Unraveled (18 page)

Without a
word, he holds out the wine-cooler.

“I'm not
here to party, Cole.”

“Appearances,
Blayre,” he says coolly.

With a roll
of my eyes, I take the bottle as we head inside where we can find a place to talk
privately. Cole always prided himself on appearance and since day one, he'd
always encouraged me to look the part that he wanted me to play. I hate going
along with it but I just want to get this over with so here I am, bottle in
hand as I trail after him. The party is in full force and it is ridiculously
crowded. I find myself squeezing between bodies and the air is dry and full of
cigarette smoke and drugs. It's a familiar scent and I try not to get lost in
its appeal. I am
not
a part of this crowd anymore.

Cole leads
me down a back hallway and then he opens a door and motions me inside. I find
that we are in a small, cramped bathroom and my nose wrinkles as Cole shuts the
door behind us. I can tell someone has been in here recently because the air is
slightly acrid with smoke. I take a sip of my drink to try to rid the smell out
of my mouth because I can taste it in the air.

Okay, so
this part I didn't miss. Bathrooms at parties were downright disgusting. Paige
had been totally right on that one.

“A bathroom?
Really?” I ask as I cross my arms and lean a hip against the bathroom counter
as I scan the bathroom surfaces for urine or...other bodily fluids.

Cole shrugs
a broad shoulder as he stands before me. “It's private.”

Dang, I hate
how good he looks. “Where's your girlfriend?” I ask abruptly, not liking the
direction of my thoughts.

Cole grins
widely and a glint appears in his green eyes. “Passed out in one of the rooms
upstairs. Jealous?”

“You wish.”

He reaches
up and brushes his blond hair out of his eyes as his gaze searches mine. “Maybe
I do,” he says bluntly. “She's sweet like vanilla. Kind of boring if you ask
me.” He moves closer to me, making my body tense as he slips a hand around my
waist and says near my ear, “You on the other hand, you're all hot, silky and
chocolaty with a sweet, juicy cherry on top. How about it, Blayre? Whatever
you're craving, whatever 'rush' you're looking for, I'll give it to you.
Whatever
you want,” he murmurs seductively while nuzzling my ear.

My body is
on full alert and it takes everything I have to move away slightly, my nerves
getting all jittery. I take another drink as I pull myself together and meet
his slightly hypnotic gaze. He is in the mood to seduce tonight and I can feel
myself being drawn to him and I fight it. “What about your new girlfriend?”

“She's not
you.”

I stare long
and hard at him. He's serious. I have a feeling if I went back to him, he'd
drop her in a heartbeat. “I cheated on you. That's not something you'd be able
to put behind you,” I point out.

His lips
tighten slightly. “I'd be willing to look past it. But things would have to
change on your end.”

Right
. I have no intention of going back
to him but I'd been curious as to what his answer would be. I shake my head.
“We're done. I've moved on,” I say as firmly as I can.

“With that
deaf guy? You can't be serious, Blayre. He'll bore you to death.”

“I'm not
talking to you about, Noah. Why am I here, Cole?”

Displeasure
crosses his features along with a hint of disappointment. “Fine. Have it your
way. Your brother has been following me. Get him off my back.”

“I'll figure
something out.”

“Do it
soon,” he growls. “If I go down, you go down right along with me.”

“I wouldn't
have to do anything at all if you hadn't beaten me black and blue,” I snap.
“You beat me up in my own home where I live with a
cop
, Cole. What did
you think he was going to do? Just turn and look the other way?”

“I wouldn't
have had to if you would have kept your legs shut,” he sneers.

My fingers
tighten on the neck of the bottle I am holding. All I want to do is chuck it at
his head. Instead, I calmly take another sip before saying, “Are we done here?”

Cole sighs
and runs a hand through his hair, making it fall across his brow. “Get Tate off
my back and we're done. I won't contact you again.”

“Done.”

Cole sets
his beer on the counter and moves in on me, his hands slipping around my waist.

“What are
you doing?” I ask sharply as I try to back up but there's nowhere to go, not
with the toilet directly behind me.

“Saying
goodbye,” he says simply before his lips are on mine.

I should
pull away. But the second I feel his tongue slide against mine, I find myself
automatically responding. I've missed this. It always felt so good with Cole.
But then Noah flashes in my mind and the pleasure of Cole's kiss begins to
fade. It might feel good to kiss Cole, but it's Noah's kiss that takes me to
whole new levels. His kisses meant more...they meant everything to me.

It's Noah
that has me regaining my senses and pulling my lips from Cole's.

Cole doesn't
push for more as he backs up and grabs his beer. Then he knocks the neck of his
bottle against the one I'm still holding. “To good times past, Blayre.”

I nod
stiffly, and down half the bottle before I set it on the counter with a loud smack
and move around him. He stands back as I leave the smoky bathroom and as I
leave him behind, I realize that somewhere inside me, I feel good about it.
That right there tells me I'm finally moving on from him and I feel content
with my decision.

A satisfied
smile curves my lips as I leave the frat house and walk the block to my car.
It's not until a few minutes later that the smile is fading as I leave the
campus district behind. My vision seems hazy and I feel like I'm high on
something—which isn't possible. I haven't taken anything and I wouldn't get
drunk off one of those wine-coolers or I would never have gotten behind the
wheel.

I try to
shake it off and concentrate on the street before me as my hands tighten on the
steering wheel. My brain starts feeling like a jumbled mess of scattered,
incoherent thoughts as my eyelids grow heavy. Somewhere in the back of my mind,
I know something is very wrong.

Instinct has
me pulling the car over, but I misjudge the curb and my car bounces up it and
slams into a bunch of garbage cans with a loud crash.

