“So help me, Clay, if you say another word I’m gonna get up and rearrange your face. Now’s not the time.” I continued to hold Russ on his side. “Besides, he said he didn’t take anything.”
Clay snorted. “You would believe him. You’re as stupid as he is.”
I lifted my head, anger suffusing through me. “That’s a little like the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”
His eyes narrowed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Well, then let me refresh your memory before you continue on with your high and mighty rant. I’ve had my eye on you, Clay. I know what you’ve been up to, and if anyone in this room qualifies as stupid, it’s you.”
Russ made a loud, gurgling sound, and I quickly checked him, turning his head some more as a bit of fluid rushed from his mouth.
Clay cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I’m going to go keep the hallway clear. There are still shows letting out.”
“Fine, you do that,” I replied. “But before you go, you might want to know that I saw you that night—under Cami’s window.”
Clay’s eyes widened, and I saw a touch of fear pulse through them.
“That’s right. Who’s the sicko now?”
“Did you tell her?” he choked out, not denying anything.
“Hell no. The last thing she needs to hear is that her beloved BFF is sexually fanaticizing about her while he watches outside her window. You’re a pervert.” Fury surged through me as I remembered following him that night.
“What’re you going to do?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but you can bet your ass I won’t ever be leaving you alone with Cami. She’s my girlfriend, Clay. Back off. So help me if you ever try to touch her, you’re dead meat—but now isn’t the time for this conversation. You and I can chat later.”
Clay swallowed hard, his eyes darting around quickly before he turned to leave without a word.
My heart was racing, and I tried to calm my adrenaline, refocusing on the situation at hand.
I was alone with Russ now. “I don’t know if you can hear me, Russ, but keep hanging in there okay? Help is on the way. Just a little longer—you can do it.”
Mandy came running back into the room. “Where do you want these?”
“On his head and neck, and maybe in his armpits too, if you’ve got enough. Just be careful to keep things away from his mouth so he can breathe.”
She quickly did as I asked, and I was grateful when the soft wail of sirens filled the air.
Soon, Cami returned followed by a policeman and two firemen.
“What happened?” the policeman asked as the firemen quickly opened a bag and began hooking Russ up to some equipment.
“He was fine, and then he suddenly complained of being sick. He just slumped over.”
“Do you know if he took something,” he asked.
“He said he hadn’t.”
“Does he have a history of drug use?”
I shrugged. “I only know of him smoking some pot before.”
The officer gestured for me to follow him. “Let’s step to the side and let these guys do their job. The ambulance will be here shortly.”
“His name is Russ Weston,” I said to the fireman next to me. “He turned eighteen on the seventh of this month.”
“Thanks,” he said, never pausing. “Don’t worry, we’ll give him the best care possible.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cami-
I laid my head against the table in the break room. I was so tired I truly believed I could fall asleep right here. I didn’t know how many more questions Hunter and I could answer.
We’d been questioned by the police and theater management, explaining every detail of our night and what we were doing with Russ. We’d even had lights shined in our eyes as our pupils were checked to see if it appeared we were on anything. I felt like a filthy criminal, and I was completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Hunter had been brutally honest too, telling everyone exactly what we’d been doing out back. I wasn’t sure if either of us had a job anymore.
Clay, Mandy, and Shane had been released to go home after the cops questioned them. Hunter and I were the lucky ones to stay behind, since we were the people “involved.” The only plus side was the others had finished doing our jobs for us, so we didn’t have to stay and clean.
“Can we go now?” Hunter asked, his irritation at being detained evident. “I’d like to get over to the hospital to check on my friend.”
“Yes, you may leave. We’ll let you know if we need anything else. Thanks for your help.” The officer closed his notebook.
“Can I call you later about our jobs?” He glanced between Jon and Jen.
“You still have your jobs. You were technically off the clock when you were outside,” Jen said. “Go home and get some rest. We can discuss it later if needed.”
Jon didn’t say anything, but there was a worried frown on his face and his brow was wrinkled together.
“Thank you,” Hunter replied before turning to me. “Come on, Cami. Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. I followed after him without speaking as he made his way down the hall toward the back exit. My nerves were shot. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to hold it together.
When we reached the car, Hunter opened the passenger side door, and I slipped inside without a word of thanks. He didn’t seem to notice, closing the door and going to his side and getting in.
“You okay?” he asked gently, placing his hand on my knee.
I saw the concern in his eyes. That was the last straw. I started bawling, unable to keep the sobs back as I buried my face in my hands.
“He looked exactly like Jordan did.”
Hunter leaned over, holding me against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, honey . . . so sorry you had to see that again.”
“Do you think it was drugs?” I asked, slightly hiccupping with my tears.
“I hope not, but it looks like it.” He kissed the top of my head.
“You have to stop, Hunter! You can’t ever use again. I know I said I’d try to understand, but I can’t. Don’t you see? It could’ve been you lying there! That would’ve killed me! Killed me! Please, please, stop before you get hurt.” I knew I was hysterical, but I had to make him realize somehow.
