Chapter 21

Riker POV

"Riker!"

"Rydel?"

"Yeah, come here," Rydel whispered.

I grabbed my glasses and followed Rydel into the hall.

"Is everything ok?" I asked nervously.

"Sort of. Alex is really upset about her grandfather. I asked her if she wanted to talk about it, and she didn't want to. She's been crying for almost an hour now. I think you should talk to her. She's closer to you," said Rydel.

"Ok. Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'll wait for you to finish talking to her. I'll be in your bed. I'm just so tired."

"Ok."

I walked down the hall towards Rydel's room. Alex was lying on her side in Rydel's bed, facing away from me. I slowly walked closer.

"Alex?"

I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing Alex's shoulder. Alex sat up and looked at me.

"Why are you here?" Alex asked.

"Rydel thought you needed someone to talk to," I said.

"Can you please just take me home?"

"Alex-"

"No. Please. Take me home. I just want to be alone right now."

"Alex, please. I don't think you should be home alone tonight. Not after what happened with the noises and stuff. Please talk to me," I said.

"Riker, I just want to go home. If you don't want to walk me, I'll walk myself."

Alex got up and started walking to the door. I got up and grabbed her arm.

"Alex! You can't leave! It's not safe! Please, talk to me! You talked to me the other night. Please."

"Riker, we can talk in the morning. I just want to go home."

Alex pulled away from my grip and started walking away. I chased after her, almost falling down the stairs in the dark. Alex was almost at the door when I caught up with her. I picked her up and swung her over my shoulder, and carried her back to Rydel's room.

"Riker! Put me down!" Alex whispered angrily.

I put Alex down on Rydel's bed. I closed Rydel's door and sat down against it so Alex couldn't leave.

"Riker, let me out."

"No. Not until you talk to me."

"Riker, this is kidnapping. I could call the police."

"How?"

"With my phone…?"

"You mean this phone? You dropped it when you came down the stairs," I said, holding up her phone.

"Riker, give me my phone."

"Why?"

"Riker."

"You can have your phone, if you talk."

"Fine, keep my phone. Just let me out!"

Alex came over to me.

"Move."

"I'm not moving."

"ELLINGTON! HELPPPP!"

I few seconds later, Ellington and Rocky were outside Rydel's door, trying to open it.

"Alex! Are you ok!?"

"Riker won't let me out!"

"RIKER MOVE!"

Ellington and Rocky slammed the door into my back as I stood up, making me fall hard to the ground on my stomach.

"AHHH!" I screamed from the ground.

"Riker! What did you think you were doing?" Asked Ellington.

I watched as Alex started to walk out of the room.

"Don't let her go!" I shouted, still on the ground.

Rocky grabbed Alex's hand.

"Let me go!" Alex shouted.

"Why can't she leave?" Asked Rocky.

"Rydel woke me up. She said Alex was crying about her grandfather because he had died a few days ago. She wouldn't talk to Rydel, so Rydel wanted me to talk to her. Alex didn't want to talk, and wanted to go home, but after those noises tonight, I wasn't sure it was safe, so I didn't want to let her," I said, slowly sitting up.

I could feel my stomach start bleeding. It felt like I had gotten rug burn from when the door slammed into me and I slid across the carpet. I was only wearing a T-shirt, and I knew it would start to show in a few minutes.

"Can I go now?" Asked Alex.

"Yeah, I'll walk you home," said Ellington.

I watched as they left. Rocky was glaring at me.

"We need to talk. Now," said Rocky.

"Ok, let me just go to the bathroom first," I said.

"No. We're going to talk first."

"Rocky-"

"Riker, that was unacceptable! I can't believe you would do something like that!"

I put my arm across my stomach. I could feel the blood starting to soak through. I needed to get out of here before he noticed.

"Rocky, you need to let me go. Please? I'll be right back," I said.

"Riker, you're stalling."

"Rocky, please. No funny business. I'll only be a minute," I pleaded.

"I'll let you go if you leave the door unlocked."

"Fine..."

I got up and quickly walked to the bathroom. I shut the door and saw my suitcase still in there from earlier. I opened it quietly and found a sweatshirt. I threw it on over my shirt.

"Hurry up, Riker."

"Almost done," I called.

I flushed the toilet so Rocky wouldn't be suspicious, and walked out.

"Took you long enough. Why are you wearing a sweatshirt?"

"Because I'm cold...? Can we just go to bed? We can talk about this in the morning."

"Riker-"

"Rocky, please."

Rocky sighed.

"Fine..."

Ellington POV

I walked Alex back to her house. She was clearly upset.

"Alex, are you going to be ok?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just needed to get away. I needed to be home," said Alex.

"Would you mind telling me what happened with you and Riker?"

"I don't know what happened exactly. He was acting so weird. He took my phone and wouldn't let me out of the room. He wanted me to talk to him, but it was my business and I didn't want to talk about it, you know…?"

"Well, it's a good thing you called for me. I seriously don't know what Riker was thinking. When I get back, if Rocky hasn't killed him yet, I will."

Alex gave me a half smile. I realized why Riker liked her so much. She had an amazing personality, and she was so beautiful… I was snapped back into reality when Alex spoke.

"Ellington, are you ok?"

"Yeah, just tired."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"No, it's fine. Is there anything else you want to talk about before I leave, or anything you need?"

"No, but thanks for walking me over. Oh, actually, do you think you could get my phone? I think Riker still has it. I need to know if my parents call me about my grandfather," said Alex, crying again.

"Sure. I'll be right back," I said as I walked out the door.

Riker POV

I heard Ellington come back, and he was angry. He came stomping up the stairs. I laid still pretending to be asleep. Ellington threw the door open and yanked the blankets off of me.

"Give me Alex's phone. Now," he demanded.

I held out her phone to him.

"Come here," Ellington said angrily.

Ellington grabbed my arm, yanking me out of bed and through the door. He pulled me down the stairs quickly, making it hard not to fall.

"What is wrong with you!?" Ellington said.

"I-"

"Riker! You can't do that! You can't lock her in a room with you and take her phone!"

"Ellington-"

"Riker, she's furious! You'd be lucky if she ever spoke to you again! She's upset enough already with her grandfather and her parents. She doesn't need you making her life even harder right now!"

"Ellington-"

"Go to bed, Riker."

Ellington marched out the front door to give Alex's phone back. I stayed on the couch where Ellington threw me. I was too tired, and my stomach hurt too much to move, so I slept downstairs in the same spot Alex and I had watched the movie in earlier.

Alex POV

Ellington came back over and gave me my phone. I was sitting on the front steps of my house. He sat down next to me.

"I know I already asked you, but are you positive you're going to be ok?" Ellington asked.

"Yeah."

I looked over and Ellington was staring at me. He had a strange expression on his face.

All of a sudden, he leaned in, and kissed me.