My Best Friend's Sister

Chapter 15

4 weeks later

Eldon's POV

It was thanksgiving weekend, aka the worst weekend of the entire year. Every year, mom and dad were away on business during thanksgiving, meaning we already wouldn't be having a family dinner. Riley and Emily always used this to their advantage, and would convince the girls on A troupe to go up to our family cottage for the weekend to hang out, seeing as this was one of the few breaks we got from dance. That would always leave me alone. I'd usually end up going to James's for thanksgiving as his parents would invite me out of sympathy, however this year that wasn't going to happen. I still hadn't fully forgiven him for fucking my sister behind my back. That wasn't the only difference about thanksgiving this year though. Riley had also opted to stay home instead of going to the cottage with the rest of the girls. Nathan had invited her to his family dinner and she'd decided to go. I have to be honest, I wasn't complaining. It was nice to have someone in the house with me during the holiday weekend, and I really like Nathan. He treats her well and he's easy to get along with. I also did threaten him if he touched her in any way that wouldn't be considered PG, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear him tell me he believed in waiting until marriage. He didn't hold the threat against me either, he said he knew I was just being protective of her, and it was a good quality for an older brother to have. He is literally the perfect guy for my sister. I knew telling James to back off would work out well. It was the right thing to do. "Have you talked to any of the girls since they left?" Hunter asked me as we headed to studio A. Rehearsals were cancelled over thanksgiving weekend, but Miss Kate was here almost everyday with the door open for anyone who wanted extra practice. Us guys decided we could practice some tricks and flips since the studio would be empty.
"No. But that's not uncommon. They get up there and pretend their phones don't work so they don't have to deal with us." I laughed. West and James chuckled slightly as well, but Hunter didn't look as impressed. As we turned the corner to the hallway towards studio A, there was a loud shattering noise, followed by a thud. "You slut!" I heard a male voice yell. We quickly glanced at each other, before running down the hallway to see the cause of the noise. What we found was absolutely shocking. I stood frozen in disbelief as I stared at the sight in front of me. The mirror was shattered, bloody glass laying on the floor. In the middle of the mess Riley lay unconscious and bleeding. Nathan, her supposedly perfect boyfriend, stood beside her, kicking her in the stomach, muttering words along the line of 'slut' and 'whore' as he did so. I couldn't react. I didn't know how to. Deep down, I found myself realizing that this was all my fault.

Hunter's POV

"YOU BASTARD!" James exclaimed furiously. He ran, pushing Nathan off of Riley and to the floor, where he proceeded to beat him, while continuing to yell at him. West and I rushed to Riley's side, examining her wounds. Her arms were scratched up and bruised. She had a cut on her forehead that was bleeding a fair amount. There also appeared to be glass stuck in it. Her eyes were opening slightly, and I knew she was regaining consciousness.
"Let's sit her up gently. We don't want to cause anymore injury." I said. West nodded, and we both carefully lifted her to a seated position, supporting her back. As we shifted her, I saw blood pool between her legs. I glanced at West, feeling panicked. It could be internal trauma. This could be more serious than we'd first anticipated.
"Get out of here! You're not worth it!" I heard James say, causing me to turn my attention to him. He was standing now, watching Nathan, bruised and bloodied, scurry out of the studio as fast as possible. James, looking furious, then turned to Eldon, who was still frozen in place. "I knew he was no good! This is your fault!" James exclaimed. He took a moment to compose himself, glancing over at Riley, who was just reaching consciousness, before starting to walk out of the studio. "I'm pulling up my car." He stated as he left. I heard Riley groan, which brought all of our attention back to her. She cringed in pain, reaching her hand up to her forehead. She pulled her hand away and opened her eyes to see the blood on her fingers. She looked up to me and West, confusion on her face.
"You're gonna be okay." I reassured her, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'll carry her to the car." I told West, who nodded in agreement as I took Riley in my arms. We headed down to James's car, Eldon following behind, still in utter disbelief.