Part 13 (2/2)

The two men stare at each other and Bryn's continued heavy breathing and tight grasp worry me. This guy is beyond p.i.s.sed off, I'm lucky he didn't hit first and ask questions later.

”Just b.l.o.o.d.y listen to me!” I pull at Bryn's arm. ”Tegan isn't well! She needed help and I stepped in. I haven't done anything I left her in there, so I could look for you!”

Bryn slowly loosens his hand and I step to one side, re-adjusting my s.h.i.+rt. The anger in Bryn's eyes doesn't drop with his hand. ”What do you mean she isn't well? Drunk?”

”No, I think it might be drugs and...”

”What the f.u.c.k? Stupid girl! Let me in that room!” Bryn grabs the keycard from my hand and shoves me to one side; I stumble, relieved the threat of violence has gone.

Jem steps closer and studies my face. ”What's going on, Jax? Have you just screwed Bryn's sister? I didn't think you were that stupid!”

”No. I'm not that f.u.c.king stupid.” I rake my fringe from my face. ”Jem. Talk to him. I think somebody drugged Tegan.”

Jem stiffens. ”What the f.u.c.k?”

I stammer out what happened in the few minutes before Bryn arrived on the scene. With a black look and not another word, Jem follows Bryn into the room. I'm desperate to follow too and see if Tegan's all right; but I'm terrified, I'll get the blame. Even if they believe I didn't screw her, the fact I'm drunk and stink of the drugs others were smoking won't help my credibility.

Resting against the wall in the hallway, I close my eyes and wish to h.e.l.l I was sober and none of this s.h.i.+t happened.

A door clicks closed nearby and I open an eye. Ruby walks over, dressed in loose grey pyjama pants and a black tank top printed with a picture of a pink sugar skull. Face free of make-up, her softened features are tired. ”Tell me what the f.u.c.k is going on, Jaxon. I'm trying to sleep.”

How many people are going to ask that question and not wait for my answer?

”Tegan isn't well. I took her back to her room. Sort of.” I wave my hand uselessly at the open door.

”So why the f.u.c.king drama? What did you do to her?”

”Wanna hear the story or will you just ignore me too? Bryn and Jem are.”

Ruby tips her head, a strand of scarlet hair falling into her face. ”Jesus, you're drunk too. I'll listen but if you've done anything to that girl, don't expect me to help you.”

Barely halfway through my story and Ruby grabs my hand, yanking me after her into the hotel room.

”So you ask me to check her over because I'm the local f.u.c.king addict?” Jem's angry voice carries from the bedroom toward Ruby and me.

”No! I just need to know she's okay!” retorts Bryn, loudly.

I hang in the bedroom doorway and watch proceedings. Tegan sleeps through the commotion around her; she hasn't moved position since I walked away. Bryn sits on the bed next to her watching while Jem studies her face.

Jem steps away and crosses his arms tightly over his chest. ”What do you expect me to do?” he asks Bryn.

”I dunno! When Dylan OD'd you knew what to do!”

When Jem doesn't reply or move, regarding Bryn with a tight mouth, Ruby crosses and touches Jem's arm. ”We should go. You seeing Tegan like this isn't a good idea.”

”I know what you're thinking, but don't say anything,” says Jem in a low voice. ”This is totally different.”

Oh, c.r.a.p. The situation in front of Jem - unconscious girl and drugs involved - would be an uncomfortable reminder of Liv, the girlfriend he found dead from an overdose in their hotel room just over a year ago.

”s.h.i.+t, Jem. She's right. I didn't think.” Bryn gently pulls hair away from Tegan's face. ”We'll deal with this.”

Tegan mumbles and s.h.i.+fts position with a loud sigh. Jem glances at her. ”If I thought this was like... the other time I'd be straight on the phone calling an ambulance. She's not OD'd. Tegan's out of it, but she's fine as far as I can tell. Up to you if you want to call one.”

Bryn drags a palm down his face. ”s.h.i.+t. I want to. If we can't wake her, I will.”

What a f.u.c.king mess. I back against the wall as Bryn attempts to rouse his sister, heart thumping, but scared more for Tegan than myself. What if leaving her was the wrong thing to do? Should I have called an ambulance? My shoulders sink in relief when I hear Tegan's mumbling voice.

”Right, a doctor instead,” says Bryn. ”Someone contact Steve or Tina or whoever and get hold of one. If we go straight to the hotel staff and ask, the press will probably be tipped off, and that's not what we need. Then if the doctor says she needs to go to hospital, we'll take her.”

”I'll do it.” Jem walks away, not looking back at Tegan.

Ruby follows Jem, and pauses as she pa.s.ses me. ”Do you know what she's taken?”

”Not sure. Nothing voluntarily, I think her drink was spiked, like I said.”

”Yeah, that s.h.i.+t is bad. She'll feel like c.r.a.p tomorrow. ”

”How do you know? Have you...?”

Ruby's face is impa.s.sive. ”Yeah. It happened to me. I lived with a controlling psycho remember? I have memory blanks from some nights and after a while, I figured out why.” Her voice is low as she glances after Jem. ”Depends what he used on Tegan. Do you know who did this?”

I can't move past the kick in the gut from Ruby telling me this happened to her.

”Stop looking at me like that, Jax. I'm fine. She isn't.”

”I don't know. Maybe it was the guy taking her back to the room - Tomas, he's with an ad agency that did some promo for the tour. But unless somebody saw him do it, there's nothing to prove it was him, is there?”

”Yeah, I bet he made himself scarce too.”

I slump against the wall again. ”I'm glad I found her before...” His smug face flashes across my mind. ”I should have f.u.c.king punched him harder!”

”Everything's going to be okay, Jax.” Ruby folds her small hand around mine. ”She'll be fine.”

But the same words run through my head every time I glance at Tegan's vulnerable figure on the bed: this is my fault.

13.

TEGAN.

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