by Wendy Knight
"And… why did I not get directions to the damn hospital?" He smacked the steering wheel.
Heaven took pity on him and a sign appeared with a big H on it and an arrow. He swung the car through traffic, following the H, risking glances at Harli every chance he got. He didn't get it. She didn't like to drink. When they used to go to parties, the most she ever had was Pepsi. His mother was an alcoholic and Harli's mother was a mean drunk, and Harli'd always been determined to not be like either of them. Why would she get so smashed now?
He pulled into the emergency room parking lot, stopping in the first available spot. Then he lifted her in his arms and ran for the building. She whimpered once, her fists pressed against her eyes.
"Help. I need help. My girlfriend—I think—I think she has alcohol poisoning!"
The next hour was a blur of doctors coming in and out, bloodwork being done, and IVs connected. Levi stood in the corner and watched silently, hands clenching and unclenching helplessly at his side. She'd try to talk every time someone approached her, but it always ended up with her heaving into a bed pan.
"She has no alcohol in her system." The doctor pushed the curtain out of the way, stopping at the foot of her bed.
Levi could only gape at him. "But she—what's wrong with her?" Please, baby. Please don't be on drugs.
"She does seem to have suffered a blow to the head, but it wouldn't cause this reaction. Do you know her medical history at all? Does she suffer from seizures, high blood pressure, migraines—"
Levi's head jerked up. "Migraines. She gets migraines when she's upset. But she has medication for them. It always works."
The doctor nodded, turning to his nurse. "Let's treat this as a cluster migraine. Let's get some Stadol, Phenergan and Benadryl in her system and see if we can't get this under control."
The nurse disappeared and Levi finally left his corner. "This is a migraine?"
Harli moaned again, but this time it sounded distinctly like a yes.
"Migraines can manifest in many different ways, and a severe one can cause stroke-like symptoms. She needs a lot of rest and fluids. The medicine we'll give her in the IV will hopefully knock this thing out and she'll sleep for about sixteen hours. Just make sure she doesn't drive until its effects have worn off."
"Okay." Levi nodded, biting his lip, watching the girl he loved more than anything in the world shaking under the light blanket. A migraine. He knew she got them, but he'd never seen her have one without her medicine. She was always so careful to keep it with her.
The nurse reappeared with a syringe. She hooked it into Harli's IV. "This will burn a little."
Harli didn't make a sound, although tiny tears escaped from her tightly-shut eyes and snaked their way across her temples and into her dark hair. He brushed them away with his knuckles. "I'm here, Sunshine."
Chapter Fourteen
THEY LET HIM TAKE HER HOME an hour later. It was past one AM and the streets were almost empty. He drove silently, sneaking glances at her every so often. She was curled up in a ball like a little dog, her breathing slow and even. "Thank you, modern medicine."
He carried her through the lobby and up the elevator. As they passed the tenth floor, he could hear the music pounding against the doors, but by the time he got up to his room, it was quiet.
Silently, he laid her on the bed, pulling off her boots and then her pants and shirt. He shook his head, smirking, as he thought of all the times over these months away from her that he'd envisioned pulling her clothes off in his bed.
This hadn't been even close to what he'd been hoping for.
Digging through his bag, he found a flannel shirt. She half-heartedly tried to help, lifting her arms obediently, but she was barely conscious. He did up the buttons, watching her face, memorizing it, every detail, because it felt like an eternity since he'd seen her last.
He'd texted Colin and Jace both when they got to the hospital, but he sent Colin a quick message saying they were back at the hotel safe. Then he called Jace, shutting the bedroom door quietly.
Levi crossed the room, pulling off his shoes and socks so he could feel the cool tile against his feet. "Hey."
Jace answered, hoarse and exhausted. "I was worried, bro."
Levi nodded. "I know. She's okay."
"She doesn't even drink. How'd she get alcohol poisoning so fast?"
