Chapter 29

twenty-nine

NOT AGAIN

T orryn is sitting in the living room, curled into Baylor’s side, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. I walk up behind them, grab the bowl of popcorn and dump it over Torryn’s head.

She turns around, ready to bite my head off as she dusts pieces of popcorn from her hair but I don’t give her the chance.

“Why does Tate think I’m dating a stripper?”

Her anger morphs into amusement and Baylor yawns as he blinks his eyes open, looking around in mild confusion. “Why am I covered in popcorn?”

We both ignore him and I arch a brow, waiting for Torryn to give me an answer.

“I was helping you.”

I shake my head and her amusement only grows. I may not know the story, but there’s one thing I do know for sure. “You did it because you thought it was funny.”

She laughs and Baylor looks between the two of us, still confused as he picks a piece of popcorn out of Torryn’s hair and pops it into his mouth. Gross.

“It was funny,” she agrees .

I pick up Potato and put him in my lap so I can sit on the couch while I glare at her. “He gave me a whole spiel about how he wouldn’t judge who I choose to date on the way home this morning.”

She bursts out laughing but Baylor nods sagely behind her. “It’s true, man. We don’t care if your girl is a stripper. Torryn basically strips for tips.”

“That’s an exaggeration,” she argues but he just gives her a look and I have to agree with Baylor on this one.

“First time I met you, you were on stage,” I add and she flips me off.

“Point is, we don’t judge. Bring your girl around,” Baylor says and I put my face in my hands.

“Do you see what you’ve done?” I ask Torryn, but she’s trying her damn hardest not to laugh. At least Emery found it funny, because if she had heard I was hooking up with a stripper and thought it was true, I’d have to fight Baylor. I can’t hit a girl, but I can hit her boyfriend.

“I’m not dating a stripper,” I clarify for Baylor.

He gives me a skeptical look. “But you are dating someone and you’re hiding it from us.”

I groan. I will not tell Baylor before I tell Tate. Too many people already know without him being the first one. “Because we weren’t ready for anyone to know yet,” I explain as calmly and vaguely as I can. “Not because she strips. Because we wanted time with the two of us before anyone else put their noses and opinions in our business.”

“When will you tell us?” he asks and I roll my eyes. Probably tomorrow after I tell Tate, but I don’t want to get into that with him.

“When I feel like it.”

He flips me off and Torryn laughs. “You’re such an asshole,” I tell her, but she shrugs like it doesn’t bother her in the slightest. I know it doesn’t but it makes me feel better calling her one.

My phone vibrates and Baylor makes a cooing sound and I ignore him when I see Emery’s text letting me know they just got to the restaurant.

“What are your plans for tonight?” I ask, noticing for the first time how quiet the house is.

Baylor points at the television and popcorn all over the couch. “This. You?”

I get another text from Emery saying she’s getting a weird feeling about the night. My stomach turns and I look up how far the restaurant is. The answer is too far. If something does happen, I want to be able to be there quickly.

“I’m going back out,” I answer, putting my phone back in my pocket. Anxiety makes my voice sound tight and Torryn arches a brow before asking Baylor to go get the handheld vacuum to clean up the popcorn.

As soon as he turns his back, I show Torryn the texts because I know she’s going to ask and I’d rather not waste time. “She’s with the same girls from Tease,” I explain and Torryn’s eyes darken. She clocked them as assholes too.

“Do you want us to come?”

I debate the answer, mostly because I’ll be sitting by myself while Emery’s at dinner, but that seems a bit dramatic. “How would we explain it to Baylor?”

She waves her hands like that’s unimportant. “Play it off as a coincidence.”

“She’s spending the night tonight.”

Torryn snorts. “Ballsy.”

“We’re telling Tate tomorrow. We don’t want to sneak around anymore, but too many people already know before him. I've given him enough reason to kick my ass without adding more people to that list. ”

“Fair enough.”

Baylor comes back vacuum in hand and starts cleaning up the bits and pieces of popcorn.

“You leaving now?”

I nod in answer. “Might as well.”

“Call if you need us.”

I nod my thanks and stop at my room to grab an extra sweatshirt for Emery. The girl is always cold.

