Page 80 of In the Stars

His nostrils flare as his lip curls up in a sneer. “Why the fuck would I have partied with you when I hate your fucking guts?”

I try to pull out of the spiral of sleepiness and being fucking loaded to pay attention to this conversation. Something about it nags at me, something I should understand, but I can’t focus. My high is strong, stronger than it normally was since I’ve been clean for so long.

Clean. I was clean, fucking sober. But now, I’m tainted all over again, too weak to leave when I saw all that coke.

Tech slides closer to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in until his lips are right beside my ear. Alarm bells ring in my head from his close contact, from him touching me, but my hands feel too heavy and clumsyto push him off, and I can’t break his hold. I’m trapped with discomfort warring with being wasted off my ass.

“You were on the right track, getting sober and shit,” he says in that low voice that no longer sounds hypnotic. “Knocking you off that pedestal, showing you that you’re fucking weak is amends enough. Now we’re fucking even, you fucking dick.”

Before I can pull myself out of the spiral of pain and regret, my high takes ahold of me, and I sink into sleep, feeling like the lowest piece of shit on the planet.

TWENTY-NINE

JAXON

My phone rings,jarring me from my restless sleep.

I tossed and turned the entire night, not able to sleep very well since Wesley didn’t call me after his meeting with Tech. I asked if I should go with him, but he said it was something he had to do by himself. I got that. He wanted to stand on his own and do what he needed to do because he was in the wrong. Or at least that was what he said. If it were up to me, I’d be there for him through everything, letting him lean on me when he needed to.

I grab my phone and see Wesley’s name on the screen. All sleep leaves me as I sit up and answer quickly.

“Wesley, baby? You okay?”

Soft sobs greet me, and my back goes ramrod straight. “Jaxon. I need you.”

“Where are you?” I ask, jumping out of bed and pulling on the first pair of pants I can reach. “Tell me where you are, and I’ll come get you.”

“Plymouth Hotel in Seattle. Please. Hurry.”

I look at the time on my phone. Three-fifty-one. There shouldbe no traffic on the way to Seattle. “I’ll be there in an hour. What room?”

“23…25.”

“Stay on the phone with me, baby. Talk to me. Tell me what happened?”

I slip on a pair of shoes and grab my wallet and keys and rush out the door. My tires spin as I peel out of the driveway, pressing my foot to the pedal as I rush to Seattle.

“I can’t,” he whines. “I’m…still tired.” His voice trails off, and I notice for the first time his words slur. “And…I don’t feel so good.”

Oh fuck. Oh no. Please. He was doing so well. “Wes…”

“Hurry…please.” The call drops, and I curse, throwing my phone against the dashboard. It bounces around and falls into the passenger seat, but I don’t care. I just push harder on the accelerator, needing to get to Wesley.

Forty-five minutes later, I pull up in front of Plymouth Hotel. I’m sure someone will bitch about me leaving my car there, but I don’t give a fuck. My priority is getting to my man.

I dash inside and take the stairs up to the second floor, not in the mood to wait for the elevator. Once I’m on the second floor, I find the direction of room 2325 and dart that way. I knock frantically on the door, hoping I can wake Wes so he can answer.

“Baby, it’s me,” I shout, not giving a fuck about other guests sleeping. They’re not important right now. “Wesley, baby, it’s me. Open up.”

I knock and bang on the door until someone sticks their head out of another room. “Hey, buddy, stop banging before I call the manager.”

“Call the fucking manager,” I growl. I’m not usually aperson that snaps on others that don’t deserve it, but Wesley is on the other side of that door, and he needs me.

I continue to knock and shout through the door. I don’t hear movement on the other side, and that scares me. He just called me. Surely something didn’t happen to him in that small amount of time.

Right?

The elevator dings, and two men in business attire walk toward me.

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