Page 47 of Addicted

“It’s like a reunion!” Ollie started editing the last picture, adding filters, too self-absorbed to notice Liam’s anxiety. “Everyone is going to be so happy to see you!”

“Everyone?” Liam echoed, surprised that his voice sounded so steady when there was a whirlwind inside of him.

“Yeah, it’s August’s wedding! He’s still in college but he met someone a few years ago who just got a job in Paris so he’s moving there to study in Europe! I’m not jealous, nope, not at all.” He typed up a little blurb next to the picture, hitpost,and finally looked up. A little crease of confusion appeared between his brows. “Wait...you didn’t know?”

It was getting harder to breathe. August had been Liam’s first boyfriend. They’d dated for the better part of five months, which was ages in teenage time, and they’d been each other’s first; however, they were better friends than lovers and their relationship had fizzled out over time. But Liam wasn’t jealous of August; he could only feel despair. Inherently he knew that everyone had moved on with their lives but to see it right in front of him? That was entirely different. Ollie was enjoying life. August was getting married and moving to France. But Liam? He was nothing but a failure, a grief-stricken drug-addicted high school dropout who had a useless crush on his boss and no future.

Liam tried not to wheeze as reality caught up with him, the pit in his gut finally making its way to his brain. The faces in the lobby looked familiar because they were people Liam had gone to school with. People who would see how far Liam had sunk, who would feel sorry for him.

He couldn’t do this. He needed another pill.

“Are you okay?” Ollie peered at Liam, looking him up and down.

“Y-Yeah,” Liam stuttered, knowing that he didn’t look composed. His entire body was quaking and he wasn’t sure if he needed to throw up. “I-It was good seeing you again b-but I have to help set up.”

“O…kay.” As Ollie’s eyes tracked back up and met Liam’s again he felt even sicker because there it was, plain as day in his gaze. Pity.

Without another word, Liam spun and raced out the door, not caring if he ran smack into Owen. His mind was on one thing and one thing only, getting back to his bag so he could take another dose and then figure out how he was going to get through the night. Marci’s voice came over the headset, trying to find him, but he shut off the earpiece, unable to respond. Snatching his messenger bag off a hook by the kitchen door, he raced to the back of the storage room, where he settled down in his spot behind the couch.

Fishing out his wallet, he searched the hidden pocket but came up empty. The panic bubbling inside of him started to swell and he grabbed the bag, upending it and dumping its meager contents on the floor, swiping through them. Where were his pills? Healwayskept an emergency supply on him.

But he’d been running low, and this morning he’d taken them out to get a total count. His heart dropped to the floor as he remembered setting the little translucent blue pouch on the kitchen counter and not picking it back up again. It must still be waiting there for him, at home.

His pathetic whine bounced off the walls of the storage room as anxiety swept over him, making his hands sweat, his legs shake, and pulling all the air from his lungs. Of all the days to be forgetful it had to be today, at this event. He wanted to walk home immediately but he couldn’t leave, especially when Marci was short-handed enough to need him. At this moment The Pointe was full of guests and staff. If she didn’t corner him the minute he stepped into the hall then he was more than likely to run into someone from high school.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, all of the stress was blasting his latest dose through him at rocket speed and he didn’t know how long he had left until he was useless, drowning in all the negative feelings he’d been running from for months. Terrified, he stared at the floor not knowing what to do.

“Liam, my man, are you in there?” Dylan called out. Light flooded the front of the room and Liam gritted his teeth.

“Uh-” his voice didn’t work and he coughed, scrambling to put everything back in his bag with shaking hands. “Y-Yeah, I’m here.”

“Marci is having kittens out there, dude. What are ya doin’?” Dylan was closer now but still out of sight. Liam took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steady himself, but it was like throwing a bucket of water on a five-alarm fire. All he could do was go through the motions.

Standing, he climbed out of his hiding spot and met Dylan halfway.

“You okay, dude?” From the look on his face, it was clear that Liam’s emotional state was seeping through. “Did you puke back there or something?”

“N-No but I um…I felt like I was going to.” Maybe Dylan could help him stay hidden for a bit longer. “Half of my high school is here.”

”No fucking way?” Dylan smiled and went to high-five Liam.

“And one of the grooms is my ex.”

Dylan dropped his hand. “Oh. Oh shit. No wonder you were in here. What can I do?”

Liam wrung his hands. “Can I work in the back for cocktail? Bring out hot food and not serve until the party?”

“I gotchu fam,” Dylan winked, exuding carefree energy that Liam wished he could absorb. “I’ll even step in and spoon out baked ziti if I have to. Was your ex a dick? Do I need to get some sauce on his tux?”

“N-No, he’s fine. I just…” Liam shrugged, following Dylan to the front of the room but stopping in the doorway, too afraid to step out into the hall.

“You weren’t ready for the class reunion.” Dylan put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. As usual, he was wearing no tie or socks and his shoes were red Converse sneakers but Marci never dress-coded him, Dylan was too valuable. And he was also a great guy. Liam wished he could be better friends with him.

“Yeah,” Liam breathed out.

“Naw, I get it. But do me a solid and turn on your headset because Marci is givin’ me a migraine. I’ll meet you in the kitchen?”

Liam nodded, flipping the switch on his earpiece. “Thanks.”

---