Chapter 37
DERRICK
Derrick: Hey, how are you going?
Derrick: *Insert picture of Tiffany champagne bucket* Looks so good. Thank you again. I love it.
Derrick: Hey, not sure if you’ve been getting my texts.
Derrick: Hey, Blake, I’ve been texting Chance and I haven’t heard back.
Blake: He’s not in a good place, D. Thanks for trying. I’ve got this.
My phone rings in the middle of the night.
“Hello …” I answer groggily.
“D, it’s Chance. Something’s happened, he’s on the way to the hospital. I tried to help him …” Blake says tearfully.
“I’m on my way, text me the details.”
“Thank God you’re here,” Blake says, sounding relieved as I walk into emergency. He hugs me tightly and breaks down. Tyler and Johnny look equally stressed.
“Hey, mate, it’s going to be okay. What’s going on?” I ask him.
“Chance collapsed and wouldn’t wake up. Thank fuck someone knew CPR, otherwise he would have been dead,” Johnny explains.
My heart is beating uncontrollably in my chest. “What do they mean he collapsed?”
“One minute he was partying and the next he was on the floor,” Johnny states.
“It was drugs,” Tyler adds.
“Shh, anyone could here,” Blake tells him. Tyler throws his hands up in frustration. “We don’t know what to do,” Blake says.
“Where’s Charlotte?” I ask Blake.
“She went home early, I stayed to look after Chance. I didn’t like how things were going.”
“We’re so worried,” Tyler adds.
“It’s going to be okay. He’s with the doctors now, and they are going to do everything they can to help him,” I reassure the guys who look positively freaked out.
“This is going to be a PR nightmare. I’m going to have to message Harper Rose, she’s the new PR woman.
Vanessa can’t deal with this at the moment,” I tell them.
The boys all nod. “But I don’t have her number …
” I curse, looking down at my phone. “I’m going to call Stacey, she will know what to do. ” I dial her number.
“D, what is it?” She gasps, answering the phone. She knows I would never call her in the middle of the night unless it was something important.
“Sorry to wake you. Chance has been rushed to the hospital, it might be some kind of drug overdose, we aren’t sure.
I’m here with the boys, but he was rushed from the party in an ambulance, and I think it’s going to be a PR storm in the morning.
I was going to message Harper, but I don’t have her number.
And I didn’t want to bother Ness, not while she’s pregnant. ”
“We’ve got you,” Oscar says down the phone.
“Oscar is calling Finn and Jackson. I’ll text you Harper’s number, so you have it, but I’ll contact her. Can you text me where you guys are, and we will come down and sort out what is going on, and if we can, keep a lid on this,” Stacey explains calmly.
“Thanks so much, babe,” I tell her before hanging up. “Stacey is on her way, and everything is going to be okay,” I reassure the Sons of Brooklyn guys.
It’s not long till Stacey, Oscar, Finn, and Jackson arrive at the hospital.
We still haven’t had a doctor come out and tell us what is happening with Chance.
I rush over and hug Stacey. I feel sick in my stomach over this entire mess.
I should have tried harder to reach out to Chance, maybe I could have prevented all this.
“Any news?” Stacey asks. I shake my head.
“I’m so worried. What happens if something …?” I choke on my words.
“Hey, nothing is going to happen. He is in safe hands,” Stacey says, reassuring me.
We may not be together anymore, but that doesn’t mean I want something to happen to him. I still care for Chance. I want him to be happy and healthy. I also want him to find inner peace as hippy dippy as that sounds because if he doesn’t find it, he will never be happy.
The guys go in search of more information, and when the staff realizes who is here, we are whisked away to a private room, where moments later a doctor arrives.
“I’m Dr. Lombardi, and I’m looking after your friend.
He had a close call, but we were able to get the drugs out of his system.
” The doctor glares at us all. “I understand that your lifestyle might include this kind of thing but I would suggest that you find your highs elsewhere.” Think that warning has been heard loud and clear by everyone.
“He’s been moved to a private room in the ward and is sleeping.
I would suggest you all head home and come back during visiting hours.
A nurse will be in with the ward details in a moment. Any questions?”
“Is there any permanent damage?” Blake asks.
“No. But if he continues down this path there will be. He got lucky. Whoever performed CPR on him saved his life. Not sure if he will be so lucky a second time,” the doctor says harshly.
My stomach sinks and turns at the thought.
“Might I suggest looking at getting him into a facility, if this wasn’t a wakeup call for him or for all of you?
” the doctor states before disappearing out of the room.
