Destiny: Hilltops Series - Book One

by Faith Starr

  “I know, but I still feel on edge.” Rocking back and forth didn’t seem to be helping her either.

  “That’s understandable. Would you like to do a relaxation exercise to help you calm down?” I could certainly use another one.

  “No. I don’t think that would help me right now. I know what would, but unfortunately, that isn’t an option for me anymore.”

  The way she avoided eye contact and stared at the wall wasn’t going to make me ignore that comment.

  I leaned forward on my chair to get her attention. “Drugs are never the option, Karina. I’m happy with the decision you made to speak with me about your feelings right now. The old you would have acted on impulse and used.”

  Her eyes met mine. “You’re right, Jordin. You’re always right.”

  “No. I’m not always right. No one is. I’m just trying to help you recognize the gains you’ve made in your recovery so far.”

  “So do you plan on working here full-time after you graduate?”

  Huh? Her question was out of left field and definitely none of her business. I sat back in my chair and crossed my legs, maybe one of my defensive stances. “I’m not exactly sure what my plans are as of yet.”

  “Do you want to work here?”

  “I appreciate your interest, Karina, but I’m not comfortable discussing my private life with you.”

  “Why not, I tell you all my secrets.” She put her legs down and crossed them. She crossed her arms as well.

  “I’m your therapist. That’s what you’re supposed to do so I can effectively help you.” My sleuth skills were back in full force.

  “I still have secrets you don’t know about.”

  She could tease all she wanted. She was only hurting herself.

  “Well, when you’re ready to share them with me, I’ll be open to hearing about them.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m feeling better now. Thanks for seeing me.” She stood abruptly and walked toward the door. Before exiting she asked, “Will I see you for our session in a few days?”

  “Of course you will. Be kind to yourself, Karina.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  I sat for a minute to collect myself. What an odd conversation.

  After meeting with Leah, I drove over to campus and went straight to Dr. Sloan’s office. The door was open. He was filing papers.

  Knock or just enter?

  Knock.

  “Come in.”

  “I wanted to see if you’ve heard from Casey?” He continued on with his filing while I stood in the doorway.

  “Unfortunately, Alicia and I haven’t.” Still filing, glad to see he was so concerned about his daughter’s well-being.

  “Have you called the police?”

  “Not yet. I’m not concerned. I’m going to drive over to her apartment after work.”

  After work? I stepped farther inside to emphasize how important this was. “From what Alicia told me, she hasn’t been able to get hold of her since yesterday.”

  “Casey’s my daughter. I’ll see to it that she’s safe.”

  Really? Why didn’t I believe that? God willing, my expression didn’t give my thoughts away. On second thought, I hoped they did.

  “By the look of things right now, it doesn’t appear you’re doing a very good job of it.”

  Uh-oh, I think I might’ve just put my foot in my mouth.

  He got in my face, dragon breath and all, looking anything but pleased. “Listen here, you little bitch, I’m getting tired of your smart mouth.”

  “Ouch! Let go of me.” The circulation was being cut off to my hand and fingers by his strong grip. Damn. He was strong. I couldn’t break free.

  “Casey’s a smart woman who had a set path. Someone’s been filling her head with stories about how she should find her own and not the one we agreed upon. Do you know how hard I’ve worked to get to this place in my career? Do you understand how it looks for a department head’s daughter to transfer out of an internship from the very program he helps run? I want you to stay away from Casey. Ever since you started your research project, she’s changed.”

  “That’s crazy talk. What does my research project have to do with Casey? And please let go of my arm, or else I’m going to scream. You’re hurting me.”

  “You won’t scream. You want the position with this department too bad and that lies in my hands. So this is how things are going to play out. I want you to stop hanging around the club. By this point you should have more than enough information to assist you with your research. It appears you’ve also become quite chummy with Noah Dorian. I don’t like mixing business with pleasure, and you’re getting too close for comfort.”

