by Erin Rylie
“Uptight? Are you kidding me right now? I have a three-year-old son and he does not need to see you high off your ass sitting on my couch. And what the fuck do you mean you may not walk again? I was at your first physical therapy appointment. The therapist said that with hard work you’d regain full functionality in your leg.”
“Doesn’t feel like it. Feels like I’m broken.”
“Carlos...you’re not broken. Your femur is fractured. That is still no excuse to act like this. You’re a guest in my house, and I won’t have a fucking drug addict living here with my child!”
The last reaction Kelsey expected was laughter, but Carlos threw his head back and let out a full body laugh. The sound of it didn’t sit well with Kelsey though. He was the kind of person whose joy was infectious. When Carlos found something funny, he made sure that everyone did too, and his laugh was one of her favorite sounds in the world. This one though, this laughter had a cruel edge to it. A kind of sharpness that indicated he found nothing about her words funny.
“I’m a cop, Kelsey. I’m far from a drug addict.”
She looked at him, incredulous, and was about to respond when she felt a tug on her shirt. She looked down to find her son wearing a confused expression.
“What’s funny, Mommy?”
Kelsey looked up from James, meeting Carlos’s gaze directly when she responded. “Nothing, James. There is absolutely nothing funny about this situation.”
Pushing himself to a stand, slowly and with effort, Carlos grabbed hold of his cane and plowed past Kelsey into the hall. “Whatever, I don’t need this. If you don’t want me to live here, Kelsey, just say so.”
Speechless, Kelsey watched him hobble down the hall to his bedroom. The slam of his door startled her enough that she jerked. She’d thought she was in trouble with quiet, discouraged Carlos, but this? This was something else entirely, and she had no idea how to handle it.
After she’d given James a bath and tucked him into bed for the evening, Kelsey poured herself a glass of wine and sat at the kitchen table staring at her phone. She could call Rafe, but she had a feeling that he wouldn’t know how to handle this situation any better than she did. What she needed was advice from someone who had been in this kind of scenario before. She also needed someone to watch James for a few hours in the morning. She had an appointment with her general practitioner. Sure, it was just a yearly checkup, and she could reschedule, but she’d rather just get it over with. Plus, she needed to run a few errands after the appointment. Kelsey loved her son, but he was a pain in the ass to run errands with. She assumed all kids were, honestly. She had planned to ask Carlos to stay with James since he appeared to be feeling better, but that was completely out of the question now.
Unlocking her phone with a swipe, she called the only person she knew had personally dealt with drug addiction. Taking a big gulp of wine, she waited for her friend to pick up.
“Sexy Becky’s House of Pleasure, how may I direct your penis?”
Despite the situation, Kelsey found herself laughing. “You are just the most ridiculous human I have ever known.”
“Oh, you don’t have a dick. This is what I get for answering my phone without checking to see who was calling. What’s up, love muffin?”
Kelsey sighed. She needed advice, but was it really her place to air Carlos’s dirty laundry? It seemed like a violation of his privacy. She was at a complete dead end, though, and really could use her friend’s support.
“I have some serious questions to ask. About your past.”
Becky went silent on the other end of the line. She understood her friend’s reticence and gave her time to answer. After a moment, Becky cleared her throat.
“Anything for you. What do you need to know? I’d prefer not to talk about Reese, if at all possible.” It had been years since their breakup, but Kelsey didn’t miss the way her friend’s voice caught when she spoke Reese’s name.
“No, this isn’t about that asshole. I have a couple of questions about your experience with prescription medication. I have this...friend. I think he might be abusing his painkillers, and I don’t know how to help him. How did it start for your mother?
