Complicated Relationships (The Southern Devotion Series Book 3)

by McClung, Amy

  "Call me and tell me what the doctor says."

  Mary Jane agreed then said, "Don’t be hard on her, Tristan. It's a disease. She needs help to overcome it, and she needs her friends now more than ever. What happened was an accident. Angel would never hurt me on purpose. Promise me you'll help her."

  I hesitated, unable to make such a promise as I wonder if my best friends are going to be mourning the loss of a child shortly. Mary Jane doesn’t let me get away without answering though. "Promise me, T. Please."

  "I promise," I replied through clenched teeth hating the taste of the words in my mouth. "Be careful and don’t worry about anyone but yourself and that little one."

  Angel hadn’t shown her face since everything went down. I took some time to myself to calm down from the events before going to see her. I searched the house for her finally noticing the closed bathroom door. Knocking seemed futile since she wouldn’t answer when I called out her name. "I'm sorry I screamed at you. We need to talk. Can I come in?" No answer. "Angel, answer me or I'll come in on my own." Still no response, so I turned the knob. She sat fully dressed in the bathtub with tears streaming down her face as her body trembled.

  Before I knelt beside her, I grabbed the box of tissues sitting beside the sink taking them with me. Angel didn’t acknowledge my presence as though she was completely unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes were puffy; her hair disheveled with some clumps of hair in her hands from where she pulled at it. "Angel," I whispered her name as I reached out to blot her tears. She still didn’t move or speak or even shift her eyes. Grabbing a hand towel, I wet one end with cool water to clean her face. The moment I touched her face with the cool rag her eyes closed.

  Leaning forward, I kissed her cheek, "Talk to me, please."

  My phone rang showing Derrick's number. I stepped away to answer in case the news was bad; Angel couldn’t handle it right now. "Hello?"

  "Hey, man. Mary Jane asked me to call you. The doctor said the baby is fine. They said the shock to her body caused the cramps but didn’t do any damage. She wants Angel to know."

  "Let me put you on speakerphone so that you can repeat that. I'm not sure Angel will believe me."

  When Derrick was on speakerphone, he repeated everything he told me. Angel's eyes drifted up, "Tristan," she said as though noticing me for the first time.

  I told Derrick I'd call him later and bent back down to Angel. "Hey sweetheart, I'm here. Mary Jane and the baby are fine, did you hear that?"

  "Yes." She paused a moment before breaking into tears again, "I'm sorry."

  Slipping my arms beneath her I lifted her up and carried her to her bed. She grabbed my shirt as I moved from her. "Stay with me, please. I'm scared to be alone. I want a drink right now."

  I sat up against her headboard and Angel curled herself in my lap continuing to sob hysterically. I had no clue what to say or do, so I sat there running my fingers through her hair letting her release all her emotions.

  Angel drifted off to sleep leaving me stuck beneath her weight. If I wanted to move her, I could, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave her alone. I relaxed my head back and closed my eyes. A light knock on the door caught my attention. “Macy said I could find you up here.” Lanie stood in the doorway to Angel’s room frowning at the scene in front of her.

  “It’s not what it looks like…” I started to say.

  “It looks like a friend being there for another friend who needs them. That’s not what it is?” Lanie wasn’t jealous. The look she gave me was one of pity for Angel’s situation. She moved next to the bed leaning down to give me a soft kiss. “She’s pretty bad off isn’t she?” Lanie smoothed Angel’s hair from her face and felt her forehead. “She’s clammy. When she wakes up, she’s going to have the shakes pretty badly.” Lanie went to the bathroom and came back with a wet washcloth that she laid over Angel’s forehead. “A cold rag always helps soothe my head when I sleep. Hopefully, this will keep her from having a migraine when she wakes up.”

  It felt like the right time finally, not the most romantic moment but the feeling was there, and I needed to express it. “I love you, Lanie.”