  Ah. Finally, the pins and needles in my arm started to go away. Asshole. I shook it out and inspected it for a mark or bruise. I also took a step back so he couldn’t touch me again.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s not how things are going to play out. I apologize if I’ve ruined your facade as the respectable Dr. Sloan—well, not yet that is—but I will not be told who I can speak with or where I can hang out, especially if it’s related to my job. You should be thanking me for keeping your secret safe instead of trying to intimidate me. So as I see it, you should be the one kissing my ass right now and not vice versa.”

  Another step backward. My hands shook terribly. Don’t let him see you rattled. I crossed my trembling arms in front of me to let him know I meant business.

  “I see I’m not getting my point across. Don’t fuck with me. I can make your last few months in this program a living hell for you.”

  His smug smile only pissed me off more. I had seen and heard enough. “Goodbye, Dr. Sloan.” This selfish bastard was only worried about himself while his daughter was God knew where.

  I stormed out of his office and headed straight to my car, my body fueled by adrenaline. My hands became numb from balling them up so tightly into fists.

  Once in my car, I took a few deep breaths. As soon as I had my wits about me, I phoned Alicia.

  “Oh Jordin, I’m a worried mess. Robert’s going to stop by Casey’s apartment on his way home from the university.”

  “I just left. Would you like me to drop by before I go home?” After Sloan left work was too late—it wasn’t acceptable to me. My mind went in a million different directions about where Casey could be.

  “Yes, please. Would you? My husband and I share a car, and unfortunately he has it with him today.”

  “No problem. I’ll call you when I get there.”

  Casey’s phone went straight to voice mail and it was too full to leave a message.

  At her place, I knocked on her door a few times. Nothing. I looked around. The hallway was empty. Luckily, I had a key.

  Breathe. I had no clue what I would find once inside.

  Upon entering, I felt around with my hand for a light switch, the room pitch dark.

  “Casey! Are you here!” Now that I could see, everything appeared to be intact but that didn’t stop my heart from dropping each time I entered a room. Not that there were many in her small apartment.

  “Oh my God! Casey!” I ran over and grabbed hold of her limp body. Come on! Shaking her didn’t wake her up. I checked her floppy wrist for a pulse. Thank God! I let out a sigh of relief.

  I dug through my purse for my phone, my hands having difficulty dialing 9-1-1 because they trembled so much.

  “Nine-one-one operator, what’s your emergency?”

  “I just found my friend lying in bed unconscious!”

  “Is your friend breathing?”

  “Yes, but very slowly.”

  What? I lifted my foot to see what I had stepped on. There was an empty pill bottle on the carpet. I picked it up. There was no label, just the words OxyContin 60 mg written on it. I immediately told the operator.

  Kneeling, I checked for any other clues. An empty bottle of bourbon peeked out from underneath her bed. Shit! She overdosed! My tears made it difficult to see. I blindly shook her again.<
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  “I have confirmed your location. Please remain with your friend. I have dispatched emergency services. They should be arriving shortly.”

  Those few minutes felt like an eternity. I ran into the bathroom to get a washcloth from the linen closet. I stuck it under cold tap water and ran back to Casey. Please, wake up! I frantically patted her face with the cold towel. “Casey! Casey! Can you hear me!”

  Luckily, the paramedics arrived within minutes, the longest of my life. They entered the apartment and sped into action. If I didn’t gain control of my breathing, I would require their assistance as well.

  They placed her on oxygen, started an IV, and made sure she was stable before lifting her off the bed and setting her down on a stretcher. They took her downstairs.

  My feet froze, my body stood motionless by all that took place around me.

  Move! I acted on instinct. Her purse rested on the small hutch in the foyer. I threw the strap of it over my shoulder along with mine. She would need her wallet and identification cards at the hospital.

  It was a challenge to put the key in the lock, my hands shaking so badly. Screw it! I locked the doorknob from the inside and closed the door. I took the stairs two at a time so I could speak to the paramedics before they left.

