stop next to the wooden podium, the chilling air blowing the sides of my suit jacket behind me.
"Yes, sir." The blond teenage boy, who looks like he's around seventeen, nods at me. "The car is under what name?"
"Shawn."
His eyes scan over the list on the clipboard before flipping over to the next page over.
"I'm sorry sir, looks like your car has already been taken." He says apologetically.
"What? By who?" I frown.
"It was signed out by a girl named Ryder. She said she was your sister."
"Yes she is, thank you." I nod curtly before looking at Hannah.
"Why don't you call her?" Hannah asks.
"I left my phone in the car and her phone broke." I shake my head. "Looks like we will have to take a cab home and pray that she is there."
Ryder's POV
I tip my head back letting the cool liquid rush down my throat from the red cup. I smile before grabbing a slice of lemon beside me on the counter taking a bite. I wince at the sour taste but this is exactly what I needed. I needed my mind to be clear of all the disapproving voices in my family, especially my father's and alcohol sure does do the trick. Although, alcohol and sex would be a better treat for my sour, tedious night.
Ugh, I wish Evan was here.
I lick my lips as I toss the empty cup in the trash before taking out Shawn's cellphone from my back pocket. A small smile tugs on the corner of my lips as I adjusted my eyes on the screen dialing Evan's number before pressing the phone to my ear leaning against the counter.
"Hello?"
"Hey baby." I smile covering my other ear with my hand to drown out the sound of the loud music.
"Ryder? Is that you?"
"Well who else would it be?" I giggle, rolling my eyes.
"Where are you? What's with the loud music?"
"I'm at Shawn's house." I sigh. "The party was a bust so I left and made my own party here at his house. But I'm bored so... I called you." I smile.
"Want to come over?" I ask.
"I just got out of work baby. I'm tired." He replies making my frown.
Convince him, Ryder. You need to get attention somehow.
"Please baby." I whine, pouting my lips. "You didn't come to the engagement party the least you can do is join me here at the after party."
"I don't know Ryder." Evan says unsure.
"Your work isn't that far from here, babe." I remind him. "Plus there is plenty of alcohol and I'm dying to see you."
"I'm dying to see you too." He replies. "But it's just that-"
"Please." I beg.
No, you are not flaking out on me. I need you.
"Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Great." I smile, biting on my lower lip.
"There better be a beer or a bottle of vodka with my name on it."
"There will be." I nod. "Along with me spread out on the bed naked." I tease.
Evan lets out a small laugh. "What sort of monster have I created?"
"Just hurry up." I smile before hanging up to fetch myself another drink and Evan's beer.
Shawn's POV
"What the fuck?" I gape once the cab came to a stop outside our house.
The yard was a complete mess, filled with red cups, glass bottles, napkins and paper plates. Hannah's rose bushes that ran down the fence and along the front sides of the house, were also covered with trash and the roses seemed to have hardly any petals, hanging low as if they had no water for days.
"Oh dear." Hannah says peeking around me looking out the window while I pull out my wallet to pay the cab driver. As soon as I paid and thanked the middle aged man, who smelled a bit like cheap cigarettes, we quickly climbed out of the car heading towards the house.
"I hope Ryder is okay." Hannah comments, sounding worried, as we walk up the cemented porch steps that were covered in rose pedals, crushed cups and cigarette stubs.
"Believe me, she is." I grumble, feeling a slight wave of anger rush through me. This wouldn't be the first time that Ryder has done something like this.
"Awe, will you just look at my beautiful roses." Hannah frowns getting to the bush towards our left. "They're all dismantled."
"Ryder will fix them." I reply, reassuring her.
"I'm so tired of this shit." I say shaking my head opening the door making the muffled music from inside suddenly loud and clear.
We both step into the house and my eyes scan around seeing what I already expected, a huge ass mess. I turn my head stepping into the living room scanning the area for Ryder but my eyes only see sweaty, high teenagers.
Why do they think that giving your body over to alcohol and drugs is the only way to have fun?
"Ah!" I hear Hannah squeal behind me. I turn my head, suddenly in panic, seeing a drunken guy stumbling over her, spilling a bit of his drink over the front of her dress.
"Hey, get off her!" I demand in disgust, grabbing his arms roughly shoving him away. The guy stumbles a bit, his eyes half closed with sweat running down his forehead and chest that was revealed by his opened shirt. He mutters a barely understandable apology before turning around making his way out of the room.
I place my arm around Hannah's waist pulling her to me. "Are you alright?" I ask in her ear before pulling back.
She nods resting her hand on my upper arm.
"Let's take you up to our room then I'll look for Ryder and get these fucking people out of our house."
