Ember Kate

Chapter:: Nineteen

Late that night, probably midnight, I wake up to bottles clinking. “Tommy? Is that you?” I mumble into my pillow. The lights are off but it doesn’t stop Tommy from navigating in the dark. The side he was laying next to me is cold, meaning he’s been doing this for a while.

“It’s me, just be quiet for a minute.” I hear more clinking noises and I wonder what he has. I sit up in bed, finding myself wide awake. The moonlight offers a little sight to see that he has long bottles of alcohol that he set on the floor. He’s leaning over, looking through them. I see him bring out a baggie, pop open a lid of a bottle, and pour whatever was in the bag in the bottle.

“What was that?” I ask him, my voice shaky. But I wasn’t scared, so why was my voice shaking? It was most likely drugs. I pretend to wipe the sleep out of my eyes, like I can’t see what he’s doing. And as far as he is concerned, I don’t know anything.

“It’s nothing, I told you to be quiet for a minute didn’t I?’ I can hear an edge to his voice that made my muscles tense. I thought about what I should do. What if he tries to get me to drink that? And it is drugs, and something bad happens? I can’t imagine him being the kind of guy to drug me.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” I whisper to him. I stand up, acting like I’m stretching. When I bend down to touch my toes, I grab my phone and leave the room. When I enter the dark hallway, I realize my fingers are shaking as I dial his phone number. I never thought that I would have a solid reason to talk to him again, but this seemed like a pretty good one.

“Hello?” I hear Locklan’s voice answer. My stomach tightens up a little bit and I tuck my hair behind my hair.

“Locklan, I’m surprised you answered. I think it’s pretty late,” awkward silence, I just need to get to the point. “So there’s this guy Tommy who is living with me right now, and I know you could care less-“

“You’re right, I could care less.” Locklan sounds more awake now, all sleep drained out of it.

“Anyways, I think he’s planning on drugging me for some reason.” I almost laugh at how stupid this sounds. But I don’t, just in case Locklan will think it’s a joke if I do.

It’s a few slow, so painfully slow minutes before he picks his words carefully. “Are you sure? I mean, why aren’t you calling the police? I thought you didn’t want me to rescue you anymore.”

The words from our fight hollow out my stomach. I can’t believe I actually said that to him. Thinking now, it must have seemed so lame and stupid and not really a reason to break up with someone at all. I felt bad for him. For a second I wanted to tell him it was all a joke and I was coming over to cuddle with him and he better have my favorite movie on. Except I lived in a world where I made shitty decisions and instead I was crouched on the floor past midnight telling the best thing that ever happened to me that something even worse is going to happen to me. But hey, it’s just a feeling.

“I know you have no reason to, but you need to believe me. I saw him put drugs into a bottle of vodka.” A pounding on the bathroom door makes me jump and gasp a little.

“Ember, I know you have your phone in there with you. Who are you talking to?” Tommy’s voice is low and the edge is still there. I don’t want to come out and I hope he doesn’t ask me to.

“I’m talking to myself.” I explain as I cover the mouthpiece. It doesn’t help.

“Is that him?” I hear Locklan say. He sounds distracted, like he’s a million miles away and I’m here on the carpet wishing Tommy would just go back where he came from. I followed my gut instinct usually, and if I did this time then I would be right. Tommy drugged the vodka. The only logical reason I could see for that happening is that he’s going to give it to someone, and I was the only one there.

“It is,” I whisper. I wonder if Tommy has his ear against the door, and if he heard it. After a few thuds of my heartbeat, I think he might’ve went back to my room or listened to my silent thoughts for him to leave.

Nope. He pounds on the door again. Even harder, even though I didn’t think it was possible. “Open the damn door, Ember. I know you’re lying,” his voice has this note to it that sounds desperate.

“Locklan, I’m being serious. I hope you believe me, I have to go now,” I felt kind of stupid for telling him I had to go when all I wanted to do was hide from Tommy. I didn’t want him to get mad. But what if he woke up my parents? Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, they could kick him out. “Get out of here Tommy, I know what you’re trying to do.” I bluff.

“What am I trying to do? I’m just trying to get you to come back to bed, it’s late.” Tommy says and I can hear the tiredness in his voice.

I sit there for a minute more after I hang up the phone, wondering if I should believe him. I was also thinking of if Locklan believed me or not. I guess we would see. “Okay, we’ll go to bed then.” I stand up and open the door, trying to ignore the empty feeling in my stomach. I open the door and start walking back to my room, feeling Tommy’s tall presence behind me the whole way.

“I knew you’d fall for it,” Tommy tells me as I open the door to my bedroom. Before I have a chance to do anything, I feel him wrap his arms around me before putting a rag over my mouth.