  They told me to drive my car to the hospital. With any luck my tears would ease up so I could see the road in front of me. It was quite a challenge. I honestly didn’t know how I managed to get to the hospital in one piece. I made a silent prayer of thanks before getting out of my car and rushing to the emergency entrance.

  Shit! I had forgotten to call Alicia. I gave her the condensed version of the story. Being that she didn’t have her car, she informed me she’d call a taxi because she didn’t want to wait for Robert to come home and pick her up.

  Having Casey’s identification made the check-in process that much easier.

  After all the administrative tasks were taken care of, there was nothing more I could do except to sit and wait for her parents to arrive. I collapsed on a chair and held my head in my hands, the shock and reality of the situation sinking in rapidly.

  Dr. Sloan showed up about twenty minutes later. He demanded that the girl at the check-in desk give him information, but there was none to be given yet. That’s when he caught sight of me. He stormed over, smoke coming out of his ears from rage. “What’re you doing here, Jordin? I specifically told you to stay away from Casey.”

  “Excuse me? I’m the one who found her. You wanted to wait until after work to check on her.”

  He was too angry to respond, so he paced instead. Asshole.

  Next in was Alicia. She ran inside the waiting room, tears streaming down her face.

  “Alicia.” The least her dickwad of a husband could’ve done was go to her and console her instead of waiting for her to come to him.

  “How is she? Have you spoken with the doctor yet?” Her hands came together in a prayer formation.

  “No. We’re still waiting.” Since I had it more together, I took it upon myself to answer.

  “Oh Jordin, I’m so grateful to you for going to her apartment. How did she look?”

  I didn’t want to get into specifics. She was already on the verge of collapsing. “From what I could gather, she didn’t appear to be in any pain or anything. She basically looked like she was sleeping.”

  “Oh, my poor baby…I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to her…my sweet Casey…”

  Her tears caused my own faucet to turn on again.

  “Calm down, Alicia. You need to get hold of yourself. She needs you to be strong for her.”

  This from the man who called himself a psychologist. He wouldn’t know compassion if it bit him in the ass.

  I signaled for Alicia to sit next to me. She obliged, immediately bending over and crying into her hands. I put my arm around her, and she sat up and cried on my shoulder instead.

  “Dr. Sloan’s right, Alicia. We don’t know anything yet. I know you’re concerned. We all are, but try to take some deep breaths. Would you like me to get you some juice or something?”

  She raised her head and wiped her nose with the tissue in her hand. “Yes. That would be great. Thank you.”

  “It’s no problem at all.”

  I scanned the area for a vending machine. Walking through a maze of sick people wasn’t one of my favorite things to do. I tried as best I could not to touch anything and squirted sanitizer on my hands immediately after purchasing the apple juice. A little sugar would do her good. The last thing we needed was her passing out on us.

  A handsome doctor wearing scrubs entered the waiting room and called for the Sloan family. I knew I wasn’t part of it, but I damn well wanted to hear what he had to say. I sprinted over to where they were gathered. Don’t look at me like that, asshole. I kept my arm around Alicia for support since the only thing her husband could think about was giving me the evil eye.

  “It appears Casey overdosed on a combination of alcohol and narcotics. She received a dose of medication during transport to reverse the effects of the drugs, but she’s still groggy from the alcohol. She’s going to be admitted for observation. Psychiatry’s also going to do an evaluation on her once she’s alert to make sure this wasn’t a suicide attempt.”

  Alicia began to sob. I held her and cried along with her.

  “All we can do at this point is monitor her until we can determine what triggered her to take so many pills and mix them with alcohol. Is there any history of drug or alcohol abuse that you’re aware of?”

  “No. I know she’s been under a bit of stress lately, but she would never intentionally do something this stupid,” Dr. Sloan replied.

  No shit.