  She froze in place, not moving her eyes up to meet mine at first. When she did look up, her eyes were clouded over with tears. Fear encompassed me thinking it may be too soon, and she’s about to let me down easy until she smiled. “I love you too,” she said. Those simple words made me want to jump for joy. And they were said as easy as 'Good Morning'. No big romantic production, just an honest declaration of the connection we felt.

  My grin was impossible to hide with this kind of elation bouncing around inside me. Lanie leaned forward to kiss me again, this time it lasted a little longer and felt a bit uncomfortable with Angel laying in my lap. “Now that we settled that, I think we should take a break.”

  “What? Are you serious?” A break is the last thing I expected or wanted.

  “You know my feelings for you now, Tristan. You made a promise to help Angel, and she needs your full attention. I’m letting you go so you can be there for her. It's only temporary.”

  When I started to argue, she moved to the nightstand beside the bed and pulled open a hidden drawer that I hadn't known was there. Inside were more small bottles and a scattering of pills all shapes and colors. “How did you know that drawer was there?”

  Lanie sighed, “My mom had a similar nightstand. It’s where she kept her drugs and drug money so that no one else could find it. One day she passed out before she closed it all the way, and that’s how I knew.”

  The pills kept my attention. Alcohol I knew about, but drugs? There had to be a hundred pills in the drawer; blue ones, yellow ones, and some were capsules of different colors. “I didn’t know about drugs, that explains some of the mood swings though.” Angel looked peaceful asleep in my lap, not at all like an alcoholic with a pill addiction. “I’m scared, Lanie. I don’t know if I can handle this on my own.”

  She wrapped her hand around mine. “You’re not alone, not really. You told Mary Jane, right?” I nodded. “Then she’ll tell the others, and together you all can help Angel. I would stand here and offer my help, but I barely know her. She needs people that she is comfortable with, people who love her. If you need me though, I’ll be there. You say the word, and I’ll come running. I don't want a break-up, Tristan; just a pause.”

  Before Lanie left, she gathered all the phone numbers for Gracie, Cameron, and Mary Jane. She promised to call them and have them come to my house tonight so we could all support Angel in some way.

  Chapter Nineteen

  That's what friends are for

  Lanie sent Macy upstairs to see me as she left. Macy helped me roll Angel to the side and said she'd stay upstairs and let me know as soon as Angel woke up. A real friend would've noticed this spiral a long time ago. Angel and I had only known each other a couple of years, but we lived together for months.

  The doorbell rang pulling me from my guilt trip. Gracie wrapped her arms around my neck the moment I opened the door. "Mary Jane told us everything. I wish you had told us sooner."

  Ashton stepped up behind her, "If there is anyone who knows how hard it is to deal with complicated matters on your own it's Gracie and me."

  Gracie stepped back giving me room to breathe again. "Next time don’t try and take on something like this alone, Tristan." She peered out the door for a moment. "Cameron, Gavin, and Derrick weren't far behind us."

  "MJ?" I noticed that her name hadn't been listed for those on their way.

  Gracie looked around for a moment, glancing up the staircase as well. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Derrick is worried about her getting too stressed out. He also doesn’t want her near Angel. He's afraid she'll get upset with us and go ballistic again."

  "I'm here; I'm here, no one fret," Cameron said as he came through the door waving his arms as though we were all in a tizzy that he hadn’t arrived. He stepped forward and hugged me. "We'll get her back, Tri-stud." He gasped as he suddenly rememb
ered something and asked, "Ooh, how was the Risky Business move?"

  "Worked perfectly, Cam. I owe you one."

  "One? Pssht, I think you owe me a couple." He winked.

  "What Risky Business move?" Gracie asked curiously.

  "I'll explain later," I promised.

  Derrick stepped inside next. "Hey guys," he turned to help someone in the door. As he noticed the surprise on everyone's face, he said, "You all know how stubborn this woman is, she wouldn’t let me come without her."

  "I'm fine. Angel is what is important right now. Where is she?" Mary Jane inquired looking around.

  "Upstairs sleeping. I'll go get her."

  Macy sat with her feet propped against the bed leaning back in Angel's vanity chair reading a book. "Everyone's downstairs if you want to say hi." She took the hint and left me alone with Angel.

