Third person Pov:
Ryder had retreated to one of his father's apartments, desperately trying to erase the ugly look on Bella's face from his memory. She had been the one who understood his pain, and the moments he shared with her made it all seem to vanish, but now she was gone. The hurt was immeasurable, and he wanted it to stop. When he couldn't stop thinking about the pain, he jerked up from bed and grabbed his keys.
He made his way to the elevator, and as soon as it slid open, he got in, resting his back against the wall. The moment it came to a halt, he walked out as fast as he could, got into his car, and zoomed off.
It was nighttime, and he was supposed to be asleep like any other teenager, but he was roaming the streets of the Frost Pack, seeking something to calm his mind. The cool evening air offered no solace, so he stepped on the gas, speeding down the highway until he spotted a house with neon lights.
Abruptly, he stopped his car at a T-junction, turning left towards the lights. In no time, he reached the destination, where cars were parked around the street.
Highschool teenagers and college students littered the area.
With each turn, he saw people making out in cars, smoking, or drinking. Everyone was having fun, which brought a smile to his face.
He had hit the jackpot.
Ryder parked his car and got out, heading for the main entrance. He paid no attention to the people trying to devour each other's faces. As he stepped inside, the smell of weed and alcohol hit him, and he smirked, walking down a short hallway until he found the living room, filled with more people and exactly what he was looking for.
He walked up to a table with red cups and assorted drinks, grabbed a bottle of wine
and a cup, and then tossed the cup away after a short contemplation. He made his way
to a corner, hurriedly opening the bottle, bringing it to his mouth. The burning sensation felt good, and he didn't stop until he heard a voice beside him.
"Seems like we have got the same problem."
He looked to his left and saw a guy leaning against a pillar. The guy had one leg propped up on the pillar, his arms crossed, and a cigar in his hand. He took a puff, then looked up at Ryder, who had stopped drinking. The guy's red eyes were a good sign for Ryder, so he listened.
"You're looking for something to make you feel good. You should try this, bro," the guy said, tossing him a roll of weed and a lighter.
Ryder lit the wrap and tossed the lighter back to the guy. He leaned back against the wall, bringing the wrap to his mouth, inhaling slowly, and then exhaling.
"Excellent stuff," he said to the guy, who chuckled darkly before leaving the corner.
Ryder stayed there quietly until he had finished smoking the entire stick. His head felt full, and he felt ready to take on the world. He walked out of the corner, almost staggering, and bumped into a hot blonde with the smoothest body he had ever seen. "Are you blind or-"
Fae couldn't finish her sentence when she saw Ryder. Her mouth remained open for a split second, and she fluttered her eyes, wondering what had happened to him. He looked terrible, and his once full, black, sexy hair was unkempt. It was clear a comb hadn't touched it in days.
A frown formed on Ryder's face when he saw Fae. He was high as hell, but he could recognize the devil when he saw one. Fae, on the other hand, thought to use the opportunity to her advantage. She could help him and maybe rekindle an old flame.
"You do not look too good," she said, placing a hand on his cheek. "Let's get a seat. I've been looking for you everywhere in school, and I haven't seen you for a week. Is this about Bella?"
Ryder, knowing how scheming Fae could be, decided to play along. He let her grab his hand and lead him to an empty couch. She then went to the table flooded with drinks to get some water. She opened the bottle and bent in front of him, revealing her cleavage from her skimpy strapless top. Her goal was to have him tonight, to rub it in Bella's face and get the diaries out of her hair.
Ryder watched as he gulped down the water she put in his mouth, then he grabbed her hand, tossing the bottle away. He held her waist with both hands and pulled her onto the couch.
He got on top of her, staring down at her from her lips to her cleavage, then ran his hands along her thighs, causing her to bite her lip. He inched closer to her face, and Fae closed her eyes, puckering her lips. Then he drifted to her neck, trailing kisses up it while Fae's body tingled.
He kissed up to her right ear, then he whispered, "Never in your life touch me, you manipulative lying bitch."
Then he pulled himself away from her, getting on his feet while Fae sat up,
embarrassed, staring at his figure until he was out of sight.
Ryder was on his way to his car when he heard a random guy speak. "We met with these cool girls from Howlstone, and we had a great time."
He paused in his tracks.
"Yeah, I even bagged a girl, Rebby. Her boyfriend messed around with this popular girl, Fae, and she needed a dick to cry on, so I was there for her," another guy said, and the entire group erupted in laughter as they slapped the guy's chest playfully, congratulating him.
Ryder felt sick to his stomach because these were seniors in college, and they were messing with his agemates, but it wasn't his business. They were seventeen, and they consented to it.
He was about to leave when Brad spoke. "Too bad for me. I would have gotten this pretty one, Bella."
Ryder paused again, hoping it wasn't his Bella.
"But Rebby said she was dating the alpha prince. That dude must be lousy for her to have been at a party like that because, I mean, I would never fumble someone like that. Her ass was..."
Before Brad could finish, Ryder sent a punch to his jaw. How could he speak about Bella that way? She was only sixteen, and these guys were probably twenty. He was only a year older than Bella, but he didn't care if they would beat him to a pulp; he had to protect her name.
"Never speak of my girlfriend like that!" he growled, and the other guys in the circle faced him while Brad staggered with his hands on his jaw.
"And you are supposed to be?"
"The alpha prince," Ryder replied with one leg behind and his hands fisted, ready for a fight.
"Well, guess what? Your daddy isn't here to save your ass!" the guy growled, and they jumped him at once, pushing him around from all corners before he could throw a punch.
Ryder took the rough beating honorably, knowing he couldn't say anything about it to his father because he would be under house arrest even if they would get what they deserved.
He wasn't ready to be caged, because the question would be what he was doing at a college party past bedtime.
The last thing he saw was Fae's face through his bloodied eyes before he passed out.