Loyal

Chapter 77

Colin's POV

            In a matter of minutes I feel a rush in my body. A warm wave of tingles courses over me and I feel numb and sensitive, hot and cold, heavy and light. For Fucks sakes. I shake my head from side to side, trying to gather myself. It feels like my first fuckin high. What the fuck is this?

            "You are one fine ass mother fucker," Tinashe laughs, her voice sounds hollow, far away. Colors, so many different colors in the room, neon colors...bright colors....an array of schemes playing across the walls. She slides off my lap and slowly walks back over to the pile of pills. She reaches for her joint and blows a cloud of smoke towards me. Dwayne stirs and I look down at him. The couch seems to be moving away from me, I hold onto the plush cushion with a vengeance, trying to balance myself. Fuck why is everything moving?

            "Fuck it, I'll have some too," Tinashe giggles, reaching down toward a pile of pills and putting a handful into her mouth. She throws her head back. Fuck why is she doing that? She shouldn't be doing that! She shakes her head back and forth, her light brown hair whipping across her face. 

                        "Tinashe!" I exclaim, jumping up, "You shouldn't...you shouldn't be doing that," the words leave my mouth but they sound far away, like a shitty quality speaker. I fall onto the couch, a sensation in my head feels ticklish, it moves down to my stomach and I try not to laugh. 

            She shakes her head back and forth once more. My senses start to blur.

            "Fuck you," she laughs, reaching for her joint. Dwayne stirs beside us, sitting up. He rubs his eyes groggily. He looks to me, and then to Tinashe. Tinashe rocks back and forth, all of them pills have her eyes darting around the room. 

                        "Fuck, she on something?" He asks me, looking back at Tinashe. I rock back and forth myself, trying to figure out why the fuck Dwayne has three faces. His eyes cascade into a waterfall of neon pink. "Kaep? Kaep, you good?" He asks. It sounds like his voice is in a synthesizer, the sound of him tickles me even more. He looks back toward Tinashe, probably putting two and two together. "Tinashe! Did you fuckin give him something? What the-" before Dwayne can finish his sentence e's interrupted.

            "EVERYONE OUT!" A booming voice that sounds like Fox can be heard from a distant part of the house. Dwayne's eyes grow wide and we all freeze. The pumping of music from the main part of the party immediately stops. Are those fuckin sirens? Dwayne jumps off the couch, grabbing me by the arm.

                        "We gotta fuckin go Kaep!"

            I look toward Tinashe, she sits up immediately, as if she's about to jump up too. Instead, she falls face forward onto the ground, unmoving. I look down at her, my mind spiraling.

                        "NOW KAEP!" Dwayne snaps. I hesitantly look down at Tinashe, she still isn't moving, it looks like the ground is swallowing her whole.

            "We can't leave! The ground is swallowing her!" Panic sets in. The sirens grow louder. Dwayne shoves me toward the door, shaking his head.

                        "Ain't nothing we can do about her now, we gotta go!" Reluctantly, I follow him, trying to keep my balance, grabbing onto his arm as we bolt out of the house in a frenzy, followed by other people trying to make it out before the cops raid.

 Vera's POV

            "I don't know, but I swear I feel like he's following me," I tell Leah. She dips her breadstick into a small cup of marinara sauce. We're at my favorite pizza joint, thanks to my cravings. Whenever I say I feel like eating something, Leah has me in the car and we're on our way to the nearest place that serves it.

                        "I told you to get that fool Cam in court, or to at least get a restraining order!" Leah looks at me warningly, as if to say I told you so.

            "I know, I know. I just...I don't want to deal with any of that anymore. I want to break down and cry whenever I even think about the gala," I say, my voice quivering. Leah takes my hand from across the table. Colin has been gone for only a few days, and for some reason it feels good to have some space from him.... knowing he is across the country gives me the chance to breathe. I let out a long sigh.

                        "Girl, everything is going to be okay. As soon as Kaep gets back, you can tell him about the baby, and ya'll can go on to living happily ever after."

            "I guess..."

                        "What do you mean I guess?"

            "Honestly Leah, I feel like all of this is a little too good to be true. I mean, what? He's going to come back, find out about the baby, and I'm supposed to be swept into his arms while we move into a mansion on the bay?"

                        "Um, yeah," Leah says matter of factly. I laugh and squeeze her hand.

            "I can't help but feel that something's up," I murmur.

                        "Why can't you just let yourself be happy?" she asks. I pause, there's a distant buzzing. Leaning over, I sift through my purse on the ground. Damn, I put my phone on silent and totally forgot! I lift up my phone to answer a call from Colin.

            "Baby girl?"

                        "Hello?" I ask.

            "Baby girl," Colin sounds out of breath.

                        "Is everything ok?"

            "Yes. Fine...everything's, fine. I just..."

                        "Are you ok?"

            "Why haven't you been answering!?"

                        "I'm sorry, I've had my phone on silent, it's been in my purse."

            "Look Vera, I love you. I need you to know that."

                        "Ok...."

            "I gotta go," Colin says quickly. He hangs up before I can reply.

                                   "Whoa, what was that about?" Leah asks.

            "I honestly have no idea," I shrug, dropping my phone back into my purse.