"Okay." She replies, her voice barely heard by the thumbing music. I take her hand guiding us towards the stairs. Luckily, the upstairs was not as messy, compared to the rest of the house it seemed peaceful. Thankfully.
I sigh opening our bedroom door; I barely manage to take a step inside when I'm brought frozen to place.
"Ryder!" I hiss once my eyes focused over onto our bed.
Ryder was laying on our bed with Evan hovering over her, both of them half naked, limbs tangled with one another, clearly lost in their own stupid, drunk, lust world.
Ryder turns her head at the sound of my voice and her eyes widen quickly pushing Evan away by his shoulders stopping his kissing assault on her neck.
"Shawn, what are you doing here?" She asks, blinking at me both in shock and confusion, while Evan scrabbled to his feet as she sat upright in bed.
Really? She left my party to get fucked up and she has the right to ask me what the fuck I'm doing in my own house? She has the right to ask me why am here? I'm here for you, idiot!
I clench my jaw my eyes focusing on Evan who is clearly high due to how red his eyes are while he fumbles trying to place on his jeans. I scowl looking over at Ryder who was nervously pushing her messy hair behind her ears, gazing at me with wide, irritated red eyes. Her face was flushed with streaks of black smudged under her eyes making her look like she hasn't slept in days.
Why? Why the fuck do you do this to yourself Ryder?
"Hannah, stay here with them." I order her gently. Hannah frowns at Ryder and Evan before her eyes meet mine giving me a nod. I shake my head focusing back on my sister and her arrogant, asshole of a boyfriend.
"You two better be fucking dressed when I come back or so help me God..." I warn, pointing a finger at both of them, too pissed off to finish my threat. I glare at them a few seconds longer before storming out the door.
Ryder's POV
I glanced down at my hands that were entwined with Evan's as we stood face to face, nervously biting down on my lip. The three of us stood in silence since Shawn left to kick everyone out of the house and it's been at least fifteen minutes since the music died out. I glance over at Hannah who sat a few feet away from of us on the edge of the bed and she gives me a tiny sympathetic smile. Briefly, I feel relieved that she is not holding some sort of anger towards me, unlike my brother.
"Alright." Shawn sighs, stepping back into the bedroom making my heart beat a tiny bit faster. "Everyone is out of the house. Luckily, not that much damaged was done."
"However, I can't say the same for you two can I?" Shawn says curtly, and I don't bother looking at him, I just continue to bit my lip starring down at my hand trying to avoid his harsh gaze.
Gosh, why do you have to make me feel like such a child?
"Hey man, we don't need you to preach to us." Evan groans rolling his eyes. "We are not kids and we were just having fun." I stare at Evan before moving my gaze over to Shawn, who has a deep frown on his face.
"Fun?" Shawn gapes at him, raising his brows. "You call this fun?"
"Look Evan, I'm not your brother so I can't tell you what you can't and can do." Shawn says shaking his head.
"However, it is my job to make sure you are treating my sister with respect and helping her, not drag her down into a toxic environment."
"Wow, wow, wow, hold on a sec." Evan says waving his other hand in the air while releasing my hand stepping back to face Shawn. "First off, she was the one that invited me over. I wasn't the one to make her throw a party."
No, please don't fight.
"No you weren't." Shawn shakes his head. "But as her boyfriend you shouldn't have fueled her stupid behavior. As her boyfriend you shouldn't-"
"Why don't you stop worrying about what I'm doing and start worrying about yourself." Evan interjects. I frown anxiously looking over at Shawn seeing his facial features become hard.
"I mean you're so worried about me going along with the idea of Ryder throwing a party when you should be worrying about as to why she did it." Evan shrugs. "After all, it is your unreliable father who is causing this and-"
"Evan, stop." I mutter placing my hand over his. I divert my eyes up to him and he frowns.
"You know what? I'll just wait outside." Evan says his voice slightly less harsher than before. I nod.
As much as I don't want to be left alone with Shawn's wrath, I rather have Evan leave the room then start a fight between them. The last thing I need is for Evan to lose his temper and end up hitting my brother, if that happens then my father would have to get involved and the less I see him right now the better.
Evan leans down pecking my lips, giving my hand a squeeze, brushing his thumb against the back of my hand. He releases my hand stepping away walking towards the door. Shawn had his eyes glued onto him as he stepped to the side to allow Evan walk out the door. I nervously swallow once Evan was out of view, and brace myself for what is coming next.