I’m almost at the restaurant when I get another text. Rather than heading to the bar down the street where I was going to wait, I head straight for the restaurant. As soon as I park, I check my phone to find another text from Emery, except it’s not Emery. Megan texted on her phone saying something was really wrong.

My heart lurches from my chest and I jump out of my truck and am calling Emery as I run into the restaurant. It’s large with open seating, a full bar and nearly packed with people.

“We’re in the bathroom,” Megan says as soon as she picks up and I can hear the panic in her voice. I wave at the hostess who is giving me a strange look and turn the corner to the bathrooms. I don’t even hesitate to push into the women’s restroom.

I find Megan leaning over Emery as her face rests against the toilet seat and I cringe even as worry makes me rush to her side. This bathroom is definitely not as clean as the one at our house. There’s no way she could have drank enough to be feeling sick in the short amount of time between texts. Unless they were pregaming at Megan’s.

“What did she drink?” I demand as Emery groans, her eyes filling with tears.

I hush her, brushing hair from her face. There’s no smell of vomit. Has she puked yet?

Megan is shaking her head. “She was drinking iced tea,” she explains. “Only iced tea.” Tears fill her eyes as well and her voice shakes. “That’s why we realized something was wrong so quickly.”

Dread fills me and Emery’s eyes seem to glaze over. “Has she puked?” Megan shakes her head and I pick up Emery off the floors and place her into my lap instead. “Start from the beginning,” I demand and my words come out harsh and gritted. I shouldn’t take it out on this girl, but I’m barely holding on to my control.

Megan seems unfazed by my anger. “We both had a weird feeling about tonight. We kind of got into it with Becca right before leaving her house and we debated even coming, but Becca cried.” Of fucking course she did. “But there was something off about it. Em and I agreed neither one of us would drink and I drove us here so we could leave if shit hit the fan.”

Her words start to slur together and she keeps blinking and shaking her head as if trying to dispel a fog slowly encroaching her mind.

“They tried to get her to order a drink because no one was being ID’d, but she waved them off and got iced tea but there was a look between Becca and that creep Jeremy and then he left the table for the bathroom.I didn’t think anything of it at first and when Em first started feeling a little off, we thought it was anxiety. But then she was acting confused, her words starting to slur, and her eyes got that glassy look and I remembered Jeremy leaving the table before the drinks got there. I think he’s friends with people who work here and that’s why they weren’t checking our IDs.”

I’m going to kill him. My body shakes with my rage and Emery murmurs something in my arms. I cup her face in my hands and try to get her to look at me. “Em, baby. Can you look at me?”

“Xander,” she whispers .

“I’m here, baby,” I promise. “Can you tell me how you’re feeling?”

“Scared.” The answer breaks my fucking heart and Megan cries. “The room is like one of those movie reels,” she continues. I have no idea that is supposed to mean. “It makes my head hurt.” Her words come slowly, like each one takes great effort to get out in the correct order.

“I wanted to leave,” Megan says. “But I had a few sips of her iced tea. She said it was really good and I wanted to try it.”

Fucking hell. I want to kill every single person at that table.

“I brought her in here when it was starting to become a little more obvious she was under the influence of something. I think they wanted her to embarrass herself.”

I curse under my breath. “You’re a good friend,” I soothe her worry. “How much did Emery drink?”

“I had a few sips,” she repeats, but I wait patiently because I can see her trying to fight the disorientation. “She had about half.”

“Em, baby, do you feel like you’re going to puke?”

She shakes her head and her whole face scrunches before she closes her eyes and leans her head against my shoulder.

Okay, I need a plan. Both of these girls need to get out of here and be safely tucked away in my truck. If Megan is feeling it from only a few sips, whatever they dosed them with is obviously strong. Should I take them to the hospital? Do I call the cops?

Okay, first things, first. Let’s get the girls out of here. I lift Emery carefully as I climb to my feet. “Megan, can you walk?”

She nods slowly. “I’m mostly okay, things are just a little hazy.”

I watch her carefully. “I had a few sips of the iced tea,” she repeats, almost to herself. I don’t think she remembers our full conversation, but she isn’t swaying on her feet either .

“Hold onto my elbow and stay with me, okay?”

