Chapter Eleven
Matt
The first place I checked was BiblioBar. This was apparently the last place her location had pinged at, and that gave me some sort of hope that she’d be around here somewhere.
The bar had been closed for well over an hour. It was a ghost town, completely deserted like a giant sea of people hadn’t filled the place just hours prior.
Still, I got out of the car and made laps around the building, even checking in bushes to see if maybe Jade had passed out somewhere.
She didn’t seem plastered when we saw her last, but who the hell knew how much she’d drank after we left.
After minutes of desperation, I practically ran back to my car, accepting that she just wasn’t here.
Off to campus.
Driving in utter silence, I went through campus twice, going ten miles below the speed limit so I could look around thoroughly. Each group of people I passed, I stopped, showing them a picture of Jade to ask if they’d seen her.
I tried her phone a few more times, praying that I’d reach her, but like every time before— nothing.
I felt crazed and wondered repeatedly if I was overreacting.
Maybe I’d wake up tomorrow morning with a text from her, and I’d give her nonstop shit for nearly putting me into cardiac arrest. Maybe she found herself at a guy’s house— ew — and was ignoring me because she was doing shit I didn’t want to know about.
Maybe her phone died, and she was sound asleep.
Maybe I was just being a psychotic big brother and needed to take a breather and go the fuck home.
Or maybe she was in trouble.
Fuck.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I knew for sure.
I sped to her dorm hall when I realized it was probably the first place I should’ve checked.
Jade lived in the same dorm hall that I lived in freshman year. Cody and I roomed together that year. We’d hardly known each other, only having met the few times we’d attended hockey camps at Cedar U. But ever since then, he’d been my best friend.
Luckily for me, they hadn’t changed the code to the building since I lived there three years ago, which seemed like a security hazard, but I didn’t give a fuck about that right now.
The halls were eerily quiet for a college dorm. My fist met Jade’s door. I knocked twice, hardly waiting a moment before knocking again.
I held my breath, shifting nervously. When I saw blonde hair instead of black, I felt defeated.
“Uh, hi,” I greeted the girl. “You’re Jade’s roommate, right?”
“Yeah. And you’re Matt?”
“Yeah. Is Jade here?”
She stepped aside, opening the door all the way to reveal a sleeping Jade, curled up in bed.
My jaw tightened. I’d never been so relieved yet pissed at the same time.
While she was peacefully snoozing, I was driving all over looking for her.
She couldn’t have even texted me that she was home safe?
I had let her get away with not sharing her location with me, but I thought we had an understanding.
I didn’t think I needed to blatantly tell her to let me know when she was back safe to get her to do it.
“When did she get home?” I asked.
“Probably around two-thirty,” she answered, shoulders slumped slightly with her arms folded over her chest. She looked like she felt awkward, and when I saw her cross her legs, I realized why.
She was wearing a long t-shirt, no pants.
Now I felt awkward. I kept my eyes up as I spoke. “Do you know how she got home?”
“Honestly, I think those girls she went with left her there because she said a friend walked her home. She didn’t say who though. She was really drunk. She kept trying to tell me something about her phone, but I could hardly understand her. I just tried to help her get into bed okay.”
“Thank you,” I said. My lingering anger slowly subsided when I peered over at Jade again. She was clutching onto her blanket in her sleep, hair tied in a knot on top of her head, looking so tiny and innocent for someone who just caused me so much emotional damage.
And probably physical damage from all that fucking anxiety. Then I remembered El was up and waiting.
Me: I found her.
El: Where the hell was she?!?!
Me: In bed.
El: That little asshole
Me: I know. She’s getting a piece of our minds tomorrow
El: Most definitely
I huffed, turning back to Jade’s roommate. “She got into bed okay, though?”
“She threw up before.”
Goddammit. How much did she fucking drink?
Jade was sound asleep on her side, but I was still worried. I’d been around enough drunk people to know that you should never let a plastered person sleep by themselves.
Her roommate seemed like she had it handled up to this point, but I’d feel better if I stayed. “Um,” I paused, extending a hand, “what’s your name again?” Awkward question considering I met her when I moved Jade in.
“Harper,” she took my hand.
“Harper, would you mind if I spent the night? Just to make sure Jade’s fine?”
“Yeah, sure,” she agreed, offering me a blanket and pillow, which both immediately met the floor between the girl’s beds. I grabbed the small trash can that Jade kept underneath her desk and set it right beside her bed in case she woke up feeling sick.
Me: I’m gonna sleep here to keep an eye on Jade. Take my bed
El: Okay. Goodnight, Mattie
Me: Goodnight, El. Sleep tight