Chapter 31
1094 Words
Molly had been laughing just seconds ago.
The music wrapped around her like a pulse—loud, heavy, almost intoxicating. The guy she was dancing with had his hands just respectful enough to not annoy her, just confident enough to keep her entertained. He spun her once, and she let out a quick laugh, her yellow dress catching the light as it moved.
For a moment, she let herself enjoy it.
No drama.
No stress.
Just the party.
But then—
It hit her.
Not a thought at first. More like a feeling.
A small, quiet tug at the back of her mind.
Something wasn’t right.
Her smile faded slightly as her eyes instinctively moved across the crowd.
Bella.
Where was Bella?
Molly slowed her movements, her attention no longer on the guy in front of her. She glanced over his shoulder, scanning the dance floor, then the edges of the room.
Nothing.
She stepped back slightly, her brows pulling together.
“Hey,” the guy said, leaning closer, trying to pull her back in. “You good?”
“Yeah—yeah, I’m fine,” Molly replied quickly, though her tone lacked its earlier excitement. “I just… I need a drink.”
It was an excuse.
A weak one.
But she didn’t care.
She slipped out of his hold before he could say anything else and moved through the crowd, her heels clicking quickly against the floor. The music still pounded around her, but now it felt… different.
Too loud.
Too chaotic.
Her eyes moved faster now, scanning every corner she passed.
The table.
Empty.
The couches.
No sign of her.
The hallway leading out.
Nothing.
“Bella?” she called once, but her voice barely carried over the music.
Her chest tightened slightly.
She should’ve been here.
Bella wasn’t the type to just disappear—not without saying something, not without texting, not without anything.
Molly stopped for a second, turning in a slow circle as her eyes searched again.
That uneasy feeling in her stomach grew.
Then she saw them.
Britany.
And Ethan.
Right where she had last noticed them.
Except now, it was worse.
They were pressed close together, completely absorbed in each other, like the rest of the party didn’t exist. Britany’s hands were wrapped around his neck again, and Ethan—this time—wasn’t exactly pulling away either.
Molly exhaled sharply through her nose.
“Of course,” she muttered.
She pushed her way toward them, her expression already tightening with irritation. People brushed against her shoulders as she moved, but she didn’t slow down.
“Britany.”
Her tone cut through just enough to make Britany pull back slightly, clearly annoyed at the interruption.
“What?” Britany said, her voice carrying a hint of impatience.
Molly didn’t waste time.
“Where’s Bella?”
Britany blinked once, like the question caught her off guard. “I don’t know. She was with you.”
Molly’s frown deepened. “No, she left the table earlier. I thought she came back to you.”
Britany shrugged lightly, already losing interest. “Then she’s somewhere around here.”
Before Molly could respond, Ethan let out a low scoff beside them.
It wasn’t loud.
But it was enough.
“Why are you stressing?” he said lazily, lifting his drink to his lips. “She’s not a child.”
Molly’s head snapped toward him instantly.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Ethan didn’t even flinch.
If anything, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, like he found her reaction amusing.
“Relax,” he added, his tone casual, dismissive. “Girls like her don’t just disappear. She’s probably somewhere trying to get attention.”
The words hit wrong.
Completely wrong.
Molly felt irritation spike in her chest, sharp and immediate.
“Excuse me?” she said, stepping a little closer, her voice tightening.
Ethan shrugged again, like it didn’t matter. “You heard me.”
Molly stared at him, disbelief flickering across her face.
“That’s not how she is,” she said firmly.
Ethan let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “You sure about that? Because from what I’ve seen, she’s pretty good at putting herself in situations.”
Something in Molly snapped.
She took another step closer, her voice dropping, sharper now. “Watch how you talk about her.”
For a brief second, their eyes locked.
Ethan’s expression didn’t change much—but there was something there. A flicker. Something unreadable.
Then it was gone.
Replaced with that same lazy indifference.
“What?” he said lightly. “You going to defend her honor now?”
Britany sighed loudly, clearly irritated by the shift in energy. “Oh my God, Molly, can you not start something right now? It’s a party.”
Molly ignored her.
Her focus stayed on Ethan.
“No,” she said, her tone steady but firm. “I’m saying you don’t know anything about her, so keep her name out of your mouth.”
Ethan tilted his head slightly, studying her for a second.
Then he looked away.
Like she wasn’t worth the effort.
“You’re overreacting,” he said. “It’s a party, not a daycare.”
That did it.
Molly clenched her jaw, anger and worry mixing uncomfortably in her chest.
“You know what?” she said, shaking her head. “If you’re not going to help, then just shut up.”
For a split second, the air between them shifted.
Ethan’s gaze flicked back to her, sharper this time.
But just as quickly, he looked away again, like the moment didn’t matter.
Like none of this mattered.
Molly exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair as frustration built.
Britany had already turned her attention back to Ethan, clearly done with the conversation.
Molly stood there for one more second, scanning their faces, hoping—just hoping—someone would take this seriously.
No one did.
Her stomach dropped.
Something was wrong.
And she was the only one who seemed to feel it.
Without another word, Molly turned and pushed back into the crowd.
This time, she wasn’t looking casually.
She was searching.
Really searching.
Her eyes moved quickly from face to face, her heart beating faster with every second that passed without finding Bella.
The music still blasted.
People still laughed.
The party was still alive.
But for Molly—
It no longer felt like a party.
It felt like something was missing.
And the longer Bella stayed gone…
The worse that feeling became.
- Writer
