When Its Least Expected (32 page)

“I’m sorry, David. I didn’t even think –“

“Harley, stop. I’m not even talking about
that
night.” She cringed and readied another apology just as Abigail’s phone rang again.

She looked in the mirror at Harley and gave her a ‘
what do you want me to do about it’

kind of glare. Harley shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t care. If Abigail wanted to
talk, then she couldn’t stop her.

“Stop calling, Mason.” Harley stiffened. God, would it always hurt when she heard
his

name now? “She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Abigail paused. Harley waited on bated
breath for the one-sided conversation to continue.

Her tears finally fell but only two. She dried the rest away. That would be all he’d
get.

“Listen, you’ve got to understand how it looked to Harley, and there are no excuses
in the

world for you to make up for it. You can just stop trying.” More words passed between
them.

One set in particular caught her attention.

“Alright, well maybe you need to go to the hospital or something first. You don’t
sound

too good.” Harley gripped her churning stomach with one hand, covering her mouth with
the

other. He must have been in bad shape for Abigail to suggest that.

David cussed under his breath as he pounded a fist against the window. Harley on the

other hand just tucked her knees under her chest and pulled herself into a tight backseat
ball of self-worthlessness.

God, this wasn’t happening…

“Okay, Mason, I’ll give her the message. Take care of yourself.” Abigail hung up,
and

she and David shared a glance. Questioning words were on her lips as they pulled down
the

gravel road, heading towards the house that started it all. She was dying to know
if Mason was okay, but then again, maybe it was better if she didn’t know.

The party looked as if it was still going strong, and without any second thoughts
or

regrets as to what she was doing, Harley jumped out of the car, heading towards the
front door.

Bitter feelings trailed behind her as she inhaled the fresh rain that lingered in
the air.

David tried to holler something from the car window, but her mindset was focused on
one thing right now.

She was ready to drown that emotional garbage in her head away, replacing it the only

way she knew how in that moment – with liquid courage.

***

“Harley, come on. We’ve got to get you home, hon.” Abigail pulled at Harley’s sweater,

obviously trying to coax her off her cold porcelain new bestie, but her head wouldn’t
stop

spinning. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. The puking had finally
stopped at least, and the rim of the toilet felt so good, so cold under her heated
face.

The music from the room next door sent her into a high. The steady beat of the base

soothed her, or was it the seven straight shots that she’d taken the moment she entered
the house?

Err, or was it nine shots…?

“Leave me alone. Gonna … get … ride….” Her eyes threatened to shut, they were so

heavy. Sleep was all she needed, but Abigail continued to push at her, pull at her
hair. It hurt, yet she was still so numb.

Numb was good.

“Stop. You’re scaring me, Har. Daviiiiid!” Abigail’s voice rose. Harley could no longer

hold herself up. Her head smacked the tile with a whoosh.

It didn’t hurt.

“Come on, Har. Don’t do this, please.” Abigail pulled on her arm. Her body was heavy

and no longer her own. Another voice echoed in her ears just as a set of arms pulled
her up to a standing position. She couldn’t do it. Her legs were too heavy. They gave
out the second they entered another room. A storm was brewing inside of her, and the
alcohol in her stomach was the lightening. Everything went black and eerily quiet.
Sanity was fighting against insanity. Life battled with death. Her mind was filled
with nothingness and everything at the same time. The dizziness was stealing her away,
and she’d gladly let it take her. The last thought that echoed in her mind was that
three anxiety pills, five glasses of keg beer, and multiple shots of vodka were probably
not a good mix.

Mason glanced down at his cell phone for the tenth time in the past five minutes.
Nope,

no calls. With his misery aching inside and out, he lounged in his car with his seat
set back into the full reclining position. He winced, sitting up only so he could
stare at the front of Harley’s house.

