Forever & More: The Friend Zone series (7 page)

Sara starts gasping for air between her laughs. Their laugh is contagious and I start cracking up from just watching them. “H-He asked me what his said, I. I told him, his hands said to quit masturbating so much and that they’re tired of drowning in lotion.” Oh God, my stomach hurts so much from laughing. Leave it to Sara to say some off the wall shit.

Our laughter finally subsides after a minute or two, so she continues, “Crystal started with the never had I ever bullshit and I’d had enough of her, so I decided to fuck with her a little bit. I said, never had I ever been in a vanilla relationship, which is sorta true. We go through the drinking shot part and she knew that I raised the bar, so she blurted that she had never done anal. Oh my God, I thought I was gonna die for two reasons. First, half the town has been in that ass, so she can’t feed me that bullshit and second, why would she think that was okay. I mean, I know I’ve been known to say some really random, perverted shit, but really?!”

I put my hands up in front of me and ask, “Have you ever done anal?” Without missing a beat, Sara says with a serious expression, “Does a bear shit in the woods?”

My eyes go wide and Harley’s face is as red as his hair. Poor guy, he really didn’t know what he gotten himself into until it was too late.

“Enough about anal, I’m starting to get a little turned on.” She laughs and finishes her story as if she hadn’t just made that last comment. “Harley finally found his testicles tucked away in his man-gina and made his move. One date that never happened and a few sneaky encounters later and here we are.” She smiles proudly at the man standing next to her. It makes me so happy to see them together. It also says a lot about Harley’s character because Sara is not a person that is easy to deal with. She is demanding, bitchy, and sarcastic, but she’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met in my life; I don’t know what I would do without her.

I can sense him before I can see him, my body’s so aware of him. He comes into view and I can’t help but salivate. His lazy swagger making him look every bit the graceful creature he is. My mind is already hazy from my meds and the alcohol, so my emotions and hormones are already on end. Add Skye in the mix and I’m so high I’m sailing through the clouds; he’s his own drug, and if I had to relate what drug he’s the closest to, it would be close to ecstasy.

My body hums more and more, vibrating all the way to my sex, making my clit throb with need.

He stops directly in front of me and says, “You doing okay?” His voice is gentle, but there’s a harsh undertone that makes me wary.

“I’m good,” I slur. My body sways toward him and I almost fall off my stool. Luckily, Skye is standing next to me to catch me.

“Shit, how much have you had to drink?” he asks.

My body stiffens at his question. “I’m not drunk!” I say through gritted teeth.

“Did you take your pain meds before you came here? You know you can’t mix them, baby.”

Okay, now I’m pissed. “I’m not a fucking child! I can take care of myself, thank you very fucking much.” I’m so fucking mad, I’m no longer shaking with lust. That fire was doused with a bucket of ice water as soon as he started the interrogation.

“Baby, I’m just worried. You’ve been here an hour and you're falling off the stool—”

“Maybe I fucking slipped! Did you think about that?” I spit.

“Chloe, chill the fuck—” Sara starts and it enrages me. My best friend is turning against me now?

“Stuff it, Sara. This doesn’t fucking concern you!” I direct at her.

“Chloe, I just—” He reaches for me, but I dodge his advance. My blood is pumping and I can feel every single drop of the alcohol mixed with the meds flowing through my veins.

“You just what? Want to baby me? Take care of me? I. DON’T. NEED. YOU. TO!” I scream and start to walk away. This night has turned to shit, quickly. I’m fucking done. I turn my back and start to walk away.

I get all of two steps before a hand wraps around my arm and stops my movements.

“Stop. If you think I’m going to let you walk out those doors, you’re sadly mistaken,” he grits through his teeth. I can tell he’s trying to control his temper, but I don’t care. I snatch my arm free and start walking again, only to be cut off by an enraged Sara.

Her wheelchair is blocking my path so I start to go around her, but she spins the wheels and blocks me again.

“You need to chill the fuck out. What the hell is wrong with you? All he’s trying to do is help you,” she yells.

I can feel everyone staring at us, but I don’t give a shit. “Maybe, I don’t fucking need his help. I don’t need anyone’s help. Get out of my way!” I spit back at her.

