Saved By Steven (the first story)

22. Staying over

That night, Steven came over to Lauren's apartment. She'd tidied up a little, lit a few candles, and even put on a record. There was something comforting about old music on vinyl, like it belonged to a time when things made sense.
They started the evening with drinks—sparkling water with lime for Steven. Lauren had poured herself the same but kept glancing at the liquor cabinet above the fridge. She still kept it stocked. Not for guests. Not really.

"So," Steven said, swirling the ice in his glass, "how've you been?"
Lauren let out a short breath and lit a cigarette. "Hanging on by a thread."
Steven nodded. "Recovery's hard. I know."
"It's not even the recovery," she muttered, exhaling smoke.
"It's everything else. Going back to that place. Facing those people. Pretending I'm okay while doing the same goddamn thing every day for the rest of my life."
Steven leaned forward. "Then why don't you get out?"
Lauren looked at him like he'd asked her to grow wings.
"Doing what? I don't have another job lined up. I've got bills. Responsibilities. And maybe you haven't noticed, but jobs are kind of hard to come by these days."
"We'll figure something out," he said, simply.
"We?" Her tone was cautious.

Steven gave her a soft smile. "Yeah. We. Did you really think I was going to leave you to your fate after everything you've been through?"
Lauren looked away, blinking fast. No one had said "we" to her in a long time—and meant it.
Dinner was low-key. Steven had picked a tucked-away place where the staff knew him well enough to leave him alone. No fans, no flashing cameras, just quiet conversation over plates of food Lauren barely touched.

He watched her, noticing how thin she looked under the restaurant lights. Her makeup was heavier than usual, and she kept rubbing at her jaw like her skin didn't quite fit right.
Afterward, he drove her home. She offered him a drink when they walked in, but he shook his head."I'll take water," he said. "You sure you're okay?"Lauren stood frozen for a beat.
Then: "Steven... would you mind staying over? I don't really feel like being alone tonight.""Of course," he said, without hesitation.

They watched TV for a while—an old noir film with sharp shadows and smoky dialogue. Steven stayed on the couch, half-awake. Lauren said goodnight and went into her room, closing the door softly behind her.

Inside, she didn't bother changing. She walked straight to the bathroom, turned on the fan, and rolled up a twenty. A couple of lines on the sink. Just enough to take the edge off the aching hollowness in her chest. The rush hit her like a wave, warm and clean. Her thoughts scattered, and everything slowed down. Her body felt light. She laid down on the bed and passed out fully clothed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

In the middle of the night, Steven was jolted awake by screaming.
It wasn't the TV.
It wasn't outside.
It was Lauren.
He shot up, heart pounding, disoriented in the dark. The cries came again—frantic, terrified. He rushed down the hallway and opened her door.

Lauren was thrashing in the bed, her arms flailing, her voice hoarse."No—don't—stop—get away from me!"Steven rushed to her side and grabbed her wrists gently but firmly.
"Lauren! Hey—hey, it's okay. Wake up, it's just a dream. You're safe."Her eyes snapped open. Wild, glassy. For a moment she didn't recognize him."You're safe," he repeated, softer this time, brushing hair off her face.
"It was a nightmare."Lauren blinked hard, slowly coming back to herself. Her chest rose and fell in sharp breaths. She turned her head toward the nightstand, where a half-full bottle of water sat. Steven handed it to her."I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice small."Don't be," he said. "Do you want me to go back to the couch?"She shook her head. "Can you stay here? Just for tonight?""Sure, darling. Whatever makes you feel safe."
Steven lay beside her, over the covers, wrapping an arm around her. She nestled against him with a soft sigh and was asleep within minutes.
He stared at the ceiling, eyes wide open. Her hair still smelled faintly of powder and sweat. Her pulse felt too quick. And the faint chemical tang in the air? He knew it too well.What did you do? Are you using again?He didn't say it out loud. But the ache in his chest settled in like a stone.I've got to get you out of this town, he thought. Before it swallows you whole.

Steven and Lauren sat watching TV before she went to her bedroom. Steven slept on the couch. When Lauren closed the door, she went straight to the bathroom and did a few lines of coke. It felt good and soon after she passed out on the bed.

In the middle of the night Steven was awoken by the sound of screaming. It took him a few moments to locate the sound but when he heard them coming from Laurens' room he walked in. She was screaming, telling somebody to stop.

Steven grabbed her hands and tried to wake her up. When she finally did she was out of breath.

"It's okay. Nobody's here." Steven said.
Lauren looked at him, a bit dazed.
"You had a nightmare darling." Steven said, handing Lauren a bottle of water she kept next to her bed.
"I'm sorry to have woken you up." She said.
"Don't worry about it." Steven said. "You try to sleep okay. I'll be in the other room."
"No, Steven, can you stay with me, here?"

Sure darling. Whatever makes you feel save. Steven got in the bed next to Lauren. She laid down against him and fell asleep. Steven stayed awake, his arm around Lauren. What did you do. Have you been using again? I've got to get you out of this town.