Becky hummed, thinking about her answer. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really remember exactly when my mother started, but I do remember the way that her personality changed over time. I have all of these fond memories of us when I was young ‘sleepovers’ in my room where we would watch classic movies and eat popcorn and chocolate, fun shopping trips. Then she threw out her back playing tennis and was prescribed painkillers. She started taking them and just never stopped. It was like someone had taken away my loving mother and replaced her with this monster I didn’t know anymore. This awful, judgmental, screaming harpy that didn’t resemble the person I’d grown up with. She and my dad started throwing money at me instead of actually parenting, and things just spiraled from there. All I can say is this: your friend has to want to stop taking the pills for himself. Quitting for someone else may work in the short term, but eventually he’ll fall back into old habits.”
Kelsey nodded, though her friend couldn’t see her. That made sense. She had no idea how she would get Carlos to see he had a problem. She’d tried yelling at him and that hadn’t helped. Hell, she’d called him a fucking drug addict. Since she had only seen him high once, though, maybe she’d overreacted. It was possible he’d just taken too many pills today. Maybe Kelsey could talk to him tomorrow morning when he was sober. She was positive he would be reasonable about the whole thing.
Realizing belatedly that she was still on the phone with Becky and had gone silent, she took a sip of her wine and changed the subject. “Thanks for that, Beccs. Random question—what are you doing tomorrow? Do you have to work?”
“I’m working on a few projects, but I can work late tonight and take a few hours off tomorrow, why?”
“Oh I couldn’t ask you to do that, I just needed someone to watch James for a couple of hours.”
“I can do that! I can just bring my laptop over to your house to finish up any work I can’t manage to get done tonight. Benefits of being a freelancer, right? I’ve wanted to get in some quality time with your munchkin for a while now anyway.”
Kelsey heaved a sigh of relief. “That would be amazing, Becky. Thank you so much.”
“No need to thank me, silly. If you really feel the need to express your gratitude though, you’re welcome to get me a gift card to that awesome ass sex shop in Montrose. I broke my vibrator last week and those bitches get pricey.”
Chapter Nine
Carlos woke the next day feeling like absolute garbage. The pain in his leg was back with a vengeance, and he had a killer fucking headache. Without opening his eyes, he reached for the bedside table, feeling around the surface for his bottle of pills. When he came up empty, he groaned and sat up gingerly. He felt groggy as hell, like he’d overdone it on tequila the night before.
He checked the time on his phone, and was pleased to note that it was still morning at least. When he set his phone back down on the bedside table, however, he noticed something. Or rather, the absence of something.
Where the hell are my pills?
He’d been a little out of it the night before, but he’d remembered seeing the orange bottle by his bed before he’d gone to sleep. Almost frantically, he pulled open the drawer to his little nightstand and searched it, coming up empty. When he shoved the drawer back in, he noticed a small sticky note was stuck to the wood next to the lamp. The handwriting wasn’t one he recognized, but the hastily scrawled note was signed.
We need to talk. I have your pills. If you ever want to see them alive again, you’ll get your bum ass dressed and into the kitchen.
* * *
–Becky
Carlos snorted in spite of himself. He was annoyed that someone had been in his room while he was sleeping, and if he were honest, he was fucking livid that Becky had taken his medicine. Damn if the girl wasn’t funny as hell though. Only Becky wou
ld leave a ransom note for a bottle of painkillers.
Groaning, he grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a clean T-shirt from the dresser Kelsey had pulled to the other side of his bed. He dressed as quickly as he could, given his circumstances, wishing like hell he had something to dull the pain in his leg.
When he stood up, leaning heavily on his cane, the nausea set in. He stood still for a moment, fighting the rising urge to vomit. Closing his eyes, he willed the headache and nausea to dissipate. When he felt steady enough, he made his way slowly to the kitchen. Though the house was older, the kitchen and living room had been built in the open-concept style. The only thing separating the two rooms was a peninsula countertop. To get to the kitchen, where he could already see Becky, he had to walk through the living room. At the entrance to the room from the hallway, he spotted James, still in his pajamas watching Bubble Guppies. He was so wholly focused on his show that he didn’t even look up at the sound of Carlos’s footsteps. He didn’t consciously decide to stop at the entrance to the living room, but found himself leaning against the doorway watching James.