“Holy shit,”
I mumble as I quickly put the car in park so I don't do anything else idiotic.
I cut the engine and the world is spinning. “What is happening to me?” I
whisper as I try to concentrate on keeping my eyes open but they don't seem to
want to cooperate.

A loud knock
sounds on my window. “Hey! You okay in there?” a muffled voice calls out.

With heavy
hands, I manage to unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for the door handle. I can't
seem to get it to work but the stranger on the other side must have opened it
because I suddenly fall out and almost do a face plant on the pavement. Strong
arms catch me and steady me as an unfamiliar face peers down at me. “Hey? You
drunk or something?”

My mouth
opens to say something but I can't figure out how to make the words form. The
world begins to tilt and everything fades.

I wake up
feeling disoriented and confused. It takes a bit for me to clear the cobwebs
from my brain before I realize I am in the hospital. My scratchy eyes drop to
my body and I see that I am wearing a hospital gown and there's an IV hooked to
my arm. I manage to lift my heavy arm and peer at it with bewilderment as I
study the tube taped to it. What the hell? My brain still feels a bit fuzzy and
it's a struggle to pull my thoughts together.

“Blayre?”

My eyes
shift and I look up with puzzlement to find Noah standing beside my hospital
bed. I note he's still wearing his uniform from Soloman's and he looks rumpled.
I catch sight of Tate moving from the window in the corner of the room to walk
over and stand beside Noah. Tate's still in his police uniform as well and he
looks like he's ready to implode.

“What's
going on?” I ask uneasily as I lick my dry lips. My mouth is disgustingly dry
as well and I am desperate for some water but first I need answers. I seem to
be lacking some serious information and I can't remember how I got here. “Was I
in an accident or something?”

Tate's lips
tighten slightly as he studies me with a hard glint in his eye. “What's the
last thing you remember?”

“Um...” My
mind goes blank and I struggle to remember anything recent. My memory comes
back slowly and I remember going to work today. I don't really remember the
actually shift though. “I went to work,” I say slowly.

“Do you
remember the conversation we had in the break room?” Noah asks.

“No...”

Tate looks
irritated. “So you don't remember anything from this evening? Nothing to
explain what the hell you were thinking.”

My eyes
widen at his tone and my eyes shift uncertainly from my brother to Noah as I
try to sort out why he'd be so mad.

Noah shakes
his head at Tate and gives him a deliberate look. “Go easy on her. Remember the
doctor warned us the Rozerem can cause memory loss.”

“What are
you guys talking about?” I ask with confusion. I sit up slightly but I don't
seem to be in any pain and I look myself over one more time for any injuries.
“Was I in a car accident? Why am I
here?
”

Tate fixes
me with a black look. “You're here because you decided to drive while you were
doped up on shit. You went off the road and hit some garbage cans. You're lucky
you didn't kill someone.”

“
What?
”
I whisper as I search their faces. Both of them are grim and considering I am
sitting here in a hospital bed—obviously it must be true. I struggle with the
knowledge and look at them anxiously. “I didn't take anything. I swear!”

“You passed
out at the scene and the medics brought you to emergency. You had traces of an
amphetamine in your system, more likely that ecstasy you like to take. There
was also a strong sedative in your system—Rozerem. Whoever the fuck gave you
your drugs mixed the pills up. You're lucky you didn't kill yourself,” Tate
says flatly.

I can't help
but stare at him with disbelief. The accusation in his eyes is enough to make
me cringe inside. “I'm so confused,” I say weakly as I gaze at him. “Tate, I've
been clean for weeks. I had no reason to take anything tonight.”

“No?” Tate
asks tightly as he pulls out a small little plastic packet with several small
pills still inside. “Look familiar? This was in your pocket when you were
brought in. Marley was the attending nurse and she's the one who came across
them. She opted to hide them rather than give them to the officers that were
tending the scene. Thanks to you, you put her in a difficult position and here
I am a damn cop and I have drugs on me! Bloody hell, Blayre!”

Noah quickly
grabs the packet out of my brother's hand and shoves them in his pocket before
he gives my brother a hard look. “I'll flush these and you get answers. Calm
down before you say something you'll regret,” he warns before he turns and
walks toward the hospital room door and disappears into the hall.

“I
didn't...I couldn't have...” My voice falters. This isn't really happening, is
it?

Tate looks
like he's close to erupting. “The labs don't lie. Were you with Cole tonight?”

“Cole? Of
course not! I told you we are over.”

“Then where
did you get the drugs?”

“I told you,
they can't be mine!” I insist as anger begins to rise within me. I am finally
getting my life back on track, I wouldn't mess it up like this.

“They were
in your fucking pocket!”

“I know!” I
holler back with frustration. “I don't remember how they got there! If I did, I
wouldn't be this confused, Tate.”

“It's that
Rozerem that's got your head messed up right now.”

“What
exactly is that?”

“It's the
sedative that was mixed in with the ecstasy. The pills look similar if you
don't look at them too closely. You had both in your system and Rozerem is
known to cause short term memory loss.”

I reach up
with shaky fingers and run them over my face with frustration. “I want to
remember tonight but I can't.”

“I can't
believe you did this. I thought you were finally getting straight,” Tate says
tightly.

My hands
drop and I look at him as tears blur my vision. “I'm sorry. I don't...”

“I can't
even look at you right now. I need to cool down before we have this out,” he
says simply before he turns and walks out of the room.

The door
slams shut and I flinch where I sit on the bed. A couple sobs work their way up
and out of me before I wipe angrily at my tears and try to hold it together. I
need to
think
but it's hard to do when I keep seeing the disappointment
in their eyes. It hurts something fierce to know that I've failed them like
this. And it's not just them. I failed myself as well. Whether I like it or
not, I had obviously done something stupid tonight and Cole was definitely
involved in this mess. There's no one else I would have gotten drugs from.