Chapter 151 Ryan run over a child?

Chapter 151 Ryan run over a child?
Chapter 152

Eileen POV

"Melissa, can I ask you something?"

Melissa stopped arranging her books and looked at me with a confused expression.

"Why do you sound so serious?"

I swallowed and looked around the classroom. Most of the students had already left, leaving only a few of us behind.

"I just want to ask if I can trust you with something."

Her eyebrows rose immediately."Of course you can trust me."

I stared at her for a few seconds, wondering if I should actually say it.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

Melissa's mouth fell open."Nothing?"

I nodded."Forget I asked."

She dropped her pen on the table and folded her arms.

"Eileen, you cannot keep doing this to me."

I frowned."Doing what?"

"You always start with something serious, make me curious, then suddenly decide you don't want to talk about it."

I looked away."It's not like that."

"It is exactly like that." She leaned closer to me. "If it were the other way around and I asked you if you could keep a secret, you would already be forcing me to talk."

I sighed."I'm sorry."

"You should be."

I almost laughed at the offended expression on her face, but the smile disappeared almost immediately.

The truth was, I had been thinking about telling her since yesterday, but every time I tried, something stopped me.

Maybe I was scared.

Maybe I didn't want anyone else involved.

Or maybe I was simply afraid that saying everything out loud would make my suspicions feel real.

I finally turned toward her.

"It's about Emily."

Melissa's expression changed."Your stepmom?"

I nodded."What happened?"

"Nothing happened exactly. It's just the things she has been asking me."

Melissa tilted her head."Like what?"

I hesitated."She asked if I had a boyfriend."

Melissa's lips immediately curled into a smile."Okay?"

"She asked if I had kissed anyone."

Melissa's smile widened."And?"

I lowered my voice."She asked if I was still a virgin."

Melissa blinked. Then she burst into a small laugh.

"What's wrong with that?"

I stared at her."What's wrong with that?"

"Yes." She shrugged. "Maybe she's finally trying to be close to you. That's actually thoughtful of her."

I wanted to believe that.

I really did.

But something about Emily's sudden interest in my personal life didn't sit right with me.

"You think so?"

"Of course." Melissa smiled. "Maybe she finally wants to understand you better."

I shook my head slowly."Emily has never been like that."

Her smile faded."What do you mean?"

"She has never been nice to me for no reason. Not genuinely nice."

Melissa watched me carefully."So you think she has another reason?"

"I don't know."

"What kind of reason do you suppose?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

"I don't know, Melissa."

"Then what are you worried about?"

I lowered my gaze."That's the problem. I feel like there is something they aren't telling me."

"Who?"

"My father. Emily. Both of them." I stammered, feeling even more confused . 

Melissa remained quiet for a moment. "Did they do something?"

"They invited me on a family trip."

Her face brightened again."A trip?"

I nodded."I'm supposed to go with them."

"That sounds nice."

"I thought so too at first."

"What changed?"

I looked at her."They were too desperate for me to go."

Melissa frowned."Desperate?"

"They made it feel like I didn't really have a choice."

She leaned back in her chair."That's suspicious."

"Exactly."

For the first time, Melissa seemed to understand why I had been so uncomfortable.

"I don't know what they want from me," I admitted.

She reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

"Whatever it is, you don't have to deal with it alone."

I looked at her.

There was something comforting about hearing those words.

"I know you'd be angry if I didn't tell you everything."

"I am already slightly angry."

I laughed softly."But I don't want to drag you into something I don't fully understand."

Melissa rolled her eyes."You're still secretive."

"I know."

"Fine." She sighed dramatically. "I'll forgive you this time."

"So I'll be inviting you over for the trip," I said.

She twisted her lips and her had her shook. "You shouldn't invite me over," she said, crossing her thighs.

"Why?" My brows shot up.

"That's a family trip, more of like spending time with your family and getting to know each other deeply, like bonding," she said.

"But, I won't feel comfortable being alone in the trip except you're there with me," 

"You're Eileen, so you would survive." She winked.