“You don’t need help? Are you fucking serious right now? Have you seen yourself lately? You look like shit half the time. You don’t fucking eat. You’re a raging bitch when you’re awake, well at least when you’re not self-medicating, and you’re unable to coherently string together a sentence. You need to wake the fuck up and realize the world’s not out to get you. The only person that’s set out to hurt you is your fucking self.” Her chest rises and falls rapidly with her anger.

I look up and notice everyone’s shocked faces. I don’t know how much time has passed since the bar opened, but there are a ton of people witnessing the showdown between me and my best friend, and now I’m mortified as well as furious. Tears burn my eyes and I force my feet to move. As I pass Sara, I say, “You don’t know shit.”

“See that’s where you’re sadly mistaken,” she says and I stop walking. “I know more than you think I do. You’re hurting so bad that you’re taking it out on everyone else. But, what you don’t seem to know is that we’re not going any-fucking-where. You’re stuck with us, whether you want us or not. Because that’s what friends do. They stick with you when you need them most, and you may not want to acknowledge it, but you need us.”

I start walking again and this time, no one stops me. I make it to the parking lot before the tears begin to fall. My feet break out into a sprint and a few moments later, I’m standing in front of the building that houses my apartment. I walk up the stairs, through the front door, and head straight to the bathroom. Before I can think about it, I grab the bottle of Xanax and leave the room. I need to get out of here, I’m sure that someone will be here soon looking for me and I need to be alone.

I grab Skye’s Jeep key off the counter along with the bottle of Jack and leave again, not bothering to lock the door this time. I quickly race down the step and out the building door. Once I’m in the Jeep, I slide the key into the ignition and it roars to life. As I’m putting the Jeep in reverse, I glance in the rearview mirror and see Skye running full speed toward me with a look of panic on his face.

I press my foot heavily on the gas pedal and speed off. Once he’s out of site, I allow myself to relax.

What the hell did I just do? I could fucking kick myself for just standing by and letting Sara scream at Chloe the way she did. I don’t necessarily disagree with everything she said, but the way it was done was a vicious blow to the little bubble she’s been living in. I scan the crowd until I find Brady. He must have heard the commotion because he’s just a few steps behind me.

I start to speak, but he cuts me off. “Go get her man.” I just nod in thanks and take off.

Sara shouts from behind me, “Let her go; she needs a few minutes alone.”

I turn to her and spit angrily, “No, she needed her best friend to have her back. Not fucking embarrassing her and spill her problems all over the floor for everyone to see and walk on later.” I turn and run out of BAR. I haven’t run since Chloe and I ran together in the park before her accident, and I’m paying for it now. My thighs and lungs feel like they’re on fire, but I don’t let that slow me down. I’ve got to get to her and make sure she’s all right.

I can only imagine the devastation Sara’s words have caused her. I pump my arms and legs harder and harder until I’m almost at her apartment. When I see her dash out of the building and climb in my Jeep, I push myself harder. She starts backing up and I spot her staring at me in the rearview mirror. For a split second, I think she’s going to stop the vehicle, but I quickly realize I’m wrong when the engine revs loudly and she takes off down the street.

I chase after her until her taillights are out of sight. Panic seeps into my veins; I’m at a loss of what to do. Where is she going? Shit, she’s drunk and driving! This is so fucked up. I run into the building and up the stairs as fast as my feet will carry me. Once I’m inside the apartment, I pull out my phone and find Harley’s number.

It rings three times before he finally answers. The music is so loud I can barely hear him say, “Hello.”

“She’s gone!” I gasp into the phone.

“What, man? I can’t fucking hear you,” he shouts.

I cut the speakerphone on and scream, “She’s fucking gone.” The word fuck registers over the music, then all I hear is the dial tone. I dial Chloe’s number next, but it goes straight to voicemail. I try calling several more times again, and each time, I get the same response. Each time, I leave several messages, begging for her to call me, to let me know she’s okay.

With every missed call, my worry increases, leaving me with an overpowering sense of helplessness. My stomach turns with unease. I don’t know what to do, so I pace through the apartment, running through all of my options. I grab my phone and stare at it for several moments before I decide to call Detective Sanders. I note the clock says ten fifteen but I don’t care; I hit the call button and put the phone to my ear.