She nods but doesn’t step any closer to me. I move towards the bathroom door and she follows me. “Grab my elbow,” I instruct again, a little slower this time and wait for her to do it. As soon as I feel her hand, I open the door. “Don’t let go,” I remind her. I want to run the fuck out of here, but I keep my steps measured for her sake.

We only make it a few steps before two guys step in our way and I instantly recognize both of the fuckers. “Who the fuck are you?” the taller one demands, and he’s the creep Emery went on a date with.

“Get the fuck out of my way,” I growl. If I didn’t have Emery in my arms, I’d already be throwing the first punch.

He scoffs, his lip curling up in a sneer as he glares at me. “That’s my girl in your arms,” he says snidely. “What kind of a guy would I be if I let some stranger carry her out of here?”

Worst possible choice of words.

“The fuck she is.” And my voice carries all the promise of violence I can muster. “Now move, before I call the cops on your little bitch ass.”

“What the fuck is happening here?” a familiar voice demands and I don’t know if I should be relieved or even more panicked. More than anything my rage wins.

The other little fuck turns to Tate. “This guy is trying to kidnap our friend because she had a little too much to drink.” The smarmy fucker makes me shake with the intensity of anger and violence that thrashes in my chest.

I pass Emery off to Tate and I step into the fucker’s space, making him cower beneath me. “You think you’d recognize your friend’s brother, don’t you think?” I growl and he takes a step back but I follow him. “Friends don’t drug friends,” I spit in his face and color leaches from it as he tries to stammer a response, but I’m not interested in hearing it .

“We didn’t fucking do anything to her,” he shouts, trying to push past me, as the taller one grabs his arm and attempts to yank him.

“Excuse me,” a small female voice interrupts us. “I’m going to have to ask you all to leave or I’m going to have to call the cops.”

“Please do,” I say, vibrating with my rage. “They spiked these girls’ drinks.”

The waitress visibly blanches and rushes off, hopefully to call the cops. I turn my attention back to the taller fucker and grip him by the front of his shirt. “What the fuck did you give her?” I demand.

“I, I don’t know man. It’s not that big of a deal,” he stammers and I slam him against the wall.

Tate steps between us, his hands coming to rest on my chest. “The cops are coming,” he says using his soothing tone but it does fuck all to curb my desire to put my fist in this guys’ face. “Xander,” he snaps my name. “You can’t do this.” He’s right, but I almost don’t fucking care. “Emery wouldn’t want you to lose hockey for her,” he whispers.

The sound of her name brings me somewhat back to myself. I snap out of it, looking at Tate and really seeing him for the first time. Where the fuck is Emery?

I turn around and find another waitress sitting with Emery and Megan on the seating meant for waiting for a table and encouraging them to slowly slip on water and reassuring them that everything is okay. I force myself to take a deep breath and release the bastard. The cops will deal with it.

Tate’s hand lands on my shoulder and he squeezes, though I can sense his confusion. Though I also have no idea how he’s here right now.

Megan’s eyes are wide as she stares at both of us and I think I have my answer. She probably forgot she texted both of us for help. I can’t even focus on that right now.

I kneel in front of Emery, taking her hands in mine. “You okay, Em?”

Her confusion hits me like a damn hammer to the gut. “What is happening?” she cries.

Tate curses behind me and drops to his knees at my side, murmuring his own reassurances to her.

“Keep getting them to drink some water,” the older waitress advises us. “The police and ambulance will be here soon.”

I nod my thanks and check on Megan while Tate has Emery sipping water. “You good?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, but I shake my head.

“Don’t worry, Megan. How are you feeling?”

She shrugs and I lift the water back to her mouth and she takes small sips. I want nothing more than to pull Emery back in my lap and hold her tightly, but she would want me to take care of her friend.

Sirens sound from outside and both boys’ faces turn white as they trade looks. Becca hasn’t made an appearance and I’m not even sure if the rest of their group is aware of what is happening.

Two officers walk into the restaurant, their eyes immediately landing on us. One of them stops at the hostess stand to talk to the workers gathered there while the other beelines toward us.

Tate stands to meet him and they exchange introductions and I have no idea how he can be so calm. I move to sit next to Emery and she leans her head against my shoulder, her eyes resting closed.

“I’m Officer Matthew. You girls think your drink was spiked?” he asks, looking at both girls before looking at me. “We’re sure they were just drinking? ”

“She was drinking iced tea,” Megan whispers.

