Next to Me (14 page)

Whitney was still sweating. It was after lights out and the whole place was silent. It was time to make her move. They had no security at night, not even cameras. At least she didn’t think they had cameras, because one chick had busted out and they didn’t know until they checked her room in the morning.

She peeked out of her room and looked around, not seeing anyone. She slipped out into the hall in her gray sleep sweats without anything but her cell phone. They let them keep it charged so they could listen to music and secretly Whitney thought to add the temptation to leave and make a phone call to the residents.

Making it outside without incident, she became really aware of everything around her. There wasn’t anyone nearby, but she could swear she felt someone watching her. Moving along the gate, she looked around before climbing over it and landing on the other side. She dropped her phone, cracking the screen in the process.

“Shit.” She rushed into the trees across the road from the center and checked to see if she had any service. Surprisingly she did. “Come on, Thor, answer me.”

“Hello, Whitney, what the hell? I thought you were getting clean.”

“I am. Listen, I need you to come visit me at the shelter, but at night and in the woods. I know that sounds creepy, but I’m dying for a hit, man. I need it. Tomorrow night after lights out you gotta meet me out here.”

“Hell no, Whitney, that’s just stupid.”

“Please, I can’t stand withdrawals. They are just too hard. I need it, please.”

“Go to hell, Whitney. Get back to your room and get your ass clean.” Thor hung up on her, and she cursed. What the hell was she going to do now? She knew she shouldn’t but there was only one other person in the world who might bring her what she needed.

“Walter?” He answered on the first ring, but didn’t say anything.

“What the hell could you want, you dirty bitch?” That didn’t go like she thought it would. Okay, time to just go with it.

“I know you’re mad, baby, but I need you. I need you so bad. There’s this center I’m in and I’m stuck or I go to jail. I need you to bring me something, baby. I need you to bring me that dick too. Please, you can meet me in the trees outside the place. I know you’ve got something on you.” She hoped she hadn’t laid it on too thick, and if he was fucking someone else there was no way he would give it to her.

“All right, if you need me inside you so bad, I’ll come. Where are you?” She gave him the address and then waited. With Thor she had wanted to plan it where he came the next night. With Walter she knew he’d come then or he wouldn’t come at all. She sat down amongst the trees and waited, shivering. It wasn’t cold, she was just anticipating the line so much.

Finally, he came and walked up to her, grabbing her by the hair and kissing her. She needed the drugs.

“Is this what you want?” Whitney saw the bag in his hand and almost cried.

“Yes, please. God, please.”

“Suck it first, Whitney.”

“Please give me just a little bit, then I’ll suck it and do whatever you want.” He hesitated and opened the little bag, getting it on his finger and putting it in her mouth. The relief was instant when the drug on her tongue got into her system. She attacked his mouth, kissing him with all the thanks she had in her body. She got down on her knees and freed him, taking him into her mouth while he pulled her hair and jerked her up to him before he released.

There was no sweetness in the way he shoved down her sweatpants and pushed her to the ground. He entered her like he owned her and continued a steady pace until he finished, uncaring of how she felt, then when he was done, he gave her the bag.

“There you go, you little coke whore, try not to do it all at once.”

She scooped it up and put it on the back of her hand to snort it. Not really caring that he was leaving her in the woods with her pants somewhere behind her and her dignity completely gone. She did another big line of it before hiding it in the woods. There was no way she could get it back into the facility, so she wouldn’t try.

Trying to smooth out her hair and brush the dirt off her clothes, she walked back toward the center. It didn’t take a genius to know she’d not been in her room if someone saw her out. The coast looked clear as she rushed back into the center and down the hall to her room. She was horrified to see Callie standing there with a clipboard in front of her room, glaring at her.

“You’re out, Whitney. Sign here and get your shit.”

“No, I just was outside. I didn’t go anywhere, I swear.”

“Whitney, you threw your chance away. You had one chance and you threw it away. I hope it was fucking worth it. It’s going to be hard for you in prison. You aren’t very good at following the rules.” She shoved the clipboard and a pen at her.

“No, come on, Callie. I won’t do it again.”

“Whitney, you’re high, you’re dirty. You had someone bring you drugs and you probably got fucked in the woods. You are out of here. Sign the paper and accept it.”

