Page 77 of Knot Their Reality

Jackson's jaw is tight as he glances up at me before turning back to Paxton. "Do you want to tell her or should I?"

Paxton doesn't answer as he seems to curl into himself the moment that Ulf releases him.

"He's high. I don't know on what, but he's taken something. I was just asking him if he was alright and if he was cool to be in the pool. I don't remember if there was anything in the contract about doing drugs, but I'm sure there would be a problem if he ended up drowning." Jackson shakes his head. "I wasn't even going to mention it to anyone else. It's not my business."

"Is he right, Paxton? Are you high?"

Paxton nods, and I shake my head. I'm not into drugs seeing as a lot of them are illegal, but I also don't like altering my mind. It's why I drink but don't usually get drunk. An omega has to keep their wits about them at all times—at least until they're mated. I glance at one of the staff members who's hovering just outside the sliding glass doors. If I had to guess, they're probably trying to decide if they should get Bree or Tessa.

"Can you grab someone? I don't know if either Bree or Tessa has been notified of the situation, but they need to know." Turning back to the pool, I lift a hand to my head. This isn't something I thought I'd be dealing with today. "Paxton, Jackson was right to question you. Ulf, can you help him out? I'm fairly certain someone is going to want to have a word with him in a moment."

"I'm fine," Paxton finally speaks. "I can get myself out of the pool."

Ulf nods at me and trails behind Paxton to make sure he is, in fact, able to get himself from the pool. He makes it out of the pool without any problems, and I move to stand beside him. I run my tongue over my teeth. I have no idea what the hell to do about this. I have no idea what their contracts looked like, but I'm betting there was something in there about drug and alcohol use. It's a liability they would've wanted to address, and if they didn't, then they need new legal counsel.

Before I can figure out what to say, both Bree and Tessa appear in the doorway. I don't want to embarrass Paxton any more than necessary, so I lead him inside without a word. Tessa pushes the door shut as soon as we've stepped inside. Bree hands Paxton a towel so he's not dripping all over the floor.

"What are you on, Paxton?" Tessa asks. "And you have to tell me. It's in the contract that you signed. You must disclose any drugs that you take even if they're illegal. The cameras have been cut off for this conversation so you don't have to worry about incriminating yourself."

"I smoked some weed and took some benzos," he admits, flushing.

"Marijuana is a legal drug. Do you have a prescription for the benzodiazepines?" I ask, knowing he probably doesn't since he's calling them benzos.

He shakes his head, and I sigh as I face Tessa and Bree. "Are you required to notify the police in cases of illegal drug usage?"

"No." Tessa shakes her head. "And it's not something we plan to do. This is a liability issue though. We can't have anyone popping pills that they don't have a prescription for. If something happens, we could be held liable for it."

I nod. "I'm aware. Paxton, was this a one-time thing or do you take them regularly?”

He grimaces, and I don't need him to confirm my suspicions out loud. I'll never understand how we still haven't been able to find a way to make drugs less addictive. Obviously, I'm not a doctor or scientist so I don't know how it all works, but this was a problem before the Event. It shouldn't still be a problem.

"How often are you using them?" Bree asks, her voice gentle.

"What she's asking is if you're addicted." Finn's voice booms through the room causing all four of us to jump. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. This isn't something we can beat around the bush about, Bree."

Paxton shrugs. "I don't have to take them."

"That's not what I asked, and you know it." I've never seen Finn like this. He's so stern, and if he was staring me down like that, there's a good chance I'd crack. And I don't crack easily.

"Maybe." Paxton shrugs again. "I don't feel right without them so probably."

Looks like we're losing another suitor already.

"That sounds a lot like addiction to me. They're not going to allow you to stay on the show after admitting that." A glance at Tessa confirms that. "You need to get help."

Paxton snorts, shaking his head. "Should've known I'd end up in rehab one day. The rest of the band did at one point or another. I never questioned taking them. Hell, my manager is the one that gave them to me. You'd think I'd have noticed that I'd gotten addicted."

"It's hard for us to admit it to ourselves even if we see the signs." Finn's voice is soft now. "I know some good facilities I can refer you to. Why don't we go up to your room and pack your things? I'll make the phone calls from there. I'll make sure you get the help you need."

When Paxton lifts his head, there are tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sophia. If I would've realized... I never would've applied to be on the show. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

"I'm glad you came on the show," I tell him with a smile. "If you hadn't, then it's possible no one would've noticed you had a problem until it was too late. Does it suck? Absolutely, but it's better that it happened now than if it had been weeks from now. But don't think about that. You focus on getting yourself well. Once the show is over, I'd like to check on you if that's alright?”

"I'd like that. You're an amazing woman and omega, Sophia. I might not have had time to get to know you well, but it's clear to me by the way you treat people. I'll be watching the show after I leave, just so I can see who you pick."

Finn lays a hand on Paxton's shoulder. "The longer you try to put this off, the harder it'll be—even if we're just talking about minutes. You'll start to convince yourself that you'll be fine. Trust me, I've seen it. I'll make sure to get your number before we get you checked in and pass it along to the lass."

"Take care of yourself, Paxton. Put in the work, and you won't regret it." I shoot him one last smile before Finn leads him from the room.

---