AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 21
SAM
I must’ve fallen asleep at one point, but I woke up to a loud buzzing. It stopped after a minute, but started up again almost immediately. I nudged Clink, trying to get him to wake up, but he just grumbled, his grip around my waist tightening slightly. The buzzing stopped and started again. It sounded like a phone going off. Worried it was mine, and Tyson was calling, I wriggled free of Clink’s octopus grasp, stumbling over to where I’d set down my purse by the door. It wasn’t my phone, though. I had one message from Tyson checking in, but otherwise it was silent. Looking around, I followed the noise to Clink’s jeans, pulling out his phone from his pocket.
Clink had several missed calls from names I recognized on his crew. I nudged his shoulder, but he just turned over. With a sigh, I answered it the next time someone called.
“Hello?”
There was a pause before I heard Brewer’s voice. “Uh, hey. Is Clink around?”
“He’s asleep. I tried to wake him, but he just ignored me.”
Brewer huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, getting that asshole to wake up is a pain in the ass. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to toss his mattress.”
I snickered at the thought, looking over at Clink. He lost all his mischievousness while he was asleep, but he was still so good looking it made my heart pound and butterflies explode in my belly. I was so distracted looking at him, I forgot I was on the phone.
“Hey, I’m supposed to be making sure he stays clean. He’s good with you, though, right?”
My eyebrows flew up. “You are?”
“Well, yeah… That shit’s heavy. He can’t do it on his own. No matter how much he likes to pretend he can. He hates me for it already, but–”
“But don't stop. I know that feeling, wanting to do it on your own and resenting people for helping, but you’re right. He can’t do it on his own.”
Brewer went quiet for a minute before responding. “So, you too, huh?”
I grimaced. I didn't share my story with just anyone, but since Brewer was just calling to make sure Clink was safe and sober, I wanted him to know he could trust me.
“Um, sort of. I’m not a user, but… I’ve had my own issues in the past.” My mind shifted to the marks on my wrists, but I pushed the thought away. “He’s okay here. I don’t even keep alcohol in the house. But if you’d rather I bring him back–”
“Nah, we’re good. He’s pissed, but resigned to me helping him. If I interrupt his sex life, he’ll actually try and kill me, and then I’ll have to kick his ass. I’m too tired to deal with that shit tonight. Just… Don’t let him get his own ride home. He’s barely been sober a week, and I’m sure you know he’s already gone lookin’ to score. He’s not ready to be on his own yet.”
Glancing over at Clink, I sighed. “I know. He’s okay for now. I kind of doubt I could wake him anyway.”
“Yeah, good luck with that in the morning. He sleeps like the dead and then wakes up with more energy than that stupid bunny on TV.”
I pursed my lips, fighting back a laugh. “Oh, joy. Thanks for the warning.”
He hung up, and I set Clink’s phone down on my nightstand, but before I could climb back into bed, another message popped up. Thinking maybe it was Brewer with another funny warning or something, I didn't think twice about checking it. And I was really glad I did.
D: Want a hit?
I didn’t need a fancy college degree to figure out who that was and what he was asking about. That was Clink’s dealer. Which meant Clink was still in contact with him. My expression hardened, and I thought about telling the guy off and blocking him myself, but that wasn’t my job. It was Clink who had to make that choice. I decided to wait and see what he’d do. Setting the phone down on the nightstand, I crawled back into bed, but I couldn’t get comfortable anymore.
Gone was the blissful feeling of just being happy in bed with a guy I really liked. It was like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over my head, reminding me that the things that were important to me, like honesty and trust, were not a priority in Clink’s life. I couldn’t be in a relationship with a guy who didn’t care about those things, no matter how much I liked him.
His arm snaked around my middle, pulling me back against his chest. Sadness washed over me. He said he wanted to try to be in a relationship with me. It was the first time I opened up like that in years. And now it felt tainted.
* * *
I did eventually fall back asleep, but it took a lot longer than normal. When I woke up, the sun was already out, and I still felt exhausted. I thought about turning over and going back to sleep, but when I tried, I noticed Clink wasn’t in bed anymore. I sat up quickly, worried he snuck out while I was still asleep.
“Morning, sleepyhead.”
Clutching the sheets to my chest, I peeked past the bookshelf towards the tiny kitchen tucked into the corner of the room. If it could be called a kitchen. It didn’t even have a full sized fridge. Counter space was extremely limited, and storage was basically non-existent. It was all I could afford, though, so I made do. Clink stood in the kitchen in his boxers, his focus on the pan in front of him.
“You know how to cook?”