“I will, Cami. I’ll do anything to make you feel better—anything to stop you from crying. You’re breaking my heart.” He squeezed me tighter.
“Don’t say it to appease me, Hunter. I mean it. No more drugs or . . . or . . . we are through. I can’t handle knowing you’re treating your life so carelessly. That could be you . . . it could be you.” I couldn’t stop the tears; they were flowing faster than I could wipe them away. I’d never been so scared for someone before. I loved him—but I was angry—with him, with Russ, with Jordan, all of them. Couldn’t they understand how they were hurting the people who loved them?
He lifted my chin, and I looked him straight in the eye, wanting him to see all the hurt there.
“I’m serious,” he said, never breaking his gaze away. “You have my word. I won’t use again. You win.”
“Why? Why now? Why not when I asked you earlier?” I knew I was pushing, but I didn’t care. I wanted some answers. He’d always been so stubborn before.
“That was . . . a . . . scary thing,” he replied slowly, carefully, as if he were deliberately choosing his words. “But I also don’t like seeing you this way, either. I know it brings up painful memories for you.”
I pulled away and glanced through the window, trying to calm myself down. “I still have nightmares about that night, you know . . . with Jordan. Sometimes I’m afraid to fall asleep.”
“I didn’t know. I’m so sorry, Cami—for everything.”
I wiped my eyes as silence hung in the car between us. “Let’s go check on Russ,” I said.
“Are you sure you’re up for it? I’m more than happy to drop you by your house
on the way there.” He ran his hand down my arm, and squeezed my hand.
“No. He’s your friend. I want to be with you when you go.”
He stared as if he were measuring my capability of handling it.
“Really. I want to go—if you want me there.”
“I always want you with me. You should know that by now.” He smiled and lifted his hand to wipe one of my tears away.
I gave a choked laugh. “I love you.”
He smiled softly, his eyes roaming over my face. “I love hearing you say that. I love you too.”
The emergency room waiting area was blessedly empty. We were told Russ’s parents had arrived shortly after he did and were with him while he was being worked on. A nurse had come and said only one of us could go back. I told Hunter to go, I’d wait here for him. He’d been gone for a while now, giving my mind plenty of time to wander freely, covering many topics from drugs, to Clay, back to Hunter, our relationship, and even death.
Death. It was one thing I’d never deluded myself over. I wasn’t like those teens who thought they were invincible. I’d had enough close friends and relatives die to know life was both fleeting and precious—not to be wasted. I was determined to live mine the best I knew how, and I’d made the personal choice to avoid certain things—one was drugs and drinking alcohol, the other was sex.
A friend of mine was killed in a drunk driving accident with her father a few years ago, and an uncle of mine—who had been very sexually active in his youth—was diagnosed with AIDS. I knew my decisions were a little fear based, but my opinion was better safe than sorry. I didn’t want those things to happen to me.
I’d done well holding up to my moral values until recently. I met Hunter and suddenly realized why kids sometimes did the things they did. He put off this natural charismatic energy, which drew me to him like a moth to a flame. I couldn’t quite describe it . . . he had all this swagger and confidence, but it was more than that. I simply looked at him and knew he was my weakness, my temptation. I’d heard the term, ‘like sex-on-a-stick’, and thought it described him perfectly—he was carnal, delicious, something I craved. I’d never felt that way about anybody before. It was both thrilling and terrifying because I knew, under the right circumstances, I’d be willing to cross the line I’d so carefully drawn around myself.
This brought up all my old fears. I knew enough about Hunter’s past to know he’d been with other girls . . . but what did that mean to me? Was it safe for me to be with him? Was I really ready for it or only being driven by hormones?
I pushed a breath out the side of my mouth, blowing some of my wayward curls from my eyes. None of this really mattered, because—for whatever reason—he didn’t seem to be ready to cross that line with me. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. He acted like he wanted to, but he always put the brakes on, and his weird little speech earlier made it sound like he didn’t think he’d be the one I would do it with. Why not?
I was so confused.
The doors to the emergency room swung open and Hunter came out. I stood to greet him, noting the solemn expression on his face. He embraced me, burying his face in my hair.
“How is he?” I asked as I slid my arms around him.
He didn’t answer for a moment. “He’s bad. They’re flying him to a larger facility in Albuquerque. He’s in a coma, and things don’t look good.”
“Did they figure out what happened?”
“They did a drug screen. It showed he had amphetamines in his system.”
“So it was a meth overdose?” I felt sick.
“That’s what it’s looking like.” He squeezed me tighter.
“Why would he lie to you about it? Wouldn’t he want you to know so you could help him?”
Hunter released me and walked away, running a hand through his hair. “That’s the weird part. He was with us the whole time. I never saw him take anything. Did you?”
I shook my head. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t know. I guess . . . things don’t seem to add up. Did you call your parents?”
“Yeah. I told them I’d be home as soon as we were done.”
