||Arden||
"They told me to bring you this." Harry's blue-haired friend sets a tray of food in front of me. I take the juice box off of it and open the straw, not saying a word to him. It's been several hours since they dragged Harry out of here. I thought they had left.
"You know he loves you." he says. I jab the straw into the box and sip it while I stare at the wall to my right. "He's done a lot of stupid shit, but it was all because he loves you."
"So he lied to me repeatedly because he loves me?" I snap at him.
"Yes, he did."
"What is your name?"
"Michael."
"So, Michael, do you work with Harry?"
"Yes."
"What do you two do?"
"Sorry, it's not my place to tell you." he shakes his head and walks towards the door.
"Michael?" I call to him right before he walks out the door. He turns around. "Is he still here?"
"No, he left two hours ago." he answers before walking out.
I pick at the food on my tray and try to keep my mind occupied. I get halfway through my stale peanut butter sandwich before I start sobbing.
I am so stupid. Everyone tried to tell me. Everyone. And I defended him.
"Does he show up at your place and then go missing for three days at a time? Does he use an out of date phone that seems to change frequently? Does he dodge questions about his job? Does he always pay in cash and seem to have an endless flow of money?"
"And do you know who uses flip phones? Drug dealers, that's who."
"He's using you, Arden. He's using you to get his fix. Or to make cash selling other people their fix. And you're just sitting here eating his shit up."
That has to be it. He's a drug dealer and all I am is his supplier. It makes sense. The sudden switch from him being a complete asshole to showing up with coffee and flowers. He only came around when he needed more. That's why I wouldn't hear from him for days on end and he always ended up at the hospital.
Joshua.
He really did have nothing to do with this. I fired him the day he got back from his father's funeral for something he didn't do. Now the DEA is involved. Once they figure out it's Harry and how I stupidly covered for him time and time again and gave him my door code. I'm going down with him.
I am so stupid.
I almost died today because of him. The worst part of this is I loved him.....I still love him or at least the person I thought he was. The person who makes sure I make it home safe when I've drank too much and rents out entire ice skating rinks for me. Then there was the person I saw today. The person who shot several people without blinking, who knows how to handle a gun way too well.
Which one is really him? Or is there a third option I'm not aware of?
Are they all drug dealers? Liam, Sophia, Zayn and Michael? They all wear that same necklace he has. What really happened the night her brought Zayn to me? Was that a drug deal gone wrong? Is that another crime I involved myself in?
I continue to cry until I fall asleep.
The few days are a blur of checkups, pain medications and sleep. I am completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. I can't seem to stay awake long enough to even ask where I am or when I can go home. I have no idea who is taking care of Jack or if anyone even knows where I am or what happened to me.
One day I wake up. I have no idea what time it is, but I manage to stay awake. A woman I don't recognize brings me a tray of food and checks my wound.
"Where am I?" I ask.
"Safe." she answers.
"I want to go home."
"I'm afraid you can't." she replies as she jots something down on a clipboard. A second man walks in; I recognize him as the one who was in the ambulance.
"I want to go home." I repeat to him.
"I told you..."
"Mikey's friend has taken care of everything." he interrupts the other lady. "There's no reason she can't go home."
"That's against policy." she hisses.
"It's all been arranged. She can go home whenever she likes." he answers firmly. He looks over her shoulder at me. "Would you like to go now?"
"Yes." I reply, eager to get out of this bare, sterile room.
A few minutes several people dressed in scrubs flood the room and help disconnect me from the various machines. The help me dress in a pair of sweats, explain how to take care of my wound and how to take my medications.
They tell me that there is a private nurse that will be in and out of my apartment caring for me. I'm told that they called the hospital and told them I had to go out of town suddenly. They also tell me that it is vital that I not tell anyone about my experiences the past few days.
I'm made to wear a blindfold on the way back to my apartment. They refuse to give me my phone and I'm too exhausted to argue with them. I just want to sleep in my own bed. I'm carried up to my apartment, where a young woman is waiting. She says her name is Rose and she will be taking care of me. She helps me get settled in my bed and brings me a bowl of soup and Jack. It's the first warm thing I've eaten since I was shot. After I'm settled for the evening, she excuses herself and says she'll return in the morning to help me start my day.
I'm awoken by a rustling in my apartment some time later. At first I assume it's Jack until I realize he's lying on my bed across from me. I lie silently and wait to see if I hear anything else. After I'm satisfied that there's nothing, I close my eyes and try to go back to sleep.
There it was again.
I open my eyes again and try to see through the pitch black in my tiny apartment. Jack is still beside me. I hear a floorboard creek. There is someone here. My heart starts racing and I try to formulate a plan. I can barely walk right now.
"Rose?" I call out, hoping that she came back earlier than she said.
Silence.
"Rose, is that you?" I call out again, my voice is shaky. I can see the outline of a figure approaching my bed. I try to sit up, but I'm still too sore. As it gets closer, the moonlight from my window catches it's features.
"Devon?!" I say, shocked.
"I am so sorry." he replies before everything goes black.
A.N. Love, love, LOVE No Doubt and this song. Unfortunately, most of their music doesn't fit the feel of this story. But I saw an opportunity and TOOK IT. :)
Any Devon/Samira theories? Some of you are close, but no one has it completely figured out yet