"Spiraling Out of Control"

I excused myself from the conversation with Cohen and Ryan, feeling a little overwhelmed by the tension between them. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew I needed some space. I made my way over to where Marissa and Summer were laughing and chatting, and I grabbed Marissa's arm. "Hey, let's get some drinks," I slurred, already feeling the effects of the few beers I had earlier. Marissa's eyes lit up, and she grinned. "Party time!" she shouted, as we stumbled over to the bar. Summer followed close behind, and we spent the next few hours drinking and laughing, our inhibitions slowly disappearing. I lost track of time, but I knew I was getting plastered. The music was loud, and the lights were flashing, but all I could think about was having fun. At some point, I decided I needed to go to the bathroom. I stumbled out of the crowded room, looking for the bathroom. As I walked down the dark hallway, I felt a hand on my arm. I turned to see a guy about my age, with a sleazy grin on his face. "Hey, you're pretty cute," he slurred. My body tensed, and I tried to pull away, but he grabbed me, his grip tightening. I tried to shout for help, but my words came out as random mumbles. He pulled me into a dark corner, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me. Just as I thought things were going to get worse, I heard a loud shout, and the guy let go of me. I stumbled backward, my eyes focusing on Ryan's angry face as he punched the guy in the jaw. The guy crumpled to the ground, and Ryan turned to me, his eyes filled with concern. "Hey, it's okay," he said, as he picked me up in his arms. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and I buried my face in his chest. I was too drunk to do anything but mumble incoherently. Marissa and Summer appeared at my side, looking confused. "Um, what's going on?" Marissa asked, her eyes flicking between Ryan and me. Ryan just gave them a thumbs-up, and they exchanged a worried glance. "We'll talk about it later," Marissa said, as they followed Ryan out of the hallway. As we walked back into the party, I saw Seth standing by the bar, a look of concern on his face. Ryan strode over to him, me still in his arms. "Seth, we need to talk," he said, his voice low and urgent. Seth's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to us. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice tight with tension. Ryan filled him in on what had happened, his words spilling out in a rush. Seth's face went white, and his eyes flashed with anger. "I'll kill him," he muttered, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for the guy who had assaulted me. Ryan held me tighter, his arms wrapping around me like a shield. "It's okay," he said, his voice soothing. "I've got her. She's safe." Seth's eyes flicked to me, and he took a step closer. "We'll get her home," he said, his voice firm. "And then we're going to deal with this." As Seth's words washed over me, I felt a wave of gratitude toward Ryan. He had saved me, and I knew I would never forget it. But as I looked up at Seth's angry face, I knew that this was far from over.