“I didn’t do any of those things,” she screeched, knowing she’d completely screwed herself. The residents were coming out of the rooms to watch her make a complete ass out of herself, but she had to be able to stay. This couldn’t be it for her. “I was just outside, Callie, you can’t do this.”

Sinking down to the floor and crying, she thought maybe she could sway her, but the woman just looked at her with no expression and held out the clipboard.

“Sign, Whitney, you’re gone. If you want, I’ll call the police to take you out. You can start your time in jail just a little sooner. Is that what you want?”

“No. I’ll sign your stupid paper, Callie. You’re a bitch, you know that? All of you are bitches.” Whitney angrily signed the paper and went into her room to gather the little possessions she had. She made a point to stop in the trees and look for her coke as she tried to call Walter.

He didn’t answer, and she couldn’t find it, so she got down on her hands and knees and just started to dig. He finally picked up, and she tried to stop the tears so she could get the words she needed to out.

“Baby, hey, change of plans. I got kicked out. Come back and get me.”

“Why the hell should I do anything else for you, little coke whore?”

“Because, baby, I really need you to take care of me. I need my big strong man to come and rescue me. I need you to come and take me home and screw me so I know everything is going to be all right.”

“All right, I’ll come get you, Whitney, but no more games. If you’re going to be my girl, you’re my girl. With me all the time and acting like a girlfriend should. No more stupid dick swinging shows, stripping in public, or acting like a stupid coke whore.”

“I promise, baby, I promise. You’ll have me all to yourself.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

She didn’t want to do any of that, but Walter was all she had. She didn’t have any money, she’d more than likely lost her apartment, and she’d definitely lost her job. If she was going to survive outside of the center, she had to do what he wanted. She sat on the curb and did another line as she waited for him to come back and take her home.

“Are we in a different creepy location, Zane?” Lila asked as they’d gone out to celebrate the fact that his community service was over and now sat in yet another dark parking lot.

“Yes, because you know that creepy, dark, and secluded is my MO.”

“This isn’t a different roller skating rink, is it?”

Zane smiled at her, knowing it was not. Lila’s birthday had come and gone the week before. He’d given her a digital camera and then became very noisy about what her parents were doing for her birthday. They didn’t do anything.

“My parents have never really felt like a birthday was a thing to celebrate. My mother actually said you didn’t do anything to be born, so why would you be praised for it?” Zane had been horrified when she’d told him that. His dad had always gone out of his way, and his mother when she was alive, to make sure his birthday was the best it could be and more.

He led her once again toward a back door where she couldn’t see the front of the building. “I’m beginning to think you get off on these horror story scenarios, honey. Perhaps we should get you a shrink,” she said.

He pulled the door open and revealed a large room with balloons, streamers, and her friends standing around yelling surprise. The whole place was lit up with multicolored lights, and there was a skating rink set up that he’d ordered when he rented the warehouse and a bar.

“Oh my God, I cannot believe you did this.” Zane smiled, happy to have been able to pull off the surprise. He’d invited her parents and hadn’t been able to get them to come, but her housekeeper had keyed him into some cousins Lila adored that would be thrilled to finally get to come to a birthday party for her, so he’d invited them, her roommates, some of his work buddies, his dad, and Petunia.

They all partied and had a good time. He even put on some Boyz II Men.

“This is what you would have listened to at your own awkward eighth grade birthday party,” he said.

“I think this is what we would have listened to in high school.” Lila laughed and pulled him out onto the dance floor.

“This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, Zane. I can’t believe you even managed to get my cousins here.” Her cousins were currently flirting with Cole, so he waved at him and went back to dancing. He tried to ignore Petunia and Dustin, who danced nearby, since his dad was singing the words to
I’ll Make Love to You
to her.

“It’s nothing. I want to do everything and anything I can to make you happy, Lila. I will always do my best.”

“I love you, Zane, thank you.” He pulled her into his arms and danced for a little while until they all got a little more liquor in them and hit the roller skates. It thrilled him to watch his dad and Petunia pull themselves along the wall together just like he used to.

Once it died down and most of their guests had gone home, Zane skated Lila out into the middle of the dance floor and gave her a small box she could open.

“Happy birthday. This is your real present.”

She smiled and opened up the tiny promise ring he’d gotten her with a little diamond in the middle and hearts etched on the sides.

“It’s a promise to love you and always put you first.”

