It doesn’t take long to get to Becca’s (I guess mine now again, too) place, and soon I’m pulling up to park in front of the building. Becca is already waiting there for me when I get out of the car.
“I’ll help you bring your stuff up.” she says. “I’ve already brought up the boxes from my car.” She comes over and gives me another huge hug. “And I have lots and lots of liquor in the apartment. We’re getting absolutely drunk off our asses after, no exceptions.”
I laugh at her through my remaining tears. “I could use a few drinks. Or maybe a dozen.”
“Done! Now let’s get this shit inside and start drinking. I have already warned the neighbours that it’s going to get loud, so I’ll even let you pick the music. We can scream along all night if we want.”
She’s lying, of course. One great thing about these apartments is they have excellent sound proofing. She wouldn’t have needed to warn the neighbours because they won’t be able to hear us, anyway. It’s still a nice of her. As is her allowing me to move back in. Again.
While we bring my stuff, I think about Connor. I need to get drunk immediately. It won’t make me forget, but drowning my sorrows just seems like the thing to do. I can’t believe I let myself fall for him again. I knew better than to trust him. Fucking men.
Chapter 49
Connor - Such a Fuck Up
“Dude, wake up. Connor. CONNOR.” Someone is yelling at me, and I can hear crying in the background. And sirens. What the fuck? Where am I?
“CONNOR,” a different person is yelling at me now. “What the fuck were you thinking? Alex left. She packed up all her shit and moved back in with Becca. How could you do this to her?”
WHAT? Alex left? Why? What the hell is going on? I’m trying to open my eyes, but they don’t really want to cooperate. I’m so fucking tired. I’m trying to sit up, but my arms don’t want to do what I’m telling them to. And why am I laying down, anyway? And who the fuck is that crying?
“Shut up, Ryder.” I recognize Devon’s voice now, so it was Ryder who was yelling about Alex. “Go to the front door and wait for the cops and paramedics.”
It’s then that I feel the all too familiar roiling in my stomach, that sloshy feeling, and then the saliva is pooling in the back of my mouth, warning me of the puke that is already on its way up.
“Fffrowww ummmm,” I mumble, unintelligibly, but it’s already too late. I’m throwing up while laying down, and I feel it running down my face, into the folds of my neck and into my ears.
“Oh shit, you’re ok Connor. You’re going to be fine.” I hear Devon whispering to me as he turns me on my side. “What the fuck did you take?” He’s not really asking me this question, he’s just talking out loud to keep us both calm.
“You need to let me go.” A female voice, from the side of the room somewhere. “You can’t keep me here like this. We’re in love. That’s not a crime.”
Devon is moving something around on this side of the bed, which I’m thinking must be my bed, if Devon and Ryder are both here. I crack my eyes a little and see that he has a bucket beside me on the floor, lined up where my face hangs over the side of the bed.
“You shut up,” he tells the woman. “He’s not in love with you. He doesn’t even know who you are. You may have wanted to sleep with him, but it was plainly obvious that he didn’t want to sleep with you. Never mind that he is completely out of it and in no position to be having sex, anyway. He can’t even talk, for fuck’s sake.”
“You still can’t tie me up like this. That’s against the law.” Huh? Devon has a woman tied up in my room. What the hell is going on? I was on a date with Alex. What was it that Ryder was saying about Alex. She moved out? That doesn’t make any sense either.
“I’m Connor’s personal security,” Devon explains. “I am detaining you until the police arrive, and that’s it. They will handle everything from there. So just relax, they’ll be here any minute. They’ll get your face looked after too, you’re going to need some stitches.”
It’s then that I hear Ryder coming back into the room with the sound of footsteps following him. Devon explains to someone who the girl is, and I hear other voices coming over to talk to me.
“Hi Connor, I’m Patrick. I’m going to help you, ok?” Must be a paramedic. I’m in terrible shape if Devon called emergency services. “Can you tell me what you took tonight?”
“Uffinnn, dooot nuffi.” Shit, that sounds nothing like what I’m trying to say. “Nnnnnooooo duuugggss.” That’s better, I think.
“Ok, you took nothing? No Drugs?”
“He was on a date at a restaurant, and then they came to meet us at Rough Mix. His date said he was ordering a drink and joining us at the table, but he didn’t show up. He’s never really been one for drugs, and I don’t think he’d just start right now.” Ryder is trying to help explain to the paramedic.
“Hey officer,” Patrick calls out. “Can you ask his date what he took? Or how much he had to drink?”
“Oh no, that’s not his date.” Devon speaks up now. “But I have seen her around a few times. She showed up half naked, hiding in a bathroom after the show last week, and then we saw her at the diner yesterday, too. Remember Ryder?”
“Shit, yeah, now I do.” He sounds excited about something. “Actually, I think I saw her at Rough Mix a few times this week, too. She could have been there tonight even, but I’m not sure about that.”
My stomach gets sloshy again, and before I can say anything, I’m puking over the side of the bed. My eyelids are so heavy that I stop fighting to open them and I just let them stay closed. Around me I can hear too many voices, and no one is saying anything that makes sense. The only thing I can think about is Alex. I wonder why she’s not here.
* * *