Levi sank onto the couch in the sitting room. Harli was here, with him. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he could barely wrap his mind around it. She'd come after him. His little runner, she'd come to him for once instead of running away. And he was exhausted. "It wasn't alcohol poisoning. It was a migraine."
"Shit. Seriously?"
Levi nodded. "I gotta go find her car and park it somewhere safe."
"Or sell it to the scrapyard and buy her one that isn't about to blow up." Jace snickered once and fell silent. Nearly a minute passed before he spoke again. "I'm glad she has you, Levi."
"You're a good friend, Jace. I've missed you." It might have been sheer exhaustion, but it felt incredibly important to tell Jace this. Right now.
Jace laughed, a real laugh this time. ""Hell yeah, I am. You steal her right out from under me, and I didn't kill you. That's not just a good friend, that's a god-like friend right there."
Levi smirked. "I didn't steal her right out from under you. She…"
"She taught you guitar lessons and you stole her." Jace laughed lightly. "It's okay. If you hadn't, we would never have gotten in that fist fight. And then Harli wouldn't have forced us to be friends. If it wasn't for you stealing her, we wouldn't be here now."
Levi loved Jace like a brother, but it was true. Levi would have ended up in jail or dead. Who knew where Jace would be. "I don't like the thought of that."
"Truth," Jace said. "Go take care of our Harls. Keep me posted."
Levi hung up just as there was a knock on his door. "Seriously, people?" he muttered, stalking across the room and flinging the door open.
It was Colin. "How is she?" he asked, handing Levi a Pepsi. Harli's drink of choice.
Levi smiled.
"Sleeping. I've just gotta find her truck and—"
"I'll get it. You need to stay with her. You don't think this could do something — like to her gift, do you? What if she can't play when she wakes up?"
Then Selicia finally gets her wish.
"I don't think it works that way. I hope." Levi dug through her purse, looking for keys. Of course, they were in the little pocket made specifically to hold keys, and the last place he looked. He dropped them in Colin's palm. Colin thumped him on the shoulder and disappeared into the hall, where Dorian still waited.
Levi shut the door behind them, suddenly exhausted. He switched off all the lights and went to the bedroom, taking off his sweaty, stiff clothes before he slid beneath the sheets next to her. She whimpered and curled into him, and for the first time in several months, he felt like maybe things would be okay.
LEVI FOUGHT FOR AS long as he could to stay awake, to hold her all night long and listen to her steady breathing, but exhaustion won, and he didn't open his eyes again until the sun was nearly blinding him through the curtains.
He could tell by the way her heart was racing that she was already awake, but she hadn't moved her head from his chest, her bare leg thrown across his hips. His phone buzzed next to his head, and he reached across her to shut it up. She rolled away from him, stretching, dark shadows still circling her eyes. She watched him quietly while he checked his phone.
Jace: "How's our girl today?"
He dropped it on the floor without answering. Jace could wait.
"What are you doing here, Harli?" Levi leaned over her, studying her face, his thumb absently smoothing the mascara smears under her eyes. She was the only girl he knew that could spend the night throwing up and still be beautiful in the morning.
She closed her eyes, long lashes sweeping against her pale cheeks. "I came to your concert."
"We had no idea where
you were. We were going crazy trying to find you, Sunshine."
She nodded as a tear escaped and slid down her cheek. "I know."
"Why didn't you call me? You were at one of my parties. You're in the same damn state I am. Why didn't you tell me you were here?" He was angrier than he'd intended, and she flinched, keeping her eyes shut tight. Of all the girls he could have had in his bed over the last several months, she was the only one that mattered.
And she wouldn't even look at him.
"I just—I just wanted to see you. I missed you."
He sat up, throwing the blankets off so he could pace. He yelled better when he paced. "So you weren't even going to call? You were with some random guy last night—he didn't even know your last name, Harli! And I'm here, going insane because I want to see you — no, I don't want to see you—"
She flinched again and tried to bury herself under the covers.