He was such an incredible kid. Smart, inquisitive, and so damn sweet it was ridiculous. The little guy pulled his thumb from his mouth for long enough to sing the theme song to the show quietly before popping it back in. Carlos’s stomach clenched when he thought about the previous night. Kelsey had come home with James. James had seen him high off his ass on the couch. It definitely wasn’t a proud moment for him. He promised himself that he’d never have a day like that again. He could control himself, he knew he could.
After a few more minutes of watching James, Carlos made his way to the kitchen to deal with Becky. He found her sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her coffee from a mug that said “Not Today Muggle-Fuckers.” She must’ve brought it with her because he knew Kelsey didn’t have any profane mugs in the kitchen. James couldn’t read yet, but he’d be able to in a few years, and he imagined fucker wasn’t a word anyone wanted him reading.
He grabbed a coffee mug and filled it to the brim, hoping some caffeine would pull him out of his current funk. Cup in hand, he sat down at the kitchen table, forcing Becky to finally look up from her laptop.
“Well, good morning, princess. You look like you had quite the night last night. Did you hit it a little hard at the frat houses?”
Carlos scowled. “I’m not a frat boy, thank you very much. I never needed some Greek letters to get me pussy in college.”
Becky made eye contact with him, ensuring he was looking when she rolled her eyes. “You know, I always forget how highly you think of yourself, but you never fail to remind me.”
“I’m nothing if not consistent.”
Becky hummed and took a sip of her coffee. “I think you and I should have a conversation.”
“Yeah, I gathered that when you hijacked my medication from my bedroom and left a fucking ransom note.”
“That was a nice touch, wasn’t it? I thought about leaving a crushed pill behind, kind of as a warning, but the damn things are snortable.”
Carlos laughed, “All right, you have my attention. What’s on your mind, Becky?”
While he’d known Becky for about a year now, he was very aware that they hadn’t spent any time alone together. In the time they had spent together, however, he’d never seen her look so serious. It was slightly disconcerting, and suddenly he was worried about the direction this conversation would head.
“Look,” she started, “I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this whole ordeal has been on you. It’s obvious that you care a great deal about your career and I’m sure you’re worried about returning to work. Not to mention, I imagine the pain in your leg is excruciating. That being said, I feel like you might be headed down a pretty dangerous path, Carlos.”
Though he wanted nothing more than to snap at her, he reminded himself that she was one of Kelsey’s best friends...and she still had his pills. Instead of storming off or telling her to go fuck herself, he took a deep breath before calmly replying.
“What path is that, Becky?”
“The one that leads to addiction.” Before he could object, she held up her hand. “Look, I just want you to hear me out. I had a tough time growing up. My parents were awful—seriously some of the worst people you can fucking imagine. When I was in middle school, my mom threw her back out and started popping pain pills to cope. She never stopped taking them and they changed her. She’d never been a particularly attentive mother, but she turned nasty. She became verbally and physically abusive. One night, she and my dad had a huge fight and she accidentally overdosed. I won’t go in to too much detail, but her addiction changed my entire life. Don’t let these pills do the same to you. My mother lost me—something she hasn’t seemed to really care about, but you could lose Kelsey and James. I can’t imagine you want them to leave your life.”
Carlos reached out and squeezed Becky’s hand. He’d never truly connected with her, and imagined it took a lot for her to share her story with him. She was wasting her breath though. He was as far from an addict as a person could be. He just needed some help with the pain in his leg. Sure, he’d taken one too many pills last night, but that had been a one-time mistake. It definitely wouldn’t happen again.
“Thank you for taking the time to tell me all of that, Becky. I really appreciate it. But like I told Kelsey last night, I’m not an addict. Those pills just dull the pain in my leg so that I can get through the day, that’s all.”
Becky nodded, but the look in her eyes told him she didn’t quite believe him. “All right, well, it’s not my place to take these from you,” she said, pulling the orange bottle she’d stolen from her pocket. “But promise me you’ll be careful. Kelsey is my best friend, and she’s doing an amazing thing for you. Don’t fuck that up.”
