I scan the room. My eyes land on the foil and a candle.
Fuck.
I push myself to my knees, crawling toward it like it’s my Savior—like it will give me life—or end me. Maybe both.
Fuck it. I’ve already ruined everything anyway. I’ve already lost. It’s just a little more. Just enough to forget. I’ll deal with dying later.
Besides, I’d be putting Alley out of her misery.
I drop back on my heels, whispering the lie I always start with.”It’s the last time.”My hands shake as I hold the bag, and the second I make my decision—they stop.
And I stop fighting.
I stumbleinto the side of my building.
No. Not my building.
Mine isn’t brick.
Shit. How much farther?
I fix my gaze on the street sign at the corner.Goddammit.I can’t make it out. I squint, trying to bring the letters into focus, but everything’s spinning. The streets swirl around me. The noise of the city feels louder than usual. Sirens, voices, and tires on wet pavement all bleed together into one haunting sound.
“Almost home. Just get home,” I whisper, my teeth chattering. “Youcanlaydown. Just… gethome.”
My shirt’s soaked through, and I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing up and down for warmth. I wipe my face. Rain—or sweat—I can’t even tell. Everything’s wet.
I focus on a nearby building sign, lit up like a beacon, but it’s too bright. I flinch, squeeze my eyes shut, and press my hand to the wall. My knees buckle, and I slide down, my body giving out beneath me. “I jus’wanna lay down,” I mumble.
“You have to keep going,” a voice says.
“No. Need to rest.”
“Keep going.”
My head snaps up. “Who said that?” My voice comes out cracked, weak. I look around, trying to make sense of what’s happening—of where the fuck I am.
Someone’s following me. I know they are. I have to get home.I think I’m close. I have to be close.
A blonde flashes through my mind—distorted, lips parted, fuzzy like a dream.Alley. Was she at the party?
I stumble farther down the road, feet dragging. There are people around me—I can hear them, feel the movement—but they all blend together.
I press my fingers to my brow and swipe at the sweat dripping down my face.God. I’m gonna be sick.Nausea whips through me, sudden and sharp. It knocks a groan out of me as I clutch my stomach and double over, crouching low until it eases just enough to breathe.
“Just get home, you piece of shit!” I yell, voice echoing down the street.
Fuck. What did Seth give me?
This feels different.
Was it the benzo? Was it the smoking?
Alley.
“Get to Alley.”
If I can just get to her…
