Page 150 of Before We're More Than Friends
“S-Sorry,” she said.
“Who were you talking to? Are you at a party?”
Her words came out in a rush. “I-I was talking to the paramedics.”
My heart dropped. “What? Paramedics?”
“Paramedics?” Dallasechoed, his eyes widening.
I put the phone on the speaker. “Arielle, tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s—” Arielle let out a panicked breath. “Mom overdosed.”
“What?” My insides plummeted to the ground as I shot up from the bench.
Dallas gasped beside me, standing up as well.
“I-I think she did,” Arielle said. “I don’t know. When I got home, she wasn’t inside. I went to the gazebo to see if she had been drinking again, and she . . . she was throwing up everywhere. But it was much worse than when she’s hungover. I think she either overdosed or got poisoned.”
“W-What is happening to her now?” I asked, worried I’d throw up myself.
“She blacked out and came back, but she’s still sick. I-I . . .” She sniffled. “She’s pale and shaking and isn’t breathing right . . . They’re wheeling her in now.”
Dallas cursed. “What hospital is she going to? I can drive Raina there.”
“The one on Spring Drive.”
“Okay, we’re on our way.” Dallas took my free hand before we made a beeline for the car. We weren’t fast runners, but he sprinted so fast that I had a hard time keeping up.
I tripped over a rock and tumbled into the grass, the itchiness irritating my skin.Please don’t tell me I’m hurt,I pleaded to no one in particular.Please, I can’t do this. I should’ve checked on Mom. I should’ve made sure she was okay. I should’ve stayed home tonight. I should’ve?—
Dallas cursed again and helped me up. “You’re okay. Physically.” He brushed me off before taking my hand again and running to his car with me. It felt like we were in a movie, running in slow motion to save someone with terror on our faces.
As soon as we got in the car and buckled our seat belts,Dallas turned on the GPS app and searched for April Springs Hospital on Spring Drive before rushing out of the parking space.
And, bloody heck, Dallas could drive fast. He went almost seventy miles per hour, passing all the cars on the road.
“Don’t get a speeding ticket,” I told him, trying to control my breathing as nausea poured through me.
“I’m being careful,” he said, looking in his mirrors. “I’m taking the fastest route.”
“Where are you guys now?” Arielle asked, still on the line with me. “I’ll be there in around five minutes. I’m on Robin Road.”
“We have six minutes left on the GPS,” I said. “We’ll be there around the same time. Where do we check in?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been there before.” Her words made the pain in my chest expand. “But I guess we can meet out front.”
“Okay.” I ran a hand through my hair, probably making it a mess.
“Freaking cops,” Dallas muttered to himself as he slowed down, blue-and-red lights flashing in front of us.
“You don’t need to be speeding,” I told him, tears stinging at the back of my eyes. “We don’t want to get hurt.”
He reached for my hand as he approached a red light, where two cop cars were hanging out. “I’d never let you get hurt when I’m behind the wheel.”
My insides melted at his words, a small wave of peace washing over me. I’d be okay as long as I had him.
But whether or not Mom would be okay was a completely different story.