She placed the bottle on the table between them and stood up, walking into the living room to join James on the couch. Carlos sat at the table for a few minutes, absorbing Becky’s words. He appreciated the concern, but he was doing just fine. He was going to physical therapy; he was trying. Carlos finished off his cup of coffee, and stood to rinse it out and place it in the dishwasher. A thought struck him as he stood at the sink.
He turned around and looked at Becky, who was sitting on the couch with James. The little guy was chattering away, Becky watching him with a quirked lip. “Becky,” he called out. She looked away from James and met his gaze.
“Why are you here? Why didn’t Kelsey ask me to watch James if she needed to leave the house?”
The look Becky gave him was sad. “I think you know the answer to that, Carlos.”
After last night she doesn’t trust me to be alone with her son. Fuck.
The realization that Kelsey had called a friend to babysit James with him in the house was a tough one. It fucking hurt, if he were honest with himself. He shook off the hurt and felt determination settle into his gut. He would do better; he would be better. That third pill last night had just been a mistake, plain and simple. With that thought in mind, he walked out of the kitchen, reaching over to snag his bottle of pills from the table as he went.
When he walked by Becky, he could’ve sworn he heard her release a disappointed sigh.
“Fuck, Kelsey, you’re so damn tight,” Carlos groaned as she sunk down onto his rock-hard dick slowly, so slowly. His hands fell from her firm tits to her waist, gripping her hips tightly as she began to move up and down his cock. He let out a low groan, his fingers gripping hard enough to bruise.
He raised one hand from her hip to her back, pulling her body down to his. She followed his direction and leaned down just enough for him to take one of her pale pink nipples into his mouth. She moaned and he felt her pussy clench when he bit lightly and tugged. He laved her nipple with his tongue while her hips stuttered over his own, her rhythm slowing in her distraction.
He chuckled at her response and moved his head to the other side of her breast. When he gently licked her nipple instead of taking it into his mo
uth, she let out a frustrated moan.
“Like that, huh? Do you enjoy the way I play with your tits while you ride me, Kelsey? You’re so fucking wet that I can feel it on my thighs.”
She let out a load moan when he took her nipple fully into his mouth, giving it the same attention he’d given the other. Returning his hand to her hip, he held on tight and began to thrust up into her body, his hips snapping into her with force. The best thing about Kelsey? She liked it as rough as he did. His mouth left her breasts and she leaned her forehead down to meet his, her hot breath caressing his lips.
When her breathing began to hitch, and he felt her hot pussy clenching around his cock, he knew she was close. Reaching over, he placed his thumb on her clit and applied pressure, rubbing in the slow circles he knew she liked.
“Come for me, Kels. Come all over my rock-hard dick. I want to feel you clenching around me when I finish deep inside you.”
His words combined with his touch on her clit sent her over the edge, and he felt his own orgasm begin to rip through him.
Carlos woke abruptly, his hand wrapped around his dick, jerking it hard as he came all over his chest. He looked down at his chest, noting the mess, before plopping his head back onto his pillow and covering his eyes with his hand.
Wet dreams, just what I need.
He dragged himself out of bed and used a washcloth from his hamper to clean his stomach before getting dressed in athletic shorts and a T-shirt. He’d been working on range of motion exercises with his physical therapist recently, and while they were definitely helping, his hip was sore today. It was worth it to be able to walk without his cane. He still needed to use it if he walked for more than an hour or so, but he could get himself around the house just fine. It was freeing, and he finally felt like he was making progress. They’d also been doing some aquatic exercises recently, which meant that his swim trunks were currently dirty. After physical therapy yesterday, he’d hidden them at the bottom of his hamper so that Kelsey would be unable to wash them before helping him shower today. He could manage to get in and out of the tub (carefully) but still needed help washing his legs, as bending his knees put too much strain on his injury.