Chapter 35
Chapter thirty-five
Tom
We leave the girls behind while the night’s still young. Arcadia’s a long drive, and Yosh has his painfully serious board interview in the morning, angling for manager of crystals.
I still need to pack up my instruments before I check myself out first thing in the morning.
I should be relieved to be ditching that posh place, and I am, but it also means not being around Yosh anymore.
No more teasing. No more kissing. No more getting handsy on his treatment table.
Which is, you know, the problem. You’re not supposed to do that.
And whatever this thing is between us, it’s not just tearing each other’s clothes off anymore. I’m actually thinking about him in ways that don’t involve a quick fuck.
I’m thinking bout staying, getting serious.
Never thought that day would ever arrive.
The strange thing is, the thought doesn’t send me spiraling.
If anything, it feels right. Like maybe I could have this, whatever this is.
At least Joan’s still on the island. Calvin too, even though I still feel like rearranging his nose after tonight. In the end, he’s family, for better or worse. We’ll make peace eventually.
Yosh fishes the keys from his pocket and dangles them in front of my face.“You want me to drive your baby? You running a fever?”
I mean it as a joke, but when I look at him, his eyes are distant. It’s not until I nudge him that he blinks and comes back.
“Are you okay, love?”
“Yeah, I’m…” He pinches the bridge of his nose, dragging his fingers over closed eyes. “Just tired.”
“Alright. No problem.”
I take the keys, filthy grin spreading. “I’ll make sure you get to bed.”
The road to West Cove is empty, streetlights leading the way.
There’s something hypnotic in the way the light ripples over the asphalt in waves.
It takes me back to touring Europe, counting streetlights from my bunk on the bus, trying to drain the adrenaline from the stage and trick myself into sleep.
One hand rests loose on the steering wheel, my eyes fixed on the road. Every now and then I glance over at Yosh. He leans against the window, eyes half-shut, drifting away every now and then, murmuring half-sentences that don’t add up.
We realized pretty quickly after leaving town that someone slipped something into his drink. And most likely, that someone was Terrence..
My first instinct was to drive straight to the hospital, but Yosh shut that down. He didn’t want anyone seeing him like this.
And maybe he was right. Maybe it would cost him his privileges, his credibility, his whole damn career. And that wouldn’t be fair. He didn’t do a single thing wrong.
Terrence, on the other hand, is going to pay. And I’m only accepting teeth as currency.
My jaw locks, grip tightening on the wheel. My other hand settles on Yosh’s hip.
Amsterdam taught me enough about nightmares to recognise what’s happening. The confusion. The forced calm. Waiting it out, hoping it passes.
Yosh isn’t like me. He probably doesn’t know this shit.
“Love,” I murmur, nudging his hip.
Nothing. Just a slow movement of his arm and a groan.
Fuck.
How the hell am I supposed to get him into Arcadia like this? It’s not that we can climb over the wall this time.
I sigh, turning my eyes back to the road. There’s still a long drive ahead, and all I can do is hope he sobers up before we get there.
The moment we pass the West Cove sign, I pull over to the side of the road.
Yosh braces himself against the dashboard, eyes fluttering open and shut. He looks a little more awake now, but he’s nowhere near okay.
I study him, trying to figure out what the hell was in that drink. Whatever it was, it’s stronger than anything I’ve seen.
Well, almost.
My stomach twists. One night flashes through my mind. Mixing everything. Pushing too far. Nearly not coming back.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I should’ve taken him to the hospital straight away, even when he’d begged me not to.
But regret won’t help him now. He needs the infirmary at Arcadia, whether he likes it or not.
“Yosh,” I begin, keeping my voice steady.
“No.” He shoves off the dashboard, fighting to keep his gaze steady. He knows exactly what I’m about to suggest.
“But maybe—”
“I said no!”
He snaps louder than I expect, even like this. It’s enough to make me second-guess my next move. I look up at the round moon, glowing bright in the black sky. I fold my arms around my body.
This isn’t up for debate. I’ll have to do what’s right, even if he hates me for it.
His hand clamps around my arm.
“Listen,” he says, voice thick. “I’m a Doctor. I know best. I’ve expe… ex… had this before. I want… to wait it out.”
The words stack unevenly, like he’s reading from a list he can barely remember.
I look back at him.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Not happening, Doc.”
I reach for the keys.
“I’m taking you inside whether you like it or not.”
I turn the key and hit the gas, but before I can register what’s happening, Yosh’s hand shoots forward and yanks the wheel hard right.
We rocket off the road.
First it’s all bushes and dry scrub, and then, in a split second, we ram into a tree.
