Page 144 of Stop and Seek
“It’ll be alright, Teddy,” Rachel said, the weight of her hand on his shoulder too damn much. “Alyssa’s going. She’s got you.”
Alyssa wasn’t around when all of it happened. She wasn’t a friend then, just his dealer. She didn’t understand what the fuck was going on.
Theo couldn’t blame her for asking questions.
None of this was her fault.
It’ll be over soon.
Driving was something Theo could handle. Hands on the wheel, music blasting so loud the bass vibrated the entire cabin. He wasn’t even sure what band it was—couldn’t make out the lyrics.
Glancing over, he eyed his phone on Alyssa’s lap and turned down the volume a little.
“Did anyone text me?”
She flipped the screen over. “Nope.”
Just his fucking luck.
The one time he was looking forward to a text from Noah, there was nothing. Any other time he got one every half hour. Sometimes more. A week straight of looking at a conversation he desperately wanted to be part of.
It’ll be over soon, and maybe I can figure out how to text Noah without wanting to gouge out my eyes.
The mantra wasn’t helping anymore.
Alyssa tapped a button on his phone and the car went quiet.
“Real talk,” she said. “You want me to say anything to him, or like, do you need me for moral support?”
Theo choked down the bile burning his throat.
“I don’t know.”
“I’m here for the free food but I already told you: I’ll beat a bitch down.”
“I don’t know,” he repeated, clenching the wheel even tighter.
Alyssa’s little claw of a hand landed on his sleeve, rubbing his arm through the fabric.
Thank god, she didn’t say anything else.
Ten minutes from the restaurant.
Don’t throw up. Don’t pass out.
Both were becoming harder and harder not to do. His vision blurred, oncoming traffic turning into smears of six o’clock summer sun and horns when he veered too far into the other lane.
Alyssa wouldn’t give him more pills.
It was just Theo without filters and he fuckinghatedit.
Alyssa’s phone rang—loud and sharp in the silence—and he flinched.
She put it on speaker. “Make it fast, I’m about the witness the downfall of man.”
Theo didn’t recognize the shaky voice on the other end.
“Lyssa. Can you… can you come get me?”
