Page 75 of Fractured Frets

I checked his pulse. His breathing. All good.

I grabbed my cell phone out of my purse and called Flint. Please. Please answer.

“Hey? Maddy.” Flint’s breathy voice moaned through the speaker, no doubt strained thanks to catching up with Sutton. “S’up?”

“Help!” My voice trembled and cracked. “Slip won’t wake up. There’re pills everywhere. Come. Quick.”

I dropped my phone, rushed to the bathroom, and grabbed a cold wet cloth.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I call the paramedics? The other guys? Jade or Blake?

Fuck.

My head spun. I couldn’t think straight.

Slip, wake up.

Babe . . . please be alright.

Chapter 22

MADDY

“What the fuck, Slip?” Flint cursed as he helped me roll Slip onto his side, slapped his cheek, and splashed his face with ice-cold water.

Slip groaned and growled. “Stop. I’m awake.”

“Are you?” Fire sliced through Flint’s tone. “What the fuck are you doing? Trying to kill yourself?”

My heart tore in two at the anguish and fear radiating off Flint and tearing through my insides. Tears stung my eyes as I sank onto the bed beside Slip. Was that what he had tried to do?

“What?” Slip grimaced as he propped himself up on the pillows. “No.”

“What’s with all the damn pills?” Flint waved toward the bottles.

Slip wiped his hand down his face and blinked several times. His face had thinned. Black shadows circled his eyes. Sweat clung strands of hair to his brow. What the hell? “I couldn’t sleep after the show last night, so I took two sleeping pills instead of one. They’re stronger than I thought.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me.” Flint’s voice sliced through his teeth. After losing Phil to addiction, this was not what Flint would want to see. Neither did I. “Two wouldn’t wipe you out like this. How many did you take?”

Slip closed his eyes and pinched his eyebrows together. “I swear that was it.”

“But you washed them down with vodka?” Flint flicked his hand toward the bottle by the TV. “Are you insane?”

“I didn’t,” Slip snapped. “That was just in my luggage.”

“What about your pain-killers? How many did you take?” My blood ran cold through my veins. I’d found Drizodone in the bathroom and oxycodone by his bed. How much shit was he swallowing?

“Just one oxy before I went to bed. Like I’m supposed to.” He took my hand in his. Normally his touch was warm and comforting, but it was clammy, hot and shaky. “I’m fine. I just needed some sleep.”

Frightened and concerned, I didn’t know what to believe. “Do you want me to call Jade or take you to the hospital for a checkup?”

“No. Don’t. I’m okay.” He curled toward me and draped his arm across my lap. “I’m better now you’re here. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you...or anyone.” He turned his head toward Flint. Pain rippled across his face. “Flint, I’m so sorry. I just wanted to get some decent rest before Mads got here.” He glanced up at me with a mischievous smile curling across his mouth, and patted my hip. “I don’t plan on getting much while she’s with us.”

Like always, Slip turned everything into a joke.

But this was no laughing matter. The heavy air still crushed my chest.

Fear was still embedded in Flint’s ice-blue eyes. “Are you taking more pills than you should be?”

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