“Well, I better get you there. Come on, let’s go.” He held out his hand, and I slipped mine into it.
“I’m really sorry about Russ.”
“Me too, Cami.” He sighed heavily. “Me too.”
Chapter Thirty
Hunter-
Everything had taken on a melancholy air since Russ’s accident. Cami had been like a ghost beside me this last week, following me everywhere as if she were afraid to let me out of her sight. She didn’t talk much; she was just there, and I found her presence comforting, though it made it difficult for me to find time to catch up with Derek and talk to him about our deal. We’d both agreed to back off the drug scene for a bit until things cooled down again.
Unfortunately, her constant attendance also meant Clay was around a lot. He’d wisely kept his mouth shut—at least when it came to talking to me—and didn’t attempt to revisit the crass remarks he’d spoken in the theater. We’d never had a chance to talk about my accusations either. I was sure he was constantly staying with us in hopes it would prevent me from relaying the information to Cami. We were at a stalemate—he and I—neither would allow the other to be alone with her.
I hated having him around because I felt like it hindered Cami and me from talking about things that were going on between us. At the same time, it was kind of a relief, because I knew she had questions I couldn’t answer. I longed to tell her everything and get it out into the open so we could deal with it, one way or another. The tension in the air seemed to thicken around us daily, and I was certain things would come to a head soon. It was almost time for me to step up my game.
Today was the day I’d been dreading. Tonight was the Masquerade dance and knowing Cami was going to spend the whole evening wrapped in Clay’s arms did little to calm my nerves. I felt a restless energy coursing through me whenever I thought about it. I didn’t like Clay, and I definitely didn’t trust him. Out of respect for Cami and her feelings towards him, I was doing my best to stay out of the way and let them do their thing together.
I was especially missing Russ at the moment. We were all seated in the cafeteria, and I had to listen to Clay and Cami go on about their costumes and last minute preparations. Russ would’ve distracted me with conversation of his own so I didn’t have to hear all this. I suppose I could’ve played the possessive boyfriend card and insisted Cami go to the dance with me, but I wasn’t the sort of person who would force her to do anything. I knew Cami was stressing, so I thought attending the dance would be good—but there was no way I’d leave Clay alone with her. I could barely stomach seeing the two of them together.
As far as I was concerned, they wouldn’t be best friends much longer. I was planning on telling Cami about him when it was right, and hopefully that opportunity would present itself soon. This was her tradition with her friend, and I didn’t want to intrude—intrude meaning I wouldn’t do anything to stop them from going together. I sure as heck would be at the dance, so I could keep an eye on her.
My cell phone started vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and glance at the number, wondering who was calling me when I didn’t recognize it.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hi. Is this Hunter?” a female voice spoke on the other end.
“Yes it is.”
“Hi. This is Cheryl Weston, Russ’s mom.”
“How are you? Are things okay?” I asked, feeling nervous. I’d given her my number so she could call me if there was any change in Russ’s condition.
“I’m doing fine, and yes. I called to tell you Russ finally woke up. He didn’t talk much, but he recognized us, and he asked about you.”
Relief washed through me, and I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes. I blinked them away rapidly.
“I’m so glad to hear that.”
“He went right back to sleep again, but d
octors anticipate a full recovery. Now maybe we can get some answers from him.”
“I hope you will. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Thank you for helping him, Hunter.” Her voice choked up. “The doctors said if it hadn’t been for your quick response, we probably would’ve lost him.”
“Please don’t cry, Mrs. Weston. I was happy to help. Keep in touch, and let me know how it goes. I’ll see if I can get over there to see him soon.” She thanked me again and we hung up. I looked up to see Cami and Clay waiting expectantly.
“Russ woke up,” I said with a relieved sigh. “He knew who his parents were and asked about me. They think he’ll make a full recovery. He’s sleeping again now, but they’re going to question him when he wakes up again to see if they can figure out what happened.”
“Hunter, that’s wonderful news,” Cami said, throwing her arms around me in a giant bear hug.
I slipped my arms about her waist and placed a kiss against the side of her head, basking in the moment of relief in her embrace. Clay stared at us with a distasteful expression. He didn’t appear the least bit happy.
“Maybe you and I can drive to Albuquerque this weekend to see him, if it’s all right with your parents,” I said.
“I’d love to. I’m sure they’d let me go. We have the dance tonight, but we could go tomorrow. My aunt lives there too. I bet she’d let us spend the night at her place, and we could come back on Sunday since it’s such a long trip.”
I released her. “I think that would be great. I’d enjoy spending the extra time with you.”
Clay didn’t speak a word, but he looked positively enraged. I was sure he’d do everything he could to dissuade Cami from going the minute my back was turned.
“Let me call my mom and tell her what’s going on,” Cami said, pulling out her phone.
I nodded and continued eating my lunch, pretending not to notice Clay staring at me as if he’d like to strangle me right there.
“She says I can go, and she’ll call my aunt to set things up for us.” Cami was beaming as she hung up, seeming happier than I’d seen her in days.
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