The second time the phone rings and he answers. “Detective Sanders.”

“Chloe’s gone, she left, and I don’t know where she is,” I say in a rush.

“Slow down, son. What are you talking about?” he asks.

I take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. “Chloe was at BAR, she and Sara had words, well she and I did as well. I went after her when she ran out of BAR and now she’s gone. She got in my Jeep and left. I don’t know where she went.”

“Was she drinking?”

“Yes,” I admit. I don’t want to get her in trouble, I just want to find her.

“Which way did she go?” I wish he would quit asking me all these questions and send out a fucking APB or something.

“West toward Main.” Why is he still talking? I’m still pacing when Sara and Harley enter the apartment.

“I’m getting in my car now. I’ll call the station on my way to your place. Where are you exactly?”

“Thank you, Detective. I’m at Chloe’s.” We both say our goodbyes. As soon as my phone is removed from my ear, Sara starts talking.

“She won’t answer my calls. What did you do?” she accuses.

“What the fuck are you getting at? She was fucking gone before I got here, and if I’m not mistaken, you play a part in all this shit, too. So do not pass the fucking buck to me when you’re just as goddamned guilty!”

I sat back and let her think on my words. I didn’t mean to be so harsh, but fuck it all if I didn’t need the release it gave me to unleash some of this anger. That release was short-lived, though, when I watched Sara’s chin tremble right before she dropped her head.

I had been wondering when the moment I finally broke would hit me. And I’m so grateful Chloe wasn’t here to witness me drop to my knees and cry like I’ve never cried before. It doesn’t take long for the hardwood floor beneath me to become flooded with giant, salty tears. At some point, Harley picked Sara out of her chair and placed her near me.

One moment I feel cold, desolate, and helpless and the next, I’m embraced in warm, feminine arms. I hear her soft, trembling voice tell me it’s okay and that we will get her back, that everything will work out and we’ll all be better people in the end. She whispers how we need to get our shit together and be strong for Chloe, that we need to be her rock.

The whole time she’s trying to build me up, my psyche is trying to tear me down. How the fuck am I supposed to be strong for her when I’m so easily broken? How am I supposed to be her rock when I’m not strong enough?

A knock on the door interrupts our private moment. I jump to my feet and walk to the door. When I answer it, I see the distressed face of Detective Sanders standing in the hall. I stand back so he can enter. My heart drums against my chest heavily, waiting for the shoe to drop. Something’s wrong and I feel it deep in my gut. I follow him into the living room, trailing behind him like a child that’s misbehaved and is now about to be scolded by his parent.

He clears his throat. “I’ve been in contact with one of my officers who has spotted your Jeep in the parking lot at the gas station six blocks west.” Sara gasps at his statement. He clears his throat again and continues, “There was no one there. The vehicle reeked of alcohol and the keys were in the seat but other than that, everything looked normal. There was no sign of a struggle, no evidence that suggests foul play.” The finality in his voice leaves me confused.

“So, what does that mean?” I ask. My thoughts are running wild. Visions of kidnappings and shootouts run rampant in my mind.

“I’m sorry to say that it means that there’s nothing more that we can do. I’m sorry, son, you can file a missing persons report, but it’s only been what, a couple of hours?” he states.

“So, I’m just supposed to sit around and do nothing until you find her in a fucking ditch somewhere?” I walk to the counter and search for the spare car key to Harley’s Nova. I know he won’t just let me take the car, so asking him isn’t an option. When I can’t find them, I sling the glass bowl against the wall and scream, “Fuck!”

I feel something smooth and cold being shoved into my hand. I don’t have to look to know that Harley’s just passed me the keys to his most prized possession. I don’t have a game plan, I don’t know where to start, all I know is I’m not about to sit in the fucking apartment where everything reminds me of her and stare at the walls until she comes home.

Not a chance in fucking hell. I take the stairs two at a time until I’m walking out the front door and climbing into the candy apple car. I adjust the mirrors and seat right before sliding the key into the ignition. The car purrs to life and I shift into reverse. Once I’m on the street, I let the car idle for a moment. I know Harley’s going to be livid for what I’m about to do, but I need to feel that release again.