The bang is deafening, the impact slamming me forward. An Airbag explodes in my face, knocking the air out of my lungs.
For ten long seconds, there’s only a sharp ringing in my ears. Then everything comes back into focus.
“Fuck, Yosh!” I wrestle my way free from the suffocating white mass, reaching for him as fast as I can.
My heart is going mental, like it’s making up for all the lost beats from when it gave out three months ago.
I tear the airbag away, he’s not moving.
“Hey!” A couple of quick slaps against his cheek. “Come on, love. Wake up.”
“I’m here.” He groans, tilting his head back, strands of raven-black hair falling in front of his face. My eyes race over him. No blood. No obvious injuries.
We weren’t going that fast, maybe he’s okay.
Maybe.
I don’t trust maybes anymore.
He pushes his hair out of his face and looks sharper already.
My gaze snaps to the tree we hit. The Gremlin’s proper wrecked. I slam it into reverse, but we’re stuck in dry bushes. The tires spin, whining.
Shit. Four-wheel drive my arse.
I try again. And again. One more time. Fuck, this is pointless.
Arcadia’s close, less than a hundred metres. I glance over my shoulder and catch the parking lot lights in the distance.
No choice, we’re walking.
“Why the hell did you do that?” My fist slams the dashboard.
“You know what? Not my car, not my fucking problem.”
Yosh stares through the cracked windscreen, retreating into himself, saying nothing. Regret hits fast, because we’ve been here before, with him freezing the second my voice rises.
It breaks my heart.
I cup his jaw, placing a long kiss between his brows.
“I’m sorry for that, love. We will get you through this, okay? I’m not leaving you.”
“No people, Sapphire. Promise me.”
Fuck, this guy is stubborn. At least the crash has kicked his adrenaline into gear.
I weigh my options.
Observing from my own experiences, he looks pretty clear to me for someone who’s on what looks like some sort of tranquilizer. And if things go south, we’re in a healthcare facility. I can call for help in seconds.
“Okay, I promise.”
I lie. Picking a fight right now would be stupid. He’s already steered us into a ditch, I’m not testing what comes after that.
“We need to walk. You think you can do that?"
He nods weakly. "Yeah… think so."
I jump out of the car and push through the tangled shrubs to the passenger side.
Thorns tear at my skin, blood dripping over my ankles and soaking into my socks.
Yosh is already halfway out, his legs not exactly cooperating.
He stumbles. I catch him just before he hits the ground.
“Hold on to me.” I slide an arm under his shoulders and push us through the tall grass.
Jesus. I forgot how heavy he is. Or maybe I’m just not built for this. Probably both.
The moment we hit asphalt, my knees give out and I drop down, dragging air into my lungs. Every muscle screams that this is wildly outside my skill set.
I’m a musician playing chordophones, not a goddamn rescue worker.
Ironically, it’s Yosh who extends a shaky hand to pull me up from the ground.
“Let’s… walk,” I grunt, forcing myself upright.
I hitch his arm tighter around my shoulders and haul us forward, step by step, toward the lights.
A glance back. The Gremlin’s a write-off, glowing like a smashed neon beetle in the dark. A crooked smile tugs at my mouth.
He’s going to lose his mind when he’s lucid enough to understand what he’s done. That car was his baby.
I almost feel bad for him.
Almost.
“We’ll take the entrance at the beach,” Yosh says suddenly.
His suggestion surprises me, but it’s a compromise, and right now I’ll take whatever I can.
“Alright, gorgeous. Let’s do it your way.”
We take the path to Playa Arcadia. Sand drags at my trainers, each step heavier than the last. My legs are starting to protest.
The dive bar’s closed. The stairs up to the resort are just ahead. With any luck, we’ll sneak into his studio unseen.
“I’ll check if the coast is clear,” I call over my shoulder. “No pun intended.”
One look at the stairs and my heart sinks. The gate’s locked.
Shit.
I pop my phone out of my pocket. Beach access closes at eleven sharp, and we’re ten minutes late. If this isn’t Sod’s law, I don’t know what is.
“Looks like we’re staying here,” Yosh says behind me.
I spin around. He’s slumped against the limestone wall.
Well. Isn’t that bloody convenient. Hard not to suspect this was the plan all along.
I hook an arm under him and keep us moving, searching for somewhere quieter.
We end up tucked behind a boulder at the base of an overhang. It’s like a shallow cave, somewhere we can hide from the rest of the world.
Exhaustion hits me hard the second I drop onto the sand. My body’s soaked in sweat, my lungs burning from the involuntary workout.
This is a total mess.
Yosh rests his head in the curve of my neck, his grip weak as he reaches for my hand.