Page 39 of Final Temptation (Alpine Peak #2)

I ran toward the bright headlights, ripping my phone off the charger and returning to Myles while I dialed 9-1-1.

“9-1-1, what’s the location of your emergency?” the monotone operator answered.

“I need an ambulance. It’s my boyfriend. He’s passed out, and he’s not waking up or responding to me. Please, I need your help—” I rambled through each weep, the sobs taking away my ability to breathe.

“Ma’am, slow down and breathe, tell me where you are so I can send help.”

“I’m on Old Creek Road. ” I focused on taking one breath at a time. “By the accident site from last year. The one w-with Anthony Wilson,” I stuttered.

We were in the middle of nowhere for fuck’s sake, and it was dark as hell out here.

One perk of living in a small town—there wasn’t a lot of crime that went on.

When the accident happened last year, everyone knew about it.

Everyone still talked about it to this day.

The operator had to know exactly where I was.

“I’m sending help now. In the meantime, ma’am, what’s your name?”

“Sophie,” I answered, my eyes drifting between the dark road and Myles.

“Sophie, is your boyfriend breathing?”

“Yes! But something doesn’t seem right. I’m pretty sure he’s had an entire bottle of tequila tonight.” I stood on the step, elevating my height in order to be closer to him.

“Can you feel his pulse?” she asked.

I put two fingers on his neck, my hands uncontrollably shaking when I tried to locate a thump beneath his skin. After a few seconds of holding my fingers against his clammy skin, a small pulse beat through. “Y-Yes, and I can feel short breaths coming from his nose,” I answered, my hands trembling.

“Good. You’re doing great, Sophie.”

“What can I do? There has to be something I can do to help while I wait!” I pleaded.

“Keep doing what you’re doing. Stay on the line with me while we wait for paramedics to arrive. As long as he continues breathing, everything seems stable enough until help arrives.”

“How long is that going to be?” I cried impatiently, once again looking down the dark mountain road, willing for help to turn the corner any second now.

“Any minute now. In the meantime, I want to ask you more questions in order to give the paramedics as much information as possible.”

“Okay.” I sniffled.

“Okay, thank you for being so cooperative. You said there was a bottle of tequila. Do you know the size of the bottle?” I reached over Myles, my fingers stretching out to grab the clear container.

“It’s a fifth.” Knowing the answer right off the bat, I’d realized working in the bar industry finally gave me knowledge that was useful.

“And you said it’s empty, correct?” she asked, the sound of keys typing in the background.

“Y-Yes,” I cried, my eyes burning a hole through the empty bottle.

What have you done, Myles?

“Do you have any idea around what time he may have started consumption? ”

“I left him at around seven, then I know he went to the gym. Usually, he’s there for an hour and a half.

He must have come home for a while after that because the TV was on when I got home, and we had texted a little bit.

” I ran through my thoughts out loud. “Our last text was around nine-thirty; he seemed completely fine.”

She continued to type in the background, gathering all the information. At the same time, I did the math in my head as well. It was just after two in the morning, and if I had to guess, he’d drunk the bottle pretty quickly—within a few hours.

“Good, Sophie. You’re doing great. I have the GPS on the ambulance tracking, and it looks like they should be arriving any second now.”

Simultaneously, the sirens blared in the distance while she reassured me. “Thank you, I can hear them.” I stared down the gravel road, eventually the bright blue and red lights lit up the night sky.

“They’re here!” I screeched through sobs into the phone.

“Sophie, they are going to take it from here. Is there anything else you need from me?” the operator asked.

“No, thank you so much.” I sniffled before hanging up.

Swiping my finger over Myles’ forehead, I combed his hair away from his eyes, whispering, “Myles, everything is going to be okay. Help is here. Please hang on for me, I love you too fucking much to let you go.” I had no idea if he’d heard me, and I didn’t care.

I loved this man.

I’d tell him over and over again.

I just needed him to wake up first.

Holding him in my arms, I sobbed and prayed he’d be okay. I held him so tight that the paramedics had to rip me away from his body in order to assist him.

“Ma’am, we need to get him loaded up. Are you in any condition to drive to meet us at the hospital, or will you be riding in the ambulance?”

Could I drive? Yes. But that wouldn’t be an option. “I won’t be leaving his side,” I demanded.

“Go stand at the back of the ambulance, we will take it from here, trust us, okay?” I didn’t take my eyes off Myles as I backed up, walking closer to the blue and red lights.

The EMTs worked hard and quickly to get Myles out of his Jeep, strapping his limp body to the gurney.

My heart continued to crack with each wave of anxiety that hit me.

The thought of something even more terrible happening to him was like walking over tiny shards of broken glass, with no alternate route out.

When they cleared his vehicle, I moved swiftly, locking up my car and his, retrieving his keys since our cars would be left on the side of the road until we could come get them at a later date.

The gurney slid into the truck, and I was right behind them, hopping in before they shut the double doors behind me.

My trust was in their hands now, and I had faith everything would turn around; we just needed to get to the hospital sooner rather than later.

The image of sitting in a hospital waiting room, cold and alone, horrified me. I knew it was time to make the treacherous call to Paige and Declan. I needed them, and Myles did too, even if he didn’t know it.

My hands still shook, the vibrations making it almost impossible to pull up my contact list.

“Here, drink this.” The EMT handed me a water bottle. I accepted, even though I couldn’t think of stomaching anything right now, let alone water. I already had bile stuck in my throat, threatening to rise up with every glance I took at Myles strapped to a bed in the back of an ambulance.

The moment I pressed Paige’s name, at two-thirty in the morning, I knew when she answered the phone, she’d be aware something was wrong. Any call that came in at this hour, would always be bad news.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Just when I thought her voicemail would pick up, her groggy voice answered. “Soph?” she questioned. “Is everything okay?”

“Paige…” Tears continued to roll down my cheeks; they were completely unavoidable at this point.

“Sophie, what’s going on?” She sounded more awake by the second.

“Babe, what’s happening?” I heard Declan from the other end of the line.

My heart snapped in two, having to be the one to deliver the news. I swiped at my tears, soaking the sleeves of my crewneck.

“It’s Myles.” My voice cracked. “He relapsed. We’re on our way to the hospital in an ambulance. Meet us there. I’ll tell you everything.” I could hardly get the words out.

“Soph, everything is going to be okay; you hear me?” I didn’t answer, I only continued to cry, her voice becoming more distant as my thoughts drifted away from me.

Saturdays quickly went from wildflowers and coffee to tequila and neon lights.