It had been two and half hours since he left the party. She obviously wasn’t coming

home. He reached up and rubbed his eyes as exhaustion took full control of his body.
His head throbbed beyond a normal headache, and he pressed his fists into his temples,
praying he could rid the pain. His ribs apparently were apparently feeling jealous
of his head, and they continued to pummel him from the inside out like fists pounding
on a punching back. He winced. It was nothing he couldn’t handle.

His physical pain didn’t matter anyways. He just wanted to see her again. His emotions

wouldn’t rest until he had her in his arms.

When Mason had finally convinced a very hesitant Maisy that he felt well enough to

drive, she agreed to let him take the car. She probably saw how messed up he was emotionally,
so maybe that had been the final straw for her.

Resolved that she wasn’t coming home any time soon, Mason reached for the ignition

and readied to turn it on when a bright light flickered on inside the house, prompting
Mason to withdraw his hand. He scooted forward in his seat. He winced as the pain
lacerated throughout his insides, but the visions of Harley’s parents racing around
like crazy in the house held him in place.

His nerves suddenly attacked him. What in the hell was going on?

His hands were on the wheel, ready to drive at a moment’s notice, and he carefully

watched as Harley’s parents rushed out of the door. Luckily, they didn’t notice his
car. He wouldn’t know what to say if they did spot him.

They jumped into their seats and frantically sped away, squealing their tires in wake.

Mason edged his own car along, following them a good four car lengths behind. His
heart

thundered, knocking the breath from his lungs. Something had happened to her. He was
sure of it.

The sound of his suddenly reappearing cell phone rattled his ears. He picked it up
and

checked the ID. Maisy. He scoffed. It was funny how as soon as they left the party,
the thing instantly showed up in Mason’s seat. It took him all of two minutes to put
it together. Kylee had sabotaged him.

“Yeah, mouse, what’s up?”

“Oh God, Mase. I’m so glad you finally found your phone. It’s weird because mine just

appeared in my purse. I know I looked there at least a hundred times and—”

“What do you want, Maisy? I’m kind of busy right now.”

“Where are you, Mason? Are you okay?” Rubbing his eyes with a fist, he only half

listened to his sister. He was struggling to stay conscious while he kept up with
Harley’s parents’

car.

“I’m fine. What’s up?”

“Christ, I’m so glad. I’ve been a mess worrying about you. I told mom that you’re
staying

at a friend’s house tonight, so you don’t need to worry about her.” Mason cringed.
He hadn’t even thought about his mom. Thank God he had Maisy in his corner.

“Thanks, mouse. But hey, I’ve gotta go. I think something’s happened to Harley because

I’m following her parents’ car somewhere. They’re in huge ass hurry.” Silence greeted
him. Oh hell, she knew something. “What’s up, Maisy? What are you not telling me here?”

“You’re right. Something’s happened, Mase. It’s … bad.”

“Christ, I knew it. What the hell? Tell me!” His voice rose as he pounded against
the

steering wheel.

God dammit! It was his fault! He was the one that hurt her. He changed lanes, not
giving

a shit about being seen by Harley’s parents anymore.

“I just got a call from Abigail,” she paused, her quiet sigh made the hair on Mason’s
neck

rise.

“What is it, Maisy? Jesus, just tell me.”

“She went back to that party, Mason.” Shit, no …no, no, no. It was that Toby guy,
he

knew it. His insides curled as he cursed, pounding the wheel harder with his fist.
If that asshole hurt her, then Mason would be spending the remainder of his life in
jail … for murder. “And she had too much to drink, and she took these pills that interacted
badly with the alcohol, and now

…”

Mason started laughing with no real humor in his body as he listened to his sister
ramble

on about Harley drinking too much beer and overdosing on pills. That was the most
idiotic thing he’d ever heard. He pulled his car into park and headed as quickly towards
the entrance as his crippled body would let him.

“You’re an f’ed up moron, Mason. Why in the hell are you laughing? You’ve lost it
…

completely! I’m freaking dead-as-a-zombie, serious here. She’s in the hospital as
we speak,”

Mason’s heart stopped. This wasn’t happening, not to his strong-willed, braver than
shit,

raise you up when you’re down little beast! She couldn’t be, but as he pulled his
hoodie over his head and sneakily watched her parents speak to a receptionist, the
reality of the situation hit him full force. He fought the one sob he would allow.
He had to get his shit together. He had to be strong for her.

