“I followed Chloe out here, but she got pissed and left me alone.”
“You followed Chloe?” Jade asked in a hesitant voice.
“Yeah, but she left me.”
“Did you, uh…did you and Chloe do anything?” she asked.
“No, I told you that she left.”
“Oh, thank God. I thought…well, never mind, it doesn’t matter. Let’s get you back to the hotel, okay?”
I nodded as Eric threw his arm around me to guide me back toward the street. It took both him and Adam to get me into the back of a taxi. I barely realized where I was before they were hauling me out of the taxi and into one of the hotel elevators.
They had some trouble getting me into my room since I had no idea where my key card was. After Jade searched every pocket I had, she finally found it and unlocked the door. They dragged me inside and threw me down onto the bed.
I groaned as I opened my eyes. I could see someone standing over me. “Chloe?”
“No, it’s Jade. You’re drunk, so get some sleep.”
“Chloe, I’m so sorry. I miss you so much. I just want you back. Will you come back to me?”
“He’s fucking wasted,” Adam said.
“Chloe…” I murmured as I rolled onto my side.
“I can’t stand to see him hurting like this. Maybe we should call her,” Jade said.
“That won’t help anyone. All it will do is freak her out, and you said she’s worried as it is. If she knew how bad he was, she’d lose her mind,” Eric said.
“Maybe if she saw how much he needed her, she’d come out here to help him,” Jade said.
“She won’t, and I don’t blame her. She’s dealt with this kind of thing her entire life. She doesn’t deserve to be thrown back into it. Let him sleep it off, and we’ll try to get through to him in the morning, not that I think it will do any good,” Eric said.
After that, I heard nothing. I felt myself drifting in and out of consciousness for a while until the urge to use the bathroom hit me. I stumbled out of bed and all but crawled to the bathroom. When I was finished, I crawled back to the bed and sat down. I felt like shit, and I needed something to help. I looked out the window and noticed that the sun was already starting to rise. I’d have to be up soon anyway, so I definitely needed a pick-me-up.
I opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out my mirror and bag of cocaine. I knew I’d never make it to the living room, so I laid the mirror down on the bed and dumped the coke out. I tried to make lines the best I could, but I could barely see straight. In a can of soda on the nightstand, I saw a straw, so I grabbed it and used it instead of trying to roll a bill.
When I finished snorting the lines, I threw everything back into the drawer. I glanced at the bag. That was funny. I thought I had more coke than that this morning, but the bag was now empty. I shrugged and then slammed the drawer shut. I draped my body over the bed as I felt it take over.
I must have fallen asleep. The next thing I knew, Jade was standing over me, shaking me, as she screamed at me. I groaned once before I started vomiting.
“He’s stable. We’ve got his fever down, and we’ve cleared out his lungs. It’s a good thing you found him when you did, or he would have suffocated.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
“I think so, but we won’t know for sure until he wakes up. How long has he been using cocaine?”
“I’m not sure. A couple of months, I think.”
“I definitely suggest getting him into some kind of rehabilitation program. The amount of cocaine in his system was astronomical, and if he mixed it with the amount of alcohol you said he drank last night…well, let’s just say that he’s lucky to be alive.”
“We’ve told him he needs to get help, but he refuses to listen to us. I don’t know what to do.”
“This isn’t going to be easy, but you need to try and convince him when he wakes up. I can keep him here for a few days while his body detoxes, but that’s it. Maybe once he detoxes, he will see reason.”
“Thank you for everything. I’ll try again, but I don’t know if he will listen.”
I tried to open my eyes to see who was speaking, but I couldn’t. On top of that, my entire body felt like a ton of bricks was weighing it down. I finally gave up as unconsciousness took over.
“Any change?”
“He still isn’t awake. It’s been almost twenty-four hours, Eric. Why isn’t he waking up?”
“Don’t cry, Jade. Just give him some time.”
“I don’t know what to do. I’m so scared, and I don’t think I can take any more.”
“I know. I talked to Brad. He’s willing to work with us, but either Drake gets clean, or we’re done. Brad said the label would even pay for Drake’s treatment if we can get him to go.”
“What if he won’t? He’s refused every time we’ve tried.”
“If he won’t, then it’s time to walk away. I love him, but I can’t keep watching him go through this.”
“Jade,” I whispered.
“Oh my God! He just said my name.”
I heard footsteps approach, but I was out before I had the chance to speak again.
“His eyelids fluttered! Did you see that?”
“I saw it. Hopefully, he’ll fully wake up this time.”
My body felt like it was on fire. I had no idea where I was. I could hear Adam and Jade’s voices. I peeled open my eyes to see them standing above me.
Jade’s face broke into a grin as she watched me. “Adam, get Eric and the nurse! He’s awake. Drake, can you hear me?”
“Jade?” My throat was burning, and saying her name made me feel like I’d swallowed a sword.
“Yes, it’s me. Don’t try to talk, okay? Just rest. I’m so glad you’re awake. I was so scared.”
“Where—” I broke out into a coughing fit that made me want to scream in pain.
“Shh…you’re in the hospital. The nurse will explain everything. Just relax.”
She took my hand as Adam entered the room with Eric and a young woman following behind him.
“Hey, buddy. It’s good to see you awake,” Eric said as he approached my bed.
“Good evening, Mr. Allen. I’m Clarissa, your night nurse.”
“Water,” I managed to croak out.
“Yes, of course.” She walked to a nearby table and poured water into a small cup.
When she returned to my bedside, she placed a straw into my mouth, and I started drinking.
“Go slow, or you’ll choke,” she reprimanded me.
I tried to take smaller sips. When my throat didn’t feel like it was on fire, I released the straw, and she set the cup on the table beside me.
“Do you know where you are?” she asked.
I nodded. “Hospital.”
“That’s right. Do you know why you’re here?”
I shook my head. The last thing I remembered was Eric and Adam hauling my drunk ass back to my hotel room.
“You overdosed on cocaine, Mr. Allen. If it wasn’t for your friend Jade, you’d be dead right now.”
My eyes widened, but I said nothing. How could I have overdosed? I was always careful about how much I used each time. Unless…unless I used while I was drinking. I wanted to smack myself right about now. How could I have been so stupid?
“I’m going to page your doctor. He should be here in just a few minutes.”
My eyes moved to Jade as the nurse left. Even though Jade was trying her hardest to hold back her tears, they were slowly sliding down her cheeks.
“Don’t…cry,” I croaked out. I cursed mentally at my inability to talk. How the hell was I supposed to make things better for her when I couldn’t even speak?
“I can’t help it. You’ve been unconscious for over twenty-four hours, and I thought we’d lost you. This has to stop, Drake. I can’t take any more.”