  Shaking Angel awake, she groaned rubbing her eyes and covering her mouth as she yawned. She reached up finding the wet rag on her head and pulled it aside. When she saw me, her face lit up with hope. "Have you been here the whole time?"

  "Pretty much. I only left for a few minutes."

  "Thanks for the rag, it always helps my head." Angel sat up reaching for the nightstand drawer.

  "It was Lanie who did the wet rag. Whoa. You're not taking drugs right now." I said to stop her from opening the drawer.

  "Drugs? Tristan, that’s my medication. Alcohol is my drug; I don’t need anything else. I can show you the prescription bottles if you want."

  "I'll need to see them. Why do you have them spilled out in a drawer?"

  She pointed out the different combinations of drugs. "These are set up in the order I have to take them. Some pills I take daily and others I do with flare-ups. It's easier than keeping them in bottles for me at least. It's another reason for my drinking. I haven't told anyone about it."

  "What are the pills for, Angel?"

  "I went to the doctor earlier this year because of constant fatigue. I kept having these tingling sensations in my limbs; I became clumsier than normal, and I would get stabbing pains in different parts of my body. I had no clue what it all meant until they began running tests on me. After running several tests and putting all the symptoms together, they told me I have Multiple Sclerosis."

  My chest sank with her confession of this debilitating diagnosis she'd received at such a young age. I'd never known anyone personally who had this disease, but I'd read about it and seen stories of famous people who suffered from it.

  "What exactly does this mean for your future, Angel?"

  "It means a lot of medical treatments that may or may not work. It means episodes of pain where I may not even be able to get around on my own. It means a lot of issues that I'm not ready to say out loud or admit to myself for fear of breaking down. I'm scared, T. The pills sometimes help but other times the pain is so great that I can't handle it. I've been drinking to numb myself and also to explain my lack of balance. I guess it was stupid to think I'd rather you believe I'm a drunk than someone with the disease."

  "Don't talk like it's the end, Angel. We'll do the research; I'll go to the doctor and ask any questions I can, whatever it takes. This disease will not be the end of your life. You're a young beautiful woman who has many full years ahead of you."

  "You don't know that, T. I may not be able to have children. And what man is going to want to take on the responsibility of marrying me knowing that he would have to take care of me on the days that I am practically an invalid."

  "A good man," I responded. "One that you deserve. He's out there. And you have to quit keeping all these secrets, Angel. Let your friends help. Speaking of friends, everyone is downstairs waiting for you."

  Angel stiffened, "They all know?"

  "They all want to help you." I held out my hand until she took hold of it and squeezed for support as we walk down the stairs. Everyone chatted among themselves in the living room as we entered; then the room grew silent. Angel squeezed my hand even tighter causing me to cringe a bit.

  Gracie patted the seat next to her on the couch. Angel moved slowly towards her, and Gracie stood to give her a hug first. "So is this where you guys handcuff me and drag me to rehab?"

  Cameron jumped in to answer first, "Ooh honey, I know you've always fantasized about being handcuffed by me, but it's not the time for flirting, especially in front of my husband." Angel let out a small laugh and seemed to relax a little. Cameron was the comic relief in our group. His personality is very flamboyant. He's the gay stereotype you see in movies such as Hollywood in Mannequin or Jack from Will and Grace. Believe it or not Mannequin was a movie I've seen. When Cameron becomes serious though, everyone takes notice.

  Cameron knelt in front of Angel taking her hands in his. "Now, sweetie, we're here to help you. No one wants to force you into anything you don't want to do. The purpose of our visit is to tell you that we love you, and we want you to be around for a long time. We aren't here to judge or throw labels around. Gavin and I brought brochures for you to look through and decide which program you'd like to try."

  Gavin handed Angel the brochures. "I can't afford these programs, I…"

  Cameron patted her hand again. "I'm covering it in exchange for some babysitting time with your niece later on. Angel, I love you. You're my chica. It breaks my heart to see you in pain." He reached into his pocket pulling out a set of car keys. Holding it up, he pointed out a keychain in the shape of a tree. "Remember when you and MJ gave me this charm. You said it's a sign of heroism and that I am your hero. Let me continue to be your hero. Please."