“Iced tea sounds good,” Emery murmurs and I hush her, glaring at the officer.

He puts his hands up in a relax motion. “I have to ask,” he defends. “Now, my partner and I are going to take each of your statements, but we’re going to have to separate you for that part.”

My eyes narrow at him and I hold Emery tighter. “Neither one of them is in a position to give you a statement while they’re under the influence.”

Tate crosses his arms over his chest and he’s as in over his head as I feel. “Maybe we should call your dad?”

Tate nods and walks away to call him. The officer takes a deep breath as his partner joins him. “He shouldn’t have asked that question the way he did,” he appeases. “I’m Officer Daniels. We just need clarification on the situation. Okay?” He looks over the girls and they look so much younger than they did only earlier today. “They aren’t in trouble,” he reassures us. “But we do need to ask some questions to help us help them.”

“I’m not leaving them alone with anyone.”

The officers exchange looks before nodding. “Okay, we can do that. Can we start with some names and ages?”

I answer the majority of the questions, but Megan adds a few answers from what happened before I arrived. Paramedics arrive in the middle of the questions and I carry Emery out before they even make it through the front door.

One of the paramedics helps Megan follow us and both girls are assessed and hooked up to IVs for fluids. The officers come with us and finish their questions, but Megan starts to become less and less coherent as the drug hits her a little harder. The paramedics recommend waiting until the next day before asking any more questions .

As they continue to check over Emery, I tell the officers everything Megan had said when I arrived.

They end up calling for backup when they realize how many underage kids were being served at the restaurant and the older waitress curses when she realizes, putting her head into her hands.

Both fuckers who tried to stop me from leaving are led out in hand-cuffs and put into the back of a car and I can’t deny the satisfaction that fills me at the sight.

Tate is pulled away to answer his own questions, but he continues to throw glances in my direction where I sit next to Emery, holding her hand. She murmurs my name every few minutes and I reassure her I’m still with her.

“Neither of the girls look to be at risk of an overdose, but we’re going to take them in for some bloodwork and make sure everything is okay,” the paramedic monitoring Emery explains to me and I nod my head. “It’ll be a rough night for her and an even rougher morning. Hydration will be the most important thing and ask the hospital what pain management medications are okay to give her.”

“Thank you.”

The night already feels long and when Emery’s dad shows up, I kiss her hand and give up my spot in the ambulance to him. I’ve lost track of all the chaos happening, but figure as long as those bastards are far away from Emery, that’s the only thing I care about.

The ambulances pull out of the parking lot and head to the hospital and I start walking to my truck to follow them when Tate steps in front of me, blocking my path. “You’re not dating a stripper,” he says and my exhaustion weighs my entire body down. “You’re dating my sister.”

His eyes harden when I don’t say anything. “Or are you just fucking my sister because you said you’re not dating anyone.” His face grows hot as his anger rises and I can’t even blame him. I deserve every inch of his ire. But not right now. Not when Emery is in the back of an ambulance on the way to the hospital. She needs me.

“Tate, man. You have every right to be pissed, but I can’t do this with you right now.”

He shoves me in the chest. “Don’t you think the least you owe me is some fucking answers?”

I sigh, nodding. “I do, man. And you’re my best friend in the whole fucking world,” I say and some of his anger deflates as he crosses his arms over his chest and waits. “But that girl on her way to the hospital? That girl is my whole damn world and she needs me.”

Shock wars with something else and I have no idea what to make of it. I’ve never been unable to read Tate’s expressions, but he almost feels like a stranger to me now. Like he’s put up walls between us.

“My dad is with her,” he reminds me. “I just want some answers, Xander. You have to understand that.”

I shake my head. “This is Emery’s life too. It’s her story and she deserves to be a part of this conversation. We were going to talk to you,” I promise him. “But it’s something we agreed to do together and I am waiting for her.”

He struggles to wrap his head around the words. Trying to decide if he should punch me or not.

“You can punch me tomorrow if you want to, Tate,” I say. “But I’m going to the hospital to be with her.”

He doesn’t say anything and that gnaws at my soul, but my girl needs me. Even if that hurts the second most important person in my life, I’m not going to make her wait.