County Falls

Chapter 17: Aftermath

It was morning when I finally came out of my alcohol induced coma. My head was pounding against the cold floor. Where was I? I opened my eyes slowly and as they adjusted to the light I saw the toilet hovering over me. I was in my bathroom. Last night rushed in to my mind as I grew more awake. The copious amount of alcohol, the horrible uncoordinated gyrating, and the fight. Oh god the fight. I lifted myself up slowly, careful not to throw up again. I vaguely remember Jase carrying me in to my room but I wasn't there long, before the vomit came rushing back. I didn't think I had anything left to to throw up ,but there it was, the bile burning worse than the whiskey I stole.

When I found the strength to stand, I got up and opened my bedroom door and immediately tripped on something hard as I made my way to my bed. I fell on my knees and the rest of my body gave out until all of me was flat on the floor. I should forget standing all together before I hurt myself. I looked over to see Jase rubbing the foot that I tripped over.

"I didn't know you were still here."

"Obviously." He said and continued rubbing his feet. "I had to make sure you were ok. Your mom isn't home yet, which is good for you, considering how disappointed she would be." I groaned in to my arm. "I also found this." He dangled my broken phone in front of me. "No wonder you didn't answer when I tried to call. I managed to get it to turn on. Your mom left a voicemail saying she went to work after her date and that she would sleep in the on call room." I was thankful for her absence. She didn't need to see her only daughter face down in the toilet.

My stomach started to settle so I tried to get up, using the end of my bed as support. Jason got up to grab my arm and help me up. The mattress beneath me felt like heaven.

"I should just leave you on the floor." He brought the covers over me and settled beside me.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"How's your head?"

"It feels like it got run over by a tractor. Yours?" I went to touch the red spot by his temple but he moved his face away.

"It's just a scratch. What the hell was with you last night?"

I shrugged. "I was having a bad day."

"If you have a bad day, you eat crap food or you listen to sad music, you don't do a strip tease in front of an entire party."

"I didn't strip."

"Believe me when I say it was getting to that point. I went to put a stop to it, and thats when your douchebag boyfriend tried to stop me. Look how far that got him."

I realized then that I completely forgot to check on Justin. I hadn't even asked about him. The fact that I treated him as an afterthought made me feel like a horrible girlfriend and the image of him clutching his face on the floor was permanently burned in to my brain.

"Don't worry about him." Jase said, somehow reading my mind. "He's sleeping it off at Brian's. It's going to hurt a lot more today." He made a fist and checked his knuckles which had some redness. "I would never let my girlfriend do what you did last night."

Guilt flooded my entire body. I was such a fool last night. I didn't think or any of the repercussions and I was definitely paying for it today.

"I'm sorry Jase." I whispered. "I'm so sorry." I started to cry.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft, "please don't cry." He pulled me to his side and I cried harder in to his shoulder.

"But... you're... m-m-mad... at... m-me." I tried to say between my quick and shallow breaths. Jason gave a soft laugh and kissed the top of my head.

"You're damn right I'm mad. Are you ready to tell me what really happened?" Instead of telling him, which honestly I couldn't because I was hyperventilating, I pointed to my laptop. He got the hint and grabbed it from my desk. It opened to the email and I turned my head around to avoid looking at it.

"I cant believe what I'm reading." Jase finally said, closing the laptop. I felt his arm come around me and started moving it up and down my arm to comfort me. "No wonder you acted out. I'm sorry too Kaia, I should've been there."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I understand why you couldn't talk. I was just being a selfish brat."

"What are you going to do? It said he wants to meet with you." I felt my heart stop beating. I never finished the email and apparently missed that part.

"I am not going to see him!" I yelled out even though my voice was horse.

"It's ok Kaia, no one is going to make you do something you don't want to. How did he even get your email?"

"I have no idea." Then a thought occurred to me. He had to get in touch with someone I knew in order to have reached me.

"I need to talk to my mom. I feel like she might know more than she lets on."

Jase nodded, understanding my thought process. "What about the new Kaia?"

"New Kaia died of alcohol poisoning. She won't be making things worse anymore."

"Good. I much prefer the old one anyways." He checked his phone. I peeked over and saw five missed calls and numerous missed texts.

"Please go if you have to Jase. I'm completely fine, see?" I pointed to myself. "Old Kaia now."

"Stop trying to kick me out Evans. I'm right where I need to be"

Jase handed me a couple of aspirin and water to take for my headache. He also helped me to the bathroom so I could brush my teeth.

"You're breath is terrible." He teased. I flung water at him.

Once I finished, I settled back in to bed with him right beside me and as I drifted off to sleep, I thought about my father and the email and I feared I was about to discover a truth I wasn't ready for.