Breathe

Chapter 26

Xander POV (continuation)

Do you remember all the outings she used to crash?" Aria nods at him to acknowledge. "Well, I never invited her. I did discuss some of the places we went to with Mark at work just to get his opinion on some of the hiking trails, and she would always jump in and try to get invited, but she always ended up there anyway. I don't know how she knew about the other dates she crashed. Because you never complained or said anything, I honestly assumed you were okay with it, but I now realize that you were waiting for me to say something, seeing as she was my friend.

I've been using cocaine with Jenny for a long time now, and it's honestly taken over my life. I won't go into detail on how that happened, but it's not all Jenny. I was stupid enough to just go with it, and I eventually lost the person I once was. I can't sleep. I have insomnia. I can barely concentrate on anything. I feel like I'm losing my mind."

In response, Arya looks at me with pleading eyes, and I know she wants us to help. Hell, I want to help him too. Turning to Daniel, I ask, "What do you need from us, Daniel? Is there something specific you want or need help with?" He nods his head yes. "I need help, man. I can't do this on my own anymore.

I left here with the idea of going to my parents, but halfway I stopped; I just couldn't face them with the way I am, the way I look. I tried getting this shit out of my system on my own, but it's not working; I'm not strong enough to do it on my own. I have blown through my savings; I've even sold most of my things for this addiction. It's honestly controlling my life at this point. I'm so sorry, Ari; you don't owe me anything after the shit I've done, but I'm begging you, please help me."

Giving Aria a smile, I turn to Daniel and agree that we will be assisting him. It's honestly been an extremely tough time for all of us, I think, especially Aria, to see Daniel in this kind of state. With the permission from Daniel, we got in contact with his parents and gave them a brief rundown of what is happening, as well as his whereabouts. And they all advised that they would be visiting soon. I'm sure they're probably on their way right now, as we speak.

I took a bit of time just to do some research, and there is a lot to take in, but the main things I looked at were the withdrawal and rehabs. Withdrawal from cocaine may include fatigue, increased appetite (which explains why he ate so much earlier), and mood swings. The website said that when considering rehab, expect a thorough assessment, detoxification, counselling, and support for recovery. All that sounds exactly like what Daniel needs right now.

I made contact with a rehab not too far from us and spoke to one of their doctors. He went through a few things, including the symptoms for withdrawal. The doctor emphasized the patient's voluntary participation in the program, and we confirmed that indeed, it was entirely his decision. After the required documents are completed and signed, we email everything back, and Daniel will be collected from our place later tonight.

His parents arrived, and his mother, seeing him in his current state, couldn't hold back tears. It's undoubtedly tough for her. They had a nice long conversation with him going over what happened, where he was, and that seemed to ease his mother's nerves a bit. They accepted our offer to stay with us overnight but got up quite early this morning and decided that they needed to visit the rehab centre just to finalize a few things for him, as well as take over the rest of the responsibilities.

They profusely thanked us for actually taking in Daniel instead of just keeping him out on the street. His mother even had tears because she felt that Aria didn't owe any of them anything, yet she still took on the task to look after Daniel. After saying goodbyes and Daniel's parents departed, you could visibly sense the weight lift off Aria.

To help Aria relax after a stressful evening, I decided to take her out for the day. We went to a spa, and I enjoyed spending time with her. Aria chose a pregnancy massage, while I went for a deep tissue one. I made sure she felt comfortable and safe, keeping an eye out for any issues during the session. Our spa day was all about relaxation, and I paid close attention to Aria's well-being. If there's anything specific you want to discuss, feel free to let me know!

During the massage, Aria stayed quiet for a while, her mind clearly active. Choosing not to disturb her thoughts, I waited for her to open up when she was ready. It didn't take long. After the masseuse left, she turned to me with a soft smile, taking my hand. "Thank you so much, my love. I love you deeply. I truly appreciate everything you've done for me."

"I honestly don't know how I would have dealt with this if I had to do it on my own." As I tried to reassure her, she stopped me. "No, you don't get it. This is something you did not have to take on. Something you did not even have to consider. Yet you did, just to make sure that I'm okay. I don't even know how to say thank you for all of that." Her gratitude touched me. I gently squeezed her hand, "You don't need to thank me, Arya.

What matters most to me is being there for you. We are a team, and I'll always support you through anything. I love you." After our spa day, I surprised Aria with her favourite ice cream when we got home. She called Kelly and Jazz, updating them on what happened the previous night. Meanwhile, I checked in with the rehab centre about Daniel. They couldn't give many details since his parents were handling things, but they assured me he was okay. That reassurance was enough for me.

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