“Thanks, honey, that’s really sweet. I love it.”

Zane was incredibly happy the party had gone well, he was lucky enough to have Lila, and that he’d not thought about Whitney once the whole night. It felt good to truly be free of the person who’d brought him down for so long. This was a good new beginning for him, and he was going to embrace it.

Six months later…

Zane laughed at some of the gifts Petunia had gotten for Dustin. One was a leather jacket that obviously had belonged to some kind of motorcycle rider who’d retired. It was dingy, and he was pretty sure she’d bought it for him at a yard sale or flea market.

“Thank you, sweetie, I love it.” Of course he did. He would have to love anything that hideous. She’d given him several gifts along the same vein. Lila and Zane had been saving the biggest and best surprise until last. They waited until he’d opened all the gifts to bring out the cake, which had a special message on it for him.

“Happy birthday, Dad!” Zane said as he put the cake in front of him with an undisclosed number of candles.

He wrinkled up his nose as he blew out the candles. “You got me the wrong cake, Son. Who the hell is Grandle?”

Petunia leaned over him and looked at the cake. “Dustin, you old goat, that says Grandpa.”

“Oh, Son, you took away some poor grandpa’s cake. You’re going to have to call the store.”

Zane shook his head at his dad. Sometimes he really could be quite dense.

“Dad, this is your cake. This cake is for you. We purposely put it on there. It’s supposed to say Grandpa because you’re going to be a grandpa. Lila is pregnant.”

“What? Are you serious? You’re not screwing with me?”

“No, it’s true, Mr. Grier. I’m pregnant,” Lila said and smiled up at Zane, melting his heart a little bit.

“Oh, honey, if you’re giving me a grandbaby you can call me Dustin!” He jumped up and hugged her and then hugged Zane. “This is completely exciting. I can’t believe it!”

He went back over and gave Petunia a long kiss.

“Also, Dustin,” Lila said. “I glued the cats back together. They aren’t as perfect as they were,” she said, going over to the shelf and placing them back in their spot.

“Wow.” Dustin had tears in his eyes, and Zane thought for a minute he might join them.

“She’s been working on gluing those back together for months, Dad. She really went out of her way to get those back together. I didn’t even know she’d gathered up all those tiny pieces.”

“Happy days are coming!” Dustin did a little dance with Petunia and then started to cut the cake, purposely avoiding the word grandpa.

A little later Dustin handed Zane a letter. “This came from the woman’s correctional facility. I assume it’s from you know who. It’s really up to you if you want to read it.”

Zane took the letter out onto the porch, trying to decide if he should let sleeping dogs lie or open back up the drama that was Whitney Boon. It was from prison, so she had to be sober. Finally, he decided to open it and check out what it said.

Dear Zane,

When we were little I always thought of you as my prince. No matter how many times I came running to you I could always count on you to be there. Even when I was wasting away on drugs and treating you terribly you were still there for me. One day I turned around and you weren’t there anymore, and it hurt me a lot. I can’t be angry, because it was all my fault. I begrudged your happiness and that’s not something I’m proud of. Let’s face it. I’m not proud of anything I did. I’m writing you from jail because I called Walter to come and get me out of rehab. Walter who used me and beat me. That’s who I called to come and get me out of rehab.

Once I left I hid. After a three-day bender with him they hauled my ass to jail. I’m here for a few more months, although my lawyer is trying to get me back into a rehab.

I love you and I’ve always loved your family. They took me in when my parents were shit. Maybe if they’d been better I might have ended up more like you, more grounded and smart. I only have myself to blame for the downward spiral, the one-night stands, the drugs, and the bad choices. The thing that hurts me the most is that I lost our friendship. I hope one day you find it in your heart to forgive me, but I did some pretty unforgivable stuff. I destroyed something of Dana’s due to my own pettiness. Your mother was the best person in the world and only ever nice to me, and I destroyed something she left behind. That makes me scum, and I have to work through that and a lot of my bad decisions in jail and therapy. You’ll always be my best friend and you deserve a life without me ruining it.

I hope you are still happy and maybe one day I’ll see you again.

Love always,

Whitney

Zane smiled to himself and read the letter one more time, then he walked back into the house and threw it in the trash can. “Good luck, Whitney,” he said as he went back to the celebration of family and the love of his perfect woman.

The End