Page 55 of Disorderly

“Drink fast, because we’re going dancing.” Kailee didn’t even give me a chance to break the seal on the bottle before she hauled me out onto the dance floor. And despite the open doors and the fans, I was soon sweating so when Mason handed me the full glass, I guzzled it down, completely forgetting about my water.

We danced for what felt like hours or at least enough time for me to have a third glass of the punch while on the dance floor. Yet for as fast as I was drinking the punch, Mason downed two or three beers for each one of my drinks. And the longer we danced, I noticed how he didn’t rebuff Kailee’s advances like he usually did.

The room began to swim, and I needed air. I pushed away from them, mouthing that I was headed to the bathroom, not that they did more than the slightest of head nods in acknowledgement. I leaned against the wall as the line moved slowly into the handful of washrooms they’d added, needing the help to stand.Wow. That punch sure packed a punch.I snickered at my thoughts, reinforcing that I wasn’t acting with all my functioning brain cells.

“What’s so funny?” Fingers trailed down my arm with the lightest of touches, raising goosebumps.

“The punch punched.” I snickered again as I slid along the wall, keeping close to the person I stood behind in the line.

The owner of the fingers and voice chuckled. “Yeah, it does. Just how many glasses did you have?”

I held up three fingers, then changed it to four and then five, not completely sure how many I’d had any more.

“You’re Mason’s friend, Katy, right? Came with him?” I nodded. “Have you had any water?” When I shook my head no, he told me that he’d go grab me one while I used the bathroom, and that he’d meet me right back here. A plan that suited me fine since the need to use the bathroom had become a pressing issue. Thankfully two doors opened, meaning I didn’t have to wait any longer. I stumbled into the bathroom, giving the person—who I suspected was a male from the deepness of the voice—a wave.

By the time I finished, my head wasn’t any clearer, but I’d developed a new symptom. My heart raced and I felt the soft stirrings of panic. Things I hadn’t felt in months. I left the bathroom and stumbled back towards the dance floor. I needed to find Mason. I needed him to take me home.

“Where are you going, Katy? I’ve got your water for you.” A bottle of water was shoved in front of my face, making me jump. My heart acted as if I’d just received an electric shock, bouncing around inside me as my gaze darted around, searching for Mason.

I brushed the bottle aside. One thing I could remember was the caution to never take a drink from a stranger and right now, everyone around me was a stranger. “Mason. I need Mason.”

Hands grabbed my arms, holding me in place. “Let’s get you upstairs to bed, drinking your water.”

“No. I need Mason.”

The hands turned me back until I was looking at a blurry face that towered over me. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but I think that Mason is upstairs with Kailee.”

“Oh.” That I understood even in my drunken, paranoid state. Mason, because I wasn’t in love with him, took my friend upstairs to fuck, leaving me alone. And drunk. With all these guys. Everywhere I looked, people were hooking up. Kissing, cuddling, feeling each other up, it was all I could see. All I could feel. Hands on my body. Hands I didn’t invite.

I broke free of the person’s hold and raced—well, weaved and stumbled—around people while I dug through my pockets for my phone. If Mason was going to leave me, hooking up with Kailee, then I needed to get out of here. I wasn’t safe.

My fingers fumbled with the screen, but then I hit Peter’s name. He’d come to rescue me.

But it rang. And rang. And rang. When his voice mail came on, I mumbled out a plea for help before hanging up and pressing Jarrod’s number. The same thing happened. No answer.

I collapsed onto the ground. Tears poured down my face as my body shook.

“Are you okay, Katy?” that voice that wouldn’t leave me alone asked as their hands brushed over my head.

I jerked away. “No. Please leave me alone. Please don’t touch me. I need to go.”

The hands released me. “Then keep calling who you are, but I’m going to wait over here, watching out for you.”

I nodded and some of the panic left when I heard his footsteps in the gravel, moving away from me. Yet as I continued to get nothing but ringing and no answers, I lost hope.

So I did the one thing I knew wouldn’t fail me. I pressed another button and this time when the phone was answered, I whispered, “Help me, Jason. Please.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Katy

My phone rang,shattering the stillness that surrounded me. Not that the music from inside had quieted at all, but it had become a background sound, one that I didn’t even notice. “H-hello?”

“Oh god, Katy. I’m so glad to hear your voice. We’re on our way. I’m so sorry we missed your calls.”

I sniffled. The adrenalin had burned through my system, leaving me exhausted, making it almost difficult to form words. “It’sokay.”

“No, it’s not. We should have been there when you needed us.” I heard some mumbling over the line and then Peter’s voice came back on. “Jarrod wants to know where Mason is. We thought he was looking out for you tonight.”

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