“Mase, talk to me here...”

“I’m here,” he whispered, staying hidden in the door shadows. He couldn’t follow them.

They might not let him go in if they found out what had happened. “How did this happen,

Maisy? Where did she get the pills?” Better yet, why did she have them in the first
place?

“You honestly didn’t know she was on them?” Mason shook his head, even though he

knew his sister couldn’t see him. She answered him anyways, “Well, you need to talk
to her, Mason. Get your ass to that hospital, and talk to her. It’s not a simple explanation.”

He shook his head. Nothing was ever simple. Maisy continued to call out his name,
but

he swiped the end key and tucked it back into his pocket.

He was done talking.

He walked through the double glass doors of the hospital making his way towards the

receptionist table. The grey-haired middle aged man directed him to the right area
when Mason asked him to point him toward the emergency room.

He stepped off the elevator and onto the second floor lobby. He paused, hoping he
didn’t

look too creepy with his beat-up looking face and his hooded head just as he made
the final steps towards the hallway.

The place was eerily quiet, nothing compared to the hospital ER back home. Nobody

seemed to notice him as he made his way down the hall. Several times, he had to stretch
a hand out against the wall, just to hold his crippled body into an upright. He was
hurting. His ribs were on fire, and the dizziness in his head was almost consuming
his vision. He had to get to Harley.

Nothing could stop him from seeing her.

Abigail was the first person he saw. She was leaning against a window, sipping on

something from a Styrofoam cup, coffee maybe. He didn’t know, nor did he care. Her
face,

unlike his own, was emotionless when she caught sight of him. She sat her cup down
on a table and looked around her before narrowing the distance between them.

The closer he got, the more he could see the emotion there in her blue eyes – hatred.
Shit, she was supposed to be the easiest of the five to face too. “Where is she? I
need to see her,”

Mason pleaded desperately as his voice carried throughout the lobby. The few people

surrounding them glanced their way, but he didn’t give two shits anymore.

“Mason, jeez. Be quiet. You can’t see her right now anyways, so just chillax.”

“I don’t give a shit if the cops come to cart me away. I
have
to see her … NOW!”

Abigail sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. She nodded her head backwards, and

Mason’s eyes widened as he stared at the closed door. Her parents were leaving with
the doctor.

Her mom’s face was tear-filled. Her dad’s was just as anguished minus the tears.

“She's sleeping, under a sedative actually. She’s kind of messed up right now, Mason,

and I’m not sure it’s a good idea for her to see you.”

She looked down at her hands, wringing them together against her waist. Mason tensed

up, struggling to keep himself in check. He had to see her if only to say goodbye.

Not listening to Abigail’s advice, Mason pushed around her, moving slowly but steadily

towards her room.

“They need this time together as a family, Mason!” Abigail shouted at his backside.

“She’s my family too Abigail … I love her.”

Abigail gasped but didn’t respond to his confession. He grinned around his torn lip.
His

own heart felt miraculously lighter after finally admitting the words out loud.

Now, if only he could gain the courage to tell Harley, then he was sure everything
would

be okay.

The beeping of the monitors was the first thing Mason heard as he snuck inside her
room.

He let the door click shut behind him as he slowly moved forward, his feet slow, his
heart racing.

He was a little shocked that there was nobody in the room with her. He’d seen her
parents leave with the doctor, but he was sure David would be there at least.

He tiptoed forward as his heart thrummed heavily in his ears, and with shaky hands,
he

pushed back the blue waffled curtain that separated him from her.

His eyes widened. A low moan fell from his mouth. She was the perfect sleeping Snow

White, so pale and still as she slept in her bed, her black hair covered her pillow.
He exhaled his ragged breath as he progressed forward. She was safe and peaceful looking.
She was gorgeous, magnificent.