Another very large trigger warning for this chapter.

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Jake's POV

"I'm still confused. Why exactly are you going to a high school party?" I ask Nick as he throws on a leather jacket.

"Just wanted to keep an eye on the housemate is all," he responds with a quirk of his lips.

"I think I'll be fine, thank you very much," Melissa responds as she tosses on a leather jacket of her own.

"The leather duo. Classy." Melissa glares at me as Nick smirks.

"We'd make a dope couple." I snort at Nick's response as he tosses an arm around Melissa's shoulders casually. She tosses it right back off.

"You wish." Melissa turns to me. "You sure you don't want to come?" My face contorts.

"And risk watching Cas and Fynn humping each other all night? Pass."

"Alright, bruh. We should get going, but I'll keep an eye on this one," Nick says as they head to the door.

"Yeah, right, you'll probably get trashed and I'll end up taking care of you all night."

"You're so lucky!" I roll my eyes at my cousin and close the door behind them.

Freedom at last.

~•~

I stand up to get a refill of popcorn and hit pause on "The Office". My parents, Mary, and Chris decided tonight would be a nice night to take a break from everything, so they've headed to the city to stay in a hotel tonight. Translation: I've got the house to myself. I grab another can of Sprite from the fridge and fill up the bowl of popcorn when my phone starts ringing.

"Hello?"

"Jaaaaaake my maaaan," Nick slurs.

"Nick, you're wasted."

"Yeah I am," he burps loudly and laughs. "Dude, did you hear that?"

"Where's Melissa?" I ask. If something happened to her, I swear to God.

"She's getting me some water. She's a hot chick."

"She's not eighteen yet, Nick."

"And I'm not twenty yet. What's two years, lil bro?" I sigh, knowing my argument will be to no avail when he's drunk.

"Anyways, just wanted to call you to let you know that Cassie is here. That Flynn kid is here too."

"Fynn?" I correct, brows creased.

"Eh, same shit. Anywhooooo, she looks like she's on some tough shit. Her eyes were like rolling and she was like wavering and then fainted I think. But don't worry, Flynn helped her up and brought her upstairs. I think she fell asleep. Looked so peaceful as lil Flynn carried her off like a knight in shining armor. He looked haaappy too. They must be in love." Nick sighs, but alarms go off in my head.

"Nick, I need you to focus. What happened to Cassie? Why was she wavering? Did she pass out? Is she fucking okay?!"

"Hey, look! It's Melissa! Meliiiiiiissaaaaa!"

"Nick, fucking answer me, goddamnit! Did she seem drugged?"

"Melissa, it's your friend I'm talking to!" Nick's voice becomes distant, but I keep shouting into the phone.

"NICK DID FYNN DRUG CASSIE?!"

A beep cuts me short.

He fucking hung up on me.

"Fuck!"

I grab my car keys and race out the door. Slamming my car door, I immediately turn it into drive and race towards Jackie's house. Unfortunately, she lives a half hour away from me, but I step on the gas. I tell Siri to call Cassie, but it goes straight to voicemail. Her soft voice dances through my ears, but it only makes me drive even faster. Next, I try Melissa, but I get the same result. After that, I give Nick another shot, but the same.

"Goddamnit, Goddamnit, Goddamnit!" I yell and slam my hands on the wheel a few times.

Hang in there, Cas. Hang in there.

~•~

I pull up at 1:29 AM, and barely turn off the car before racing inside.

"Have you seen Cassie Waters? Fynn Hemps?" I'm asking everybody and nobody as I run through the house. The rooms seem to be spinning as people are grinding around me. Nobody answers, so I ask again. And again. And again.

"They went upstairs a while ago," somebody says before going back to "dancing".

My head pulses as I look for the stairs. People are sitting on them, drinking. The music's loud. The next minutes are a blur but sometime later I realize I have bloody knuckles, Fynn's being dragged off in handcuffs for r*pe and Cas is being loaded into an ambulance. She needed me, and I wasn't there for her.

///

A/N

This was a very difficult chapter to write, but it had to be done. I'm so sorry.

Niki

A/N 2.0

(2021 Niki here--

Sexual assault is not okay.

US helpline: 800-656-HOPE (4673)

Online chat hotline: https://hotline.rainn.org/online)