After a moment Shawn's eyes focus back on me, meeting mine, they were a light blue color and with the anger they possessed they looked like two pieces of ice. I quickly began to feel small as he continued his harsh gaze; his jaw was clenched with his arms crossed over his chest and each second that ticked by made me wish I could magically turn invisible.
"You're looking at me pretty hard there Shawnee." I mutter with a nervous laugh, using the name I call him when we are joking around, trying to see if it'll lighten his mood but unfortunately, it doesn't, he just narrows his eyes at me.
I get it, I'm in trouble. I deserve to be yelled at but in front of Hannah? How humiliating.
I let out a shaky breath through my lips as I looked down at the floor, taking a step towards Shawn as he did the same until there was a short distance between us. I could tell that anger still took over his features because it was a short while until he finally spoke, and when he did his voice was hard but quiet.
"Look," Shawn begins. "You know that ever since we became family I have had your back through thick and thin. But suddenly it's becoming a much harder task for me to do and it's not because I do not want to help you, but because it has become a more frequent thing."
I stay quiet and continue to look randomly down at the floor, nervously rubbing my finger together, with my hands at my sides.
"What the hell are you thinking Ryder?" Shawn mutters, after a small moment of silence, knowing that I wasn't going to respond to his previous comment.
"You said I could have a party." I reply with a shrug, my voice carefully quiet.
"Yes, I did." Shawn nods, raising his voice just a little bit. "But you don't even know those people. Hell, I don't even know them and they live in the damn neighborhood!"
"I- I was just... trying to have fun and-"
"Seriously, Ryder?" Shawn frowns at me. "This is not fun. Your behavior right now is irresponsible."
"What do you even get out of this?Please tell me because I have no clue!" He yells gesturing to himself with both of his hands.
"I mean seriously what are you thinking?!" He yells, hitting his temple with his fingers tips, glaring at me as I stare at him with wide eyes before cowardly glancing down to the floor. "You left our engagement party to throw another fucking party here at my house, just to fill it up with people you hardly know and do God knows what with your boyfriend."
"I'm sorry." I whisper, looking up at him, tears pricking in the back of my eyes.
"I am too, because you always go too far!" Shawn snaps, gesturing his hands in the air.
"Shawn." Hannah interjects, taking sympathy on me, walking over placing his hands on the top of my shoulders. "Baby, nothing got wrecked it-"
"Don't." Shawn says, holding his hand up, stopping her mid sentence.
"Ryder, you are twenty years old, you can't keep doing these things." Shawn says shaking his head. I know I am your brother and I am supposed to get you out of things but how can I help you if you won't ever help yourself? Do you think that is fair for me?"
Do you think it's fair for you to have all of my father's attention?
I bite my lower lip, to try and suppress my tears as a lump starts to build in the back of my throat.
"I am tired of this Ryder. If you don't care for your own safety then why should I?" Shawn hisses at me.
No, please,don't give up on me.
"Did no one ever teach you right from wrong? Did no one ever teach you to say no to drugs and alcohol?" Shawn asks, his voice stern and hard leaning down to look at me in the face. I open my mouth to speak but he quickly interrupts me with another burst of fury.
"Open your damn eyes!" Shawn barks, his jaw clenched. "You are wasting your life away, Ryder!"
"You want to work in the fashion industry, but let me tell you that if you don't get your shit together there is no hope in hell for it to happen." He spits, making my already shattered heart sink further down to my stomach.
Will no one believe in me? Will no one ever stick around long enough to get to know me? Well if my own mother didn't they why would anyone else.
"I swear Ryder if you don't start worrying about yourself then I'm not going to either, do you understand me!" Shawn yells at me through clenched teeth clearly fed up with me. I bite my lips together into a line, unfisting and fisting my hands at my sides to get rid of the need to cry.
"Don't worry," I mutter shaking my head. "No one has anyways."
Shawn blinks at me, straightening up, his lips parting at my words as remorse slowly clouds his anger hooded eyes. I stare at him a second longer before taking a step letting, Hannah's hands drop from my shoulders, walking out the door.
Author's Note
Hello my lovelies! How are all of you doing?
I am very pleased to see that so many of you are enjoying my story and are feeling certain feelings to my characters. My goal was for you to grow some sort of affection towards them so thank you so much for making it possible. Also, I reached 900 followers that is amazing! Thank you so much for everything that you have done for me.
I hope you enjoy this update, please let me know what you have to say in the comments below and please do not forget to vote and share! <3 xoxo
P.S: I would also like to dedicate this chapter to andallthatjaz1d because she is so sweet and amazing to me on twitter and I absolutely adore her. She is such a talented person so do go check out her profile and Jaz if you are reading this I love you and ill see you later on twitter :) (Hope you like this chapter)