Chapter 14 #2
“I don’t need help. I need Seth.” Her eyes closed as she passed out.
=?=
Tucked in bed, Cara finally slept it off.
Austin sat beside her, watching her sleep as he weighed his options.
He could load her up now and take her straight to rehab, which would get him back to Texas in the next few hours.
Or, he could let her sober up and allow her to walk into the center on her own two feet.
Damn it! He knew the decision he needed to make, but it meant he’d be gone longer than he ever expected.
Even in all this chaos, a smile spread across his lips as he realized he already thought of Texas as his home.
Cara had overdosed. Since the world knew Austin was home, they were all holed up in the house.
He’d contemplated an emergency room, but Seth arranged for a physician to treat her at home to help keep things on the down low.
Austin stayed by Cara’s side the entire time.
Seth stayed even closer to her. By the time the doctor left, Seth had stationed himself in a chair close to Cara’s head.
Worry was clear on his face. Austin grabbed a trash can.
Going through everything she owned, he threw away all of the alcohol and anything else that could possibly be construed as a drug or drug paraphernalia.
Once he’d gone through her room, he went through the rest of the house, looking for anything and everything she may have stashed. When he made his way back to Cara’s bedroom, Seth still sat, constantly vigilant, not having left her side.
“How long’s it been going on?” Austin asked without anger, just concern in his voice.
“Not long. It was an accident. I should’ve told you,” Seth said, not turning his gaze away from Cara.
“Was it serious to you? Because it was to her.” Austin kept his tone quiet, standing at the end of the bed, running a hand over her leg covered by the bedspread.
Austin loved Cara. She’d been with him for the long haul, and it wasn’t too many years ago that he’d been right there with her, drugging himself to keep the facade in place.
If he hadn’t cleaned himself up, there was no question he’d have been right in the middle of those boys, doing it all with her today.
Being clean and happy was such a better way to live your life. He hated seeing her like this.
“I don’t know. Everything here’s so fragile.
You were leaving, she was worried about you.
She’s a beautiful person, inside and out, and so alone.
Yeah, it meant something. Too much, we knew it then.
It still means something now.” Seth finally turned away from Cara and looked Austin straight in the eyes.
“Obviously it does. I’m just glad you admitted it.
If you care about her, when she wakes, we need to double team her and be ready to get her out the door.
No hesitation. I’m going to put this place up for sale.
Get her out of here. I want to call and pull her from the movie.
I’ll pay whatever the fines are, but she needs to heal from all this. I can bring her to Texas if she wants.”
“You’re already in a better emotional place, Austin,” Seth said, and moved his eyes back to Cara.
“I feel normal again. After she gets out of rehab, maybe you two can come together to Texas and stay with me for a while. If she’s strong by then, we can plan for the future.
If she wants to keep acting, we’ll get her something healthy to work on.
” Austin sat on the end of the large bed.
They talked quietly, but nothing disturbed Cara as she slept off her high.
Seth watched Austin for a couple of minutes and narrowed his eyes.
“He means something to you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact.
Since Austin Grainger was more of a corporation than a person, he knew everyone got the security reports.
Kitt had to be mentioned in them, and wouldn’t his almost boyfriend just love knowing that little piece of information.
“Yeah, he does. I…he’s…yeah, it’s strong. He doesn’t know that yet, but I do. You can meet him when you come out.” Austin didn’t falter in his declaration, and that said a lot for a man who hid so much from everyone.
He was proud of Kitt, and proud of the normal life that he himself had found.
He’d only had a beer or two, maybe a glass of wine here or there since he’d left California.
He didn’t even feel the need for anything more, and he knew that was due to Kitt being in his life. Kitt made him want to be a better man.
“Okay,” Seth said after only a slight pause. Austin had thrown Seth with what he said. Hell, it threw him, but that didn’t change the facts. Austin wanted out of this crazy house, this crazy world, and back inside Kitt’s sane, normal, everyday life as soon as humanly possible.
“Then go pack your bags. We need to be ready when she wakes. I’ll call and find out what she needs and pack her up,” Austin said, palming his phone.
“They said just clothing and minimal toiletries. Easy-wear clothes, like sweaters and yoga pants, things like that,” Seth said, keeping his eyes locked on the sleeping Cara.
It took a minute, but he finally rose, and did as Austin asked.
Seth only left Cara’s side long enough to pack before he returned to hover and stay next to her until she woke.
Austin went to Cara’s closet and grabbed a tote to pack her a few things.
As he went through the motion of loading her bag, he palmed his phone again.
He ignored all the alerts that let him know his name was being posted about every twenty seconds, and instead, went straight to his text messages.
Kitt wasn’t responding to him. Austin had sent five or six messages in the last few hours and gotten no replies.
He figured Kitt was shutting him out. It seemed like Kitt’s way of things when Austin wasn’t right there, face to face, pushing at him to open up.
Frustrated, Austin tucked his cell back into his rear pocket and packed for Cara in earnest. He chose several pairs of jeans, some random shirts and sweaters, trying not to let it bother him how easily Kitt could let him go, and keep him at a distance.
Not more than twelve hours had passed since he’d seen Kitt.
If he were home right now, they’d be together, having dinner, maybe making love.
Okay, probably making love before they ate dinner.
They couldn’t seem to make it through the door without clothes hitting the floor, abandoned, and one of them on their knees sucking the other off.
The thought caused desperation to form and well up inside Austin’s heart.
Kitt had been very clear with Austin last night.
He thought Austin would eventually bolt, but he’d be in the relationship for however long Austin wanted him.
Distance had to be a self-preservation deal for Kitt.
The problem was, Austin seemed to have a constant need for validation from Kitt who was clearly not in an emotional place to give it.
After another minute more of shoving a handful of panties and socks in the bag, Austin reached for his phone again. He typed out a quick message. He didn’t monitor his words or play the game of “if I say this, hopefully he’ll say that” he just typed what he felt.
“I’m not sure if you’re getting my messages, but Cara isn’t good.
I might be a day longer. I need her to sober up before I can get her to help.
I’m not liking that I can’t see you tonight.
I need you to respond to this message. Please don’t leave me here hanging without a word from you.
” Austin didn’t even give himself a read-through before he sent the message.
“Are you okay?” Kitt texted immediately. Austin guessed three words were better than no words.
“I’m worried,” Austin replied.
“I’ll call. It’ll be late, after 10. Is that ok?”
“Call whenever, it doesn’t matter the time.
” Austin found himself wanting to ask why it would be so late.
If he were home, they would be together.
He hadn’t thought to ask Kitt if he’d made plans.
Why did he just assume Kitt would be there waiting for him?
Wait, Austin didn’t assume it. He feared Kitt wouldn’t be waiting.
How did he not know what Kitt had going on?
“All right,” Kitt replied in his two-word text.
Austin felt better after texting him. It wasn’t a huge conversation, but with Kitt they rarely were.
Austin kept his phone close, making Kitt’s photo his screen saver as he went to Cara’s office and began the process of sending emails and messages to everyone, letting them know she was coming to spend time with him for an indefinite amount of time.