"I need to see you. Like I need to breathe. I'm going insane trying to figure out how I can get back to Utah without you taking off and you're here with some random stupid guy who doesn't even know your effing last name!"
She sat up, pressing a hand to her temple. "I just wanted to see you," she whispered.
Just like that, his anger was gone. He leaned on the bed in front of her, pulling her hands down and waiting until she opened her eyes. "Harli, you can see me any time you want. Just say the word, and I'll walk away from all of this. I'm yours, Harli. You're the one keeping us apart."
She finally opened those big brown eyes, but they were full of pain. "No, the two blond girls you brought here after the party are what's keeping us apart, Levi."
Shit.
He swallowed hard. "So you don't want me, but you don't want me to be with anyone else, either?"
She shook her head slowly, another tear snaking its way down her cheek. "It's not that, Levi." She shrugged, delicately, her thin shoulders lost under the fabric of his too-big shirt. "I know you're not… lonely…" She trembled under her own words.
If only she knew how lonely he really was.
"But I'm definitely not going to call you when I see you leaving with two other girls. That would just be rude of me." She tried for a small smile.
His heart pounded in his chest. He spoke very slowly, because so much hung on her answer. "If I hadn't been with them last night, Harli. What would have happened?"
She stared at him, her huge eyes broken and sad. "I don't know, Levi. We won't ever know." Without another word, she sat up, holding a hand to her head.
He came around the bed and knelt in front of her. "Are you okay? Do you need to—the doctor said you'd sleep for about sixteen hours. You've only been asleep five or six."
"I just—I need to shower. And eat." She stared at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes.
"Okay. Okay, how about this? I'll order room service. You shower. We'll eat and then I'll drive you home."
She did look up, at that, with a frown. "You have a concert tomorrow night."
He shrugged. "So?"
"It's an eight hour drive and a—a what? Six hour flight? That won't work."
He swore. When was she going to understand the concerts didn't matter? Only she mattered. Nothing else. "I'm not letting you drive home alone, Harli."
Her shoulders sank in defeat and she nodded. "Okay."
Damn. She must really be sick if she's agreeing that easily. He helped her up. She grabbed her purse and went into the bathroom. Seconds later, the shower turned on. He ran a hand through his short black hair and stared around him, completely lost. Big, fancy hotel room. Huge parties, huge crowds. Awards. Money. He had everything he ever wanted when he used to dream with her — but none of it mattered without her in it. He dug his phone out of his pocket and called Colin. "Hey. Tell the bus to leave without me."
"You working things out with Harli?" Colin asked around a yawn.
"I'm driving her back to Utah. She's too sick and, ya know, eighteen and small and beautiful, so she can't go back alone."
"She came alone, dude."
"Yeah, and she was rushed to the ER last night. So no, she's not going home alone. But it's good." Levi nodded, pacing the hotel room. "Actually, I've been thinking… don't hate me, Colin."
"What, Levi?"
"I'm taking a break. I've gotta fix things with her. Convince her to — I don't know — to marry me or something."
He heard a door shut and turned toward the bathroom, but the water was still running. Frowning, he went to the main door and peered out into the hall, but it was empty. "I'm losing my mind." He shook his head.
"Shit, Levi, are you serious?" Colin choked.
"About losing my mind? I'm starting to think so. Last night, I heard—"
"About taking a break. About marrying her. You're twenty years old!"
"No. Not serious. I don't—I don't think I'm serious." But suddenly, he wasn't sure. Yeah, he was young. But she was all he wanted. All he'd ever wanted. And being without her hurt more than death.
He shook his head. Even if he was ready, he knew she wasn't. May not ever be. He'd just have to wait.
Maybe forever.
"I'm packing up. Bus leaves in two hours. Keep me posted, yeah?" Colin said.
"Yeah, man. Of course. Let me know when you touch down in Nolo."