In a lowered voice, I replied her. "Anna would be there. What if she brings her cliques?" I asked while eye batting her.

She smiled then her eyes narrowed. "I'll happily be your handbag during the trip if only your parent allow an outsider!" 

"Jesus! Melissa, who said you're an outsider?" I asked.

She flipped her shoulders, and her lips pouted. "No idea," she gave a soft chuckle and pushed herself up from the seat, heading towards the door. "We should leave, right?" 

I smiled, and nodded right after but my thoughts suddenly drifted somewhere else.

Ryan.

I hadn't seen him in days.

I didn't know why he was absent, and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that everything was fine, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"I miss Ryan," I suddenly whispered.

Melissa stared at me.

I swallowed."I really do."

She stopped in her track and pulled my cheeks like she would've done to her cat.

"Finally you're coming out of your shell!" She scoffed. "Ryan is a jerk and a jaguar," she laughed, "permit me to use that word," 

I laughed and so does she.

"So I'm sure he's doing pretty well out there,"

Gosh, I felt like brawling, my voice was shaking when I told Melissa, "but, he hasn't been in school for days,"

"At least you would have time to rest. You wouldn't have anyone to bother you again," 

I stopped at my pace, refusing to digest Melissa's wats of cheering me.

"I just want to know how he's feeling," 

"Sure!" Melissa swallowed a loud spit down her throat. "Permit me to quickly check on Professor Weichester, he asked me to see him after morning class. You could hang around, I’ll catch you later," she blew a kiss before leaving. 

I stared at Melissa until she disappeared around the corner, then slowly pulled out my phone. My fingers hovered over Ryan's name for a moment before I finally opened our chat.

I typed, Are you okay?

I stared at the message before sending it.

Nothing.

I waited for a few seconds, then sent another.

You've been absent for days. What's going on?

Still nothing.

I bit my lower lip, trying to convince myself that he was probably busy or simply didn't want to talk to me. But the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became.

Ryan could be annoying. He could be stubborn, arrogant and impossible to understand, but disappearing without saying anything wasn't like him.

I locked my phone and sighed.

Maybe I was overthinking.

I was about to put it inside my bag when footsteps suddenly came rushing toward me.

"Eileen!"

I turned around.

Melissa was running toward me, breathing heavily.

My heart immediately skipped.

"Melissa, what happened?"

She stopped in front of me, trying to catch her breath.

Her face looked pale.
"What is it?"

She swallowed hard and looked at me with trembling eyes.
"I just heard something about Ryan."

My stomach dropped."What about Ryan?"

Melissa swallowed hard, her chest still rising and falling from running.

"I don't even know how to tell you this."

"Just tell me." My voice came out shaky. "What happened to him?"

She looked around before lowering her voice."There's a rumor going around that Ryan was involved in a hit and run."

I stared at her."What?"

"They said he was driving with some of his friends and they were racing."

My heart began pounding."No."

"Eileen, I haven't confirmed it yet."

"No," I repeated, shaking my head. "Ryan wouldn't do that."

Melissa grabbed my hand.

"They said two little girls were crossing the road and he refused to stop because he didn't want his friend to win the race."

My entire body went cold."That's a lie."

"Eileen..."

"That's a fucking lie!" I snapped, pulling my hand away.

Everyone nearby turned toward us, but I didn't care.

Ryan could be reckless. He could be stubborn and sometimes unbelievably stupid, but he would never deliberately run over two children just to win a race.

Then something suddenly occurred to me.

"Where did you hear this?"

Melissa hesitated."Someone said the police are already involved."

My heart sank.

I stared at her, unable to breathe properly.

Police.

Suddenly, Ryan's absence didn't feel like him avoiding me anymore.

Something had happened to him and here,  I was thinking he was avoiding me.

Gosh! I must find out what happened to him! 

Hot tears streamed down my face and I don't even know why I was crying.
But, maybe if I see him. I can know what's happening to me at the moment.