Blake slumps in a chair as do Johnny and Tyler, right beside him.
“You think Chance needs rehab?” Finn asks the guys.
“Didn’t think he was partying more than normal, but I’ve kind of been spending my time with Charlotte,” Blake says softly, the guilt eating him away.
“It’s not your fault, we didn’t notice either. I think he’s good at hiding things,” Tyler says, then his eyes meet mine, making me flinch. Does Tyler know about Chance and me? Blake said only he knew Chance’s secret.
“His family fucked him up. This is their fault. I knew he shouldn’t have gone back. I tell him he needs to cut those fucking bastards out of his life. They don’t want him, but they sure as hell love his money.” Johnny sneers.
“Does he need help?” Oscar asks. The guys all look at each other. “We can help him. If you don’t think he is doing well, we will try to get him the help he deserves.”
“I think we should,” Johnny tells Blake.
“What happens if that makes things worse?” He looks at his friend, and the heartbreak and worry is etched on his handsome face.
“Can’t get worse than where he is now,” Johnny adds.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a drug problem, but he does have problems, you can’t deny that,” Tyler implores Blake.
“I know,” Blake says, sounding exhausted and hopeless. He then looks up at Oscar and Finn. “Do whatever you need to, please.”
Blake messages me, letting me know that visiting hours at the hospital were open and where Chance is, so I hightail it over there and nervously walk into the hospital room. Walking in, I see a pale Chance playing on his phone.
“Hey,” I greet him. Chance looks up, and those green eyes widen in surprise. Then I stupidly burst into tears. “You fucking scared us,” I tell him.
“I’m sorry, D.”
“So, you fucking should be. Don’t you dare do something that stupid ever again,” I tell him. I’m not meaning to yell at him, but I got no sleep last night, worried sick out of my mind about him.
“It scared me, D,” he answers quietly. My heart bleeds for him as I rush over and pull him into a hug. He stiffens at first and then relents and hugs me tightly. “I’m so sorry.” He cries.
“Me too.” We hold each other. “You are loved, Chance. Don’t you dare ever think otherwise.” He nods. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Chance states, shutting down. I’ve touched upon something there, and I won’t dare to push it, not while he is still so fragile.
“How do you feel?”
“Not great, but I’m thankful to be alive.”
“So am I,” I say, reaching out and linking our fingers together.
“You are?” He seems surprised.
“Yes. We are friends. And I care about my friends. You know you can always count on me, don’t you?”
He shrugs. “I hurt you, D. I don’t deserve your kindness.”
“Don’t talk like that. Was my heart a little wounded?
Yes, but it still has room in there for you as a friend.
That will never change. You’re not a bad person, Chance, but I do believe you have demons you need to slay,” I tell him honestly, as I know from Blake’s messages that Chance isn’t happy about rehab.
“You think I need to go to rehab, don’t you?”
I nod. “It might be good to talk to people.”
“And what if I can’t talk to them?” he whispers.
“Then we will help you. You have so many people rooting for you, Chance.” I need him to know he is loved and not alone in this, and he has a support system he can trust because I don’t think Chance can trust a lot of people in his life.
“Guess thirty days isn’t a long time,” he grumbles. “Does anyone else know?”
“You mean the media?” I ask. He nods. “Yes. People have images of you, but don’t worry, PR is looking after it.
They were able to say it was an allergic reaction, and it did look more like that than anything else.
So, choose your allergy, whatever you hate the most in the world, and we will tell everyone, and you will never be around it again. ”
Relief falls across his face. “If only I could be allergic to a person and never have them around me ever again.”
“Who? Say the word, and Jackson will make sure they will never harm you again,” I tell him seriously.
He scoffs. “It’s not that easy. Tell them I have a peach allergy, I hate peaches.”
“You can talk to me. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your bandmates, you can always call, text, or come over. I’ll always be there.”
“Wish I could have been stronger to tell the world you were mine,” he whispers.
“Hey, don’t think about that. It’s all in the past,” I reassure him.
“You think maybe one day, you might consider giving me a second chance?” he asks.
“Do you want that? Being out?” Chance sits there in silence, and it’s all the answer I need. He’s not ready to come out. This is his journey, not mine, and obviously something traumatic has happened in his past that is paralyzing him from being who he truly wants to be. “It’s okay to not be ready.”
“Thanks for coming, D, but I’m feeling wiped out,” Chance says, dismissing me. I’ve crossed a line that he isn’t comfortable with and has put an end to this conversation.
“Of course. Look after yourself, and if you need anything let me know,” I tell him as I walk out of his room.