Page 73 of When We Fall: Part One

I was going to be sick.

She laughed as I pushed past everyone and went to the door. Cole followed me out. I didn’t make it as far as I wanted, but out was fine with me.

I emptied my guts into a flowerbed, my head spinning.

“Fuck, E,” Cole said, rubbing my back. “You good, man?”

I shook my head and heaved again, the sickness growing.

“N-need to go home. Please. G-get me out of here.”

“Yeah. Come on.” Cole helped me to the Escalade. I threw up once more before getting into the back seat, Cole following.

I watched as he pulled a vial and syringe out of his leather jacket pocket.

“Yeah?” he asked softly, staring me down.

I nodded and held out my arm for him.

Within minutes, he had me fucked up on the meds, the world spinning away.

“I won’t let her hurt you,” he murmured, his fingers in my hair as my lashes fluttered. “Fuck that bitch, E. Don’t let her get to you. I’ll protect you.”

I clung to his hand before I let the darkness take over.

I needed the break anyway.

TWENTY-SIX

ENZO

Isat in the office near the fire and gave myself a dose of sugar through a vein before picking up my glass of scotch and staring into the flames.

The last few days had been a nightmare. The house felt cold and empty. Rosalie’s laughter wasn’t here to make me smile or feel any sort of emotion other than sadness. Cole was barely eating. E had returned to the basement to work more. After his meltdown at Vander Veer’s, I was glad to see him trying to get back to his normal. I hated it when he was feeling down, and these days, it was every fucking day.

I didn’t know how to help him. Asking him only yielded a sigh, a shrug, and him telling me he was working through shit. But I had seen him on his phone earlier in the day, looking at therapists in the area after a rotten night of listening to him scream.

The therapist was a good sign.

I was sure we had Rosalie to thank for that. At least he was looking, so that was a new development.

I was on the same page as he was as far as shit went with Vander Veer. I’d give him Club Thorn before I made E take a hit like that. Or Cole.

I could always get a new club, but I couldn’t replace my best friends.

Of course, the way shit was looking, I might be losing Fox. We’d said some unkind things to each other before he’d left. I knew it was killing Cole. Seeing how Fox had just picked up and left and took Rosalie with him made all the fear I’d had bubble even closer to the top.

I drank down two more glasses of scotch before I opted to simply drink right from the bottle.

Within the hour, I was so wasted that I didn’t know if I was coming or going.

I heard my office door open and soft footsteps sound out.

“Cole, we need more scotch,” I slurred from my seat, not bothering to move. I didn’t even open my eyes. I was in a mood. I missed Rosalie and Fox. I didn’t know how to fix shit either.

It was killing me inside.

Soft hands landed on my thighs. Blearily, I stared through the slits of my eyelids and saw Rosalie on her knees in front of me.