  Alicia released herself from my grasp and took a deep breath. “May we see her?”

  “I ask that only two family members go in at a time since she’s resting.”

  “You go on ahead. I’ll wait out here.” They were her parents. I’d see her afterward.

  Alicia pulled me in for one last hug and kiss. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you for saving my little girl.”

  “Let’s just pray for Casey to recover right now.” I had my own hands in prayer formation.

  They followed the doctor through a set of double doors, leaving me all by my lonesome. I sat in a chair and completely lost it.

  It was a good thing I had tissues in my purse to clean up the mess called my face. I curled up in my chair and rested my head on my arm. The next thing I knew, someone was shoving me.

  “Jordin, why don’t you go home? You’re exhausted. There’s nothing more that can be done tonight. She’s sleeping peacefully.” Alicia lightly rubbed my back.

  “May I please see her before I leave?” I had no clue how long I had been asleep. What I did know was that my legs felt tight from being held in one position for so long. I stretched them out in front of me.

  “Yes, of course.”

  The walk to Casey’s room felt like it took hours rather than minutes. I stared at the gray vinyl flooring underneath me. I sensed open doors on both my right and left, but I didn’t want to see any patients in distress. The icky hospital smell already had me feeling queasy.

  Oh boy. That didn’t sound good. I closed my eyes. The man in the room we just passed was obviously in a lot of pain, the hair on the back of my neck standing up as a result of it. Did I mention how much I hate hospitals?

  Alicia kept moving ahead and stopped in front of a door. Two steps more and I was I next to her, my heart pounding. I was so afraid of what I was about to see.

  “This is her room.” Alicia encouraged me to enter. Man, the vinyl flooring was in serious need of a wax. It was dirty and disgusting.

  Look at Casey.

  Her jerk of a father sat in a chair next to the bed. His eyes went to mine but he didn’t say a word. I brought my focus to Casey who lay in the bed with an oxygen mask and an IV.

  Thank God. She looked so much better than I thought she would. A few
more deep breaths had my pulse at a steady rate again.

  “Hey Cas, it’s me.” Her hand felt cold to the touch. “I know you can hear me. I want you to know how much I love and need you. You have to be the tough girl I know you are and get better.”

  My tears wouldn’t stop. How did all this happen? Why didn’t she call me for help? We always told each other everything. I should’ve noticed signs of trouble. I was a psychologist, and I didn’t even recognize that the closest person to me was suffering. What in the hell kind of therapist did that make me? My sadness quickly turned to anger. Her father sitting smugly only made me feel worse.

  Casey’s forehead felt cool when I kissed her goodbye. I left the room. Alicia stood waiting for me, leaning against the wall, keeping herself occupied by watching the nurses at their station. I touched her arm to let her know I was there.

  “Jordin?”

  “I’ll be fine. You can go back in now. I’m going to go home.” The back of my hand was now soaked with tears. I tried my hardest to put on a brave front, but it was useless. One could only be so strong.

  “Why don’t we go downstairs to the lounge and get a cup of coffee? Please don’t drive in this condition. I’m too stressed to worry about both of you.”

  No. I couldn’t stay any longer, even though her loving arms comforted me. “Don’t worry about me, Alicia. I’ll be fine. I’ll be back in the morning. Do you want me to bring you anything when I come?”

  “No. You’ve already done enough. Robert can get me anything I need. Please, be careful.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” I tried to hold it together until I got to the elevator. And once the door closed, the tears began to fall again.

  It was difficult to see the road ahead of me. It seemed like every car on the opposite side of the road was going to drive straight into me. Fortunately, the hospital wasn’t too far from my apartment.

  I couldn’t believe Casey was in the hospital. I knew she was struggling emotionally, but to take it to this extreme? It didn’t make sense to me. She was always the one telling me how things would work out the way they were supposed to. It was difficult for me to believe for one minute that this was how things were supposed to turn out for her.