For a man, sitting in a powerful car like this can give you a sense of being invincible, and that’s what I need. I need the power this beauty possesses to vibrate through me. The roar of the engine combined with the full fury of my emotions slam into me. I slam into first gear and dump the clutch, causing the car to lunge forward and the tires to screech against the asphalt.

Moments later, the smoke evaporates into the night sky and I disappear in the opposite direction. My thoughts are of Chloe and her well-being. I’ve gotta find her so I can breathe again.

My phone chimes; I pull it from my pocket and see Brady’s number followed by his text.

Things okay?

I quickly hit the text to talk button and say, “No, Chloe’s MIA. Let me know if she turns up at BAR.” I give the phone a minute to transcribe my message before I hit send. A minute later my phone rings.

“Yeah?”

“What the fuck do you mean MIA?” he yells above the music.

“Just what the fuck I said.” I then go into explaining what happened as I drive west down main.

“Jesus, dude. I don’t know what the fuck to say,” he replies.

“Tell me ‘bout it. Look, if she turns up, just let me know so I can come get her. Do not, under any circumstances, let her leave. I don’t give a shit if you have to hog tie her ass.”

“Yeah, man, I got ya. I will call ya.” We say our goodbyes and I toss my phone in the console and continue searching the night.

I search until the early hours of the morning and still don’t find her. I’m out of my mind with worry now. What if something happened to her? I’ve driven all over town and even into a couple of the surrounding towns. I’ve stopped in all the bars, gas stations, and restaurants that were open, asking if anyone has seen her, but of course, no one has. I dialed her number a million and a half times, but I’m still not getting any answer.

I’m not sure what to do at this point but to go back home. I turn into the parking lot of some podunk bar and head back in the direction I just came from. I drive for about twenty minutes when my phone rings. I look at the display and my heart falls to the floorboard. The car swerves on the road as I frantically reach for the phone.

“Hello? Chloe?” I quickly answer.

“Yep.” She pops her lips together on the P.

“Where are you, baby? Let me come get you and take you home, okay?” I beg.

“Na, I think I just wanna hang out here. Why do you love me?” Her question throws me off guard, but one thing I know for certain is that Chloe is belligerently drunk. Her words are slurred whispers and it’s obvious that she is working really hard to get them out.

“Baby, where’s here? I want to bring you home.”

“I’ll be home soon. Just not with you,” she slurs.

What the fuck is she talking about?

“Just tell me where you are, Chloe. You’re scaring me!” I say as I pull into a closed gas station.

“I’m okay. I’m just hanging with an old friend and pondering all of life’s dilemmas.” She giggles.

“What old friend, Chloe?” I ask. Maybe Sara has this friend’s number so we can call them. She doesn’t answer my question, but she mumbles, “bye” and hangs up the phone. I quickly call her back, but she doesn’t answer.

I scroll through my calls and find Sara’s number; it’s four in the morning, but she answers on the first ring. “Chloe just called and said she’s with an old friend. Please tell me you know what the fuck she’s talkin’ ‘bout.”

“Fuck, I’m willing to bet anything that she’s at the cemetery.” I hang up and drive in the direction of Tom’s resting place. I press the gas pedal to the floor and speed off in the direction of the sunrise.

Something in my gut tells me Sara’s right and I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner. But why would she go there? Question after question flows through my mind. Who, where, and why remain unanswered as I get closer and closer to Chloe.

Forty something minutes later, I pull up to the cemetery. There’s an eerie feeling that settles over this place, just like in every horror movie you’ve ever seen. I put the car in park and enter through the iron archway. The cobble stone path that leads deep into the heart of this place is surrounded by trees and headstones. The early morning light gleams off the smooth surface of each tomb. I walk deep into the cemetery until I finally spot Chloe, slumped over on the ground with a bottle of Jack in one hand and pulled tight to her chest.

The sight of her lying motionless and looking pale on the grass sends my system into hysterics and I start sprinting toward her. When I reach her, I lean down and call her name. She doesn’t respond so I roll her over onto her back and notice her chest looks still.

I frantically search for her pulse until finally, I feel a very slight thud against my trembling hand. I begin screaming her name and shaking her, still not able to get a response. Quickly, I roll her over and shove my fingers down her throat until I feel it convulse around the tips of them. She gags slightly, but it doesn’t get the result I was aiming for.