Page 37 of Switchin' Lanes
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Tink
The next morning,I wake up sandwiched between the two people I care about most in this world. My legs are tangled up with Hollywood’s while Diesel has an arm thrown over my midsection. Lucky for them, I like my room cold when I sleep. Otherwise, I would have woken up drenched in sweat. They radiate a crazy amount of heat, like two snuggable space heaters.
I manage to pry Diesel’s arm off me, untangle my legs from Hollywood’s and climb out of bed, all without waking either of them up. They’re like hibernating bears. I grab some clothes and give the guys one more glance before heading into the bathroom. Diesel moved closer to Hollywood and is now spooning him. I grab my phone and take a quick picture, wanting to document such a sweet, intimate moment.
I never imagined I’d end up as one of their Ol’ Ladies, let alone both of them. The fact that they both care about each other as much as they care about me is amazing. I love that the three of us can be together. I can only hope the two of them don’t try to hide their feelings for each other from me.
I take a shower and get dressed in record time. I keep my make-up light, swiping on some eyeliner and mascara. A quick run of my fingers through my hair and I’m ready to go. I check on the guys, who are still sleeping. Then head to the kitchen to leave them a note letting them know I’m going to see my brother at the hospital.
I stop by Dunkin’ Donuts on my way, getting some donut holes and a caramel swirl iced coffee. Iced coffee is my go-to drink. Some mornings, I get an added shot of espresso. It usually depends on how much sleep I got the night before. I eat the donut holes while driving. By the time I arrive at the hospital, they’re gone. I’ll blame last night’s extracurricular activities on why I’m so hungry this morning. I park my car and climb out, making sure to take my iced coffee with.
In the hospital, I go straight to the nurses’ station. I walk by a man who noticeably eyes me up and down as if I was walking around in my bra and underwear. An uneasy feeling washes over me, but in a hurry to see my brother, I brush it off.
“Hi, I’m here to see Andy Wilson,” I tell the nurse.
She types away at her computer. “How are you related to him?”
“I’m his sister.”
“He’s on floor three, room eleven,” she informs me.
“Thank you.” I walk toward the elevators, an eerie feeling still lingering. I glance over my shoulder and notice the guy who looked at me like I was a piece of meat is sitting in the waiting area, reading a magazine. I press the button for the elevator and wait. Luckily, it doesn’t take long for it to open. I step in and hit the button for the third floor.
Stepping out onto the third floor, I go straight for my brother’s room. His door is wide open, so I walk right in. Andy is laying in the hospital bed and there’s no one in here with him. If it wasn’t for all the wires hooked up to him, I would think he was napping, but I know better. I move to the side of his bed. At first, I just stare at him. He looks at peace. My mom is going to lose it when she finds out what happened.
We both thought he was doing good. That he was on the right path to kicking his drug habits for good. Apparently, he was struggling more than he wanted to let us know. It hurts my heart that he felt as if he couldn’t talk to me about it. There was a time in our lives when we talked to each other about everything. I thought we were getting back to that, but I was wrong. I grab his hand, holding it in mine.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I should have been a better sister,” I whisper. I hope that, even though he’s in a coma, he can still hear me. “I love you, Andy.”
“Excuse me. Who are you?”
I look over my shoulder and find a woman who looks as if she could be my age, maybe a year or two older. Only, she’s underweight. If I had to guess, I would say it’s due to the drugs. Andy is much thinner than the last time I saw him, too.
“I’m Andy’s sister, Tinsley,” I tell her. I’m pretty sure I already know who she is, but I ask anyway. “And you are?”
“I’m Kara, his girlfriend.” She moves around his bed, sitting in the chair next to it.
“How has he been doing?”
“No major changes since we got here last weekend,” she says. “But I’m hoping he wakes up soon so we can get the hell outta dodge.”
“Why would you need to leave?”
She hesitates, shifting in her seat. “We, uh, owe someone quite a bit of money.”
“How much? What for?”
“We planned on selling some of the drugs we bought. We wanted to try it before we sold it to anyone so we could tell them what it was like. But it landed us in the hospital instead,” she explains. “They found us, though. The guy who sold us the drugs wants the rest of his money.”
“How much do you owe him?”
“Three thousand dollars,” she tells me.
“Shit. When does he want it?”
“By tonight. He said he would meet me outside the hospital around seven. If I don’t have it, then I’ll have to go work for him to pay it off,” she says.
“I can’t believe he got himself into a situation like this.” I shake my head. “I’ll see what I can do to help. I’ll be back later this afternoon.”
I give Andy’s hand one last squeeze before leaving the room. I shoot Hollywood and Diesel a group text letting them know I’m going to the grocery store before coming home. It isn’t until I get to my car that I realize I didn’t notice if the guy was still sitting in the waiting room or not. I unlock my car and pull my mom’s number up. Before I can hit call, a hand goes over my mouth and I’m being carried away.