He hung up and ran his finger down the room service menu. Out of everything she could have on that list, he ordered his picky little eater the cheapest thing — a plain bagel with regular cream cheese. And hot chocolate. The girl loved her hot chocolate.
She'd come all the way out here to see him. She wouldn't do that if she didn't want him. And eight hours was a long time to be trapped in a car with him. Lots of time to change her mind. He'd make her see he couldn't do this without her. He didn't want to do this without her. She'd realize that before they got home.
And if he had to walk away from it all to keep her, he'd do that, too.
Room service came while he was planning exactly what he'd say. He glanced at the clock — she'd been in there for forty-five minutes. Yeah, she was sick but that was a little long, wasn't it? Suddenly panicked, wondering if she'd passed out again or fallen or was sick and he hadn't heard her, he knocked on the door — three quick raps that didn't hide his worry at all. "Harli? Baby?"
No answer.
"Sunshine, I'm coming in, okay?" He turned the knob, but it was locked. "Baby, open the door."
When there was still no answer he rammed the door with his shoulder, driven by fear and desperation. The door popped open and steam filled the room.
But she wasn't there.
He double-checked, certain he'd somehow just missed her standing in the corner or something. "No. No, no, no, no, no." He searched the entire hotel room twice, but she wasn't there.
He had heard that door open. "Dammit!" He yelled, yanking his phone back up to his ear. "Colin!"
"Hey, you on your way—"
"Where'd you park her truck?" he snarled, cutting Colin off.
"What?"
"Where'd you park her damn truck?"
"Parking garage, first floor. Why?"
Levi hung up on him, sprinting out the door and down the hall. He skipped the elevator and raced down the stairs, taking them three or four at a time. He heard people say his name — heard the squeals or the excited yells, but he ignored them and kept running. He burst into the main lobby. The concierge tried to intercept him— "Mr. Vasi! Something I can help with—"
Levi skidded to a halt. "A girl, gorgeous, about this tall," he held a hand to his chin, "long dark hair…" He jerked his phone out of his pocket and showed him her picture. "Her! Did she come through here?"
The concierge looked quickly at the picture. "Oh yeah. She's hard to miss. About ten minutes ago, running hard."
Levi swore and spun away, sprinting to the parking garage. "If you see her, stop her!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Her truck wasn't there. He ran up and down every aisle. He had the valets helping him, and random strang
ers, but the truck wasn't there. He sank down on the curb in defeat, his head in his hands.
A car, still not hers, stopped in front of him. If it was someone asking for an autograph, he'd lose it. It would be his big diva moment everyone was waiting for.
"What's going on, Levi?"
He looked up. All of his band mates stood in front of him. Colin shook his head.
"Where'd you park her truck, Colin?" Levi asked, hating the hope that was still in his voice. Like she could possibly still be here somewhere and he'd just missed her. Like she hadn't run from him again.
Colin sighed. "Right there."
Levi nodded. "I'm gonna go pack." They followed him up, talking quietly. He dug his phone out of his pocket and called the one person who might still be able to talk some sense into her.
"Kim, tell her to come back," he said as soon as Kim answered.
"What do you mean? She left?" Kim's voice rose to the pitch only small dogs could hear.
Behind her, Jace was bellowing panicked nonsense.
They were the only ones who loved her as much as Levi.
"She snuck out of the hotel room and ran. Call her. Tell her to come back. We can fly you here to drive back with her. Or—or something. She doesn't have to be stuck with me."
Kim hung up, never one to mince words. But ten minutes later, as Levi was shoving the last of his clothes into his bag, Jace called back. "She's not answering for me, either."
Everyone else was in the sitting room. Levi sank onto the bed, his chin against his chest. "Why? Why is she doing this to me? She says she wants me but she can't be with me, then she drives all the way out here to see me but she wasn't even going to tell me she was here because she saw me with some other girls, then she said we'd go home, and she snuck out—"
He froze. "Shit."
"What?"