  Sniffles filled the room as Mary Jane and Gracie let tears flow at the pleading tone of Cameron's request. Angel felt the pull too as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his softly. "I love you, Cam. I'm so very scared."

  "I understand that, baby girl. There's no need for you to be scared. You have all of us."

  Angel looked around the room at all the faces staring back at her then landed on Mary Jane's face. She covered her mouth, closed her eyes, and began to cry. Mary Jane tried to stand quickly, but her pregnant belly wasn't cooperating. Derrick helped her stand, and she walked over to Angel. "Don't make me bend over, I'll never get back up."

  Angel stood, and Mary Jane wrapped her arms around her in a strong warm, loving embrace. Angel sobbed as she repeatedly said, "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. If anything had happened to the baby…"

  Mary Jane pressed her palms against Angel's face forcing her to look her in the eyes. "The baby is fine. I'm fine. Now we want you to be fine."

  Gracie stood up next. "When Hudson raped and beat me, and I confided that in you, you didn’t hesitate to step up and go to rape counseling with me. I never thought I'd be able to repay you for that but now is my chance. I'll go to every meeting with you, hold your hand, support you by standing beside you for as much as I can."

  "Thank you, Gracie. Thank you all for being friends that I don't deserve."

  I stepped up next and said, "You need to tell them the rest of the story, Angel. Tell them why you began to drink in the first place."

  She spilled everything about the depression of being alone to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis that scared her more than anything else. The girls were in a huddle together all crying. Gracie and Mary Jane swore to find out everything they could about MS so they could be there for Angel every step of the way.

  Cameron and Gavin huddled in an intense conversation across the room. Cameron came forward and pulled Angel out of her group. "Gavin and I spoke about it and we are going to find you the best specialist that money can buy in order to make sure that you have as few episodes as possible."

  Angel cried harder as she threw her arms around Cameron. "You're always my hero, Cam. I don’t know what I'd do without you."

  Chapter Twenty

  Taking the first step

  Once everyone left; I helped Angel begin packing. Cameron left long enough to take Gavin home to relieve their babysitter, and he was coming back to go with
us to admit her. She sat on her bed holding up different pieces of clothing. "What do you pack for rehab?" she asked turning to face me.

  "The pamphlet says you have a three bag limit, and you should bring casual clothes and athletic shoes. It also states not to wear revealing clothes so we may want to go shopping," I teased hoping to lighten the mood.

  It worked because Angel smiled and smacked me playfully, "Nice one." Then she glanced at the stacks on the bed, placed her finger to her lips, and said, "But you know you might be right. Can we run to the store and buy me some plain t-shirts and such?"

  "Sure, we have a couple of hours before Cameron will be back."

  "Can I go?" Macy asked, stepping into the room.

  Angel wrapped one arm around Macy and the other around me. "I think it would be great to hang out with my two favorite people for a little bit."

  Angel drove, and I texted Cameron to let him know we'd be out for a bit in case he beat us back to the house. "Ok, you needed a few toiletries so I'll grab those while you two go look at clothes."

  Macy and Angel went to the right of the store, and I went to the left. Here I stood again in front of the feminine hygiene products, and my mind wanders off to Lanie. I must have stared for too long because a voice asked, "Can I help you find something, sir?" A young woman in a blue smock stood next to me with an odd look on her face.

  "Oh, sorry. Nope, I found them." I held up the hot pink package to prove my statement. Tossing it in the cart, I hurried over to the women's clothing. Macy and Angel were loaded down with plain t-shirts and a couple of pairs of jeans. "Is that everything?"

  "Yep. I grabbed a few jeans too. Most of my jeans contain fashionable rips or they're incredibly tight, so they leave nothing to the imagination."

  "See Macy, you should always have t-shirts and jeans that leave much to the imagination."

  "In the chance she has to go to rehab?" Angel asked sarcastically.