Page 58 of Please Save Me

“Dunno.” Sera shrugged. “Met a new guy at a party the other day—bought these off him.”

My lips pulled into a flat line. “Are they safe?”

Sera rolled her eyes. “I took one. They’re not strong enough for me… they just kind of mellowed me out. If you like ’em, you can keep the whole bag.”

Well, if Sera could take them and be fine, it had to be fine for me to take. With that in mind, I thanked her before heading back inside and going to the bathroom.

Once inside, I locked the door before leaning against it and staring at myself in the mirror. My reflection looked worn out and pale, eyes bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. I knew I couldn’t finish my day at this rate.

I turned the sink on cold and let the water run as I dumped two pills from the bag into my palm. Before I could think better of it, I popped them in my mouth and swallowed them down with a handful of water.

I turned the water off and gripped the edge of the sink, my knuckles turning white as I waited for the gross, sick feeling that had been plaguing me all day to pass. Minutes felt like hours, but eventually, it did, leaving me with a euphoric sense of calm.

For the first time all day, itfeltlike I couldbreathe.

Chapter 18

Cameron

When Seb texted me saying we needed to go on a field trip, I thought he was fucking with me. But, when I went to ask him what the hell he was talking about, he let it slip that Dale invited him to the parsonage, and Seb wasn’t stupid enough to go alone. I asked why he didn’t call for backup from whatever sketchy agency owned him, and he refused to tell me.

Still, against my better judgment, I agreed. My only stipulation was that we took my truck. With everything going on around me, it was a miracle I hadn’t gone to the corner store to pick up a new pack of cigarettes. I didn’t need to be reminded what they smelled like.

I reached up and adjusted my rearview mirror until it caught the blue of Sebastian’s eyes. The subtle motion caught his attention, and his gaze flicked toward me.

“Seriously? You can’t go ten minutes without looking at me?”

“It’s impolite to hold a conversation without eye contact.” I also didn’t trust having him out of my line of sight.

Sebastian rolled his eyes but didn’t escalate the issue. Instead, he crossed his arms before leaning back into the passenger seat.

He’d removed his facial piercings today and straightened his hair. That, mixed with the fitted navy suit and crisp white button-down he wore, almost made him appear handsome. If it weren’t for his god-awful personality, he probably wouldn’t be terrible to be around.

“Keep your eyes on the road. I’d rather not be involved in a car accident today,” he grumbled.

“Can you explain to me why Mason likes you?” The comment slipped before I could stop it.

His gaze hardened into a glare. “Why exactly does it matter to you? Looking for a new partner?”

“Just curious. It sure as hell ain’t your personality.”

Seb’s demeanor shifted slightly as something akin to hurt flickered across his features. But, the second of vulnerability he showed was nothing if not fleeting because before I even had a chance to feel bad, his scowl was back. He looked like his brother with an expression like that.

I readjusted the mirror to look away from him as the parsonage came into view.

I’m sure it was impressive in its day. But time had gotten the better of it, much like it did everything in Hartwood. The exterior walls were coated in weathered white paint, leaving bricks exposed in random spots. Ivy crawled up one side of the house, making part of the windows useless.

I was supposed to move in here shortly after I relocated to Hartwood, but there was a heating problem, and Dale didn’t want me freezing to death while we waited for it to be fixed. That’s when I met Sophia’s grandad.

He was the only one with a space to rent that wasn’t connected to the church. All he wanted in exchange for room and board was a farmhand, and I’d never been one to shy away from a hard day’s work. It was crazy to think that if I never met him, I might have never had the life I did today. But that wasn’t to dwell on now, not with Dale’s black truck sitting in the rounded driveway.

I pulled in beside it before removing my key from the ignition. My heart beat a little faster as I realized I was going to be face-to-face with Dale again.

“Hey… Do you really need me to come in with you?”

Sebastian’s lip curled. “Do you genuinely think I'd subject myself to your presence if I didn't need you here?”

“I mean, maybe.” It was hard to tell with Sebastian.

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