Hopelessly Falling [book 2]

Chapter Forty-Four

XLIV
• • •

Crystal's POV ***

        It took a few days for the nausea subside from the alcohol poisoning... but the excruciatingly gross feeling that I had all over me from what happened never diminished one bit. I hadn't left my house in those few days, spending all my time with my mom and Connor. I FaceTimed with my friends, but a part of me was just downright scared to leave my house.

"Hey mom, I think I might go to Ashton's for a bit," I told her, and she looked up from the afternoon coffee she was drinking to smile at me.

"I think that's a great idea, sweetie," she replied, and I forced a smile back. She would never force me out of the house, but it was pretty obvious that she was starting to get worried that I never wanted to leave.

"Okay, see you in a bit then," I responded, reaching over to give her a little hug. My voice was really small. It had been since everything, honestly. It sort of felt like I was constantly experiencing a very minor panic attack at all times in the back of my mind.

I'd say that I was a very confident person, and you could typically see that in the way I carried myself. But not now. I honestly was acting like a different person.

I grabbed my keys and opened the door, taking a long pause before stepping outside. My anxiety spiked a bit once I shut the door behind me, and I began walking to my car. But then when I got next to it, I stopped. I just stared at it, remembering the last time I had been in there.

My breathing began to thicken and I knew that I would go downhill if I went inside, so I put my keys in my pocket and sat down against it. I felt my eyes burning a bit as I took out my phone to call Ashton.

"Hey," he picked up, and I held back my sigh of relief.

"Hey, uh, I was planing on coming over, but I'm, I-I can't drive right now.. do you think you could maybe pick me up?"

"I'm actually just stepped out with Jake, but Layla and Eli are back at the house, though... and actually I would love it if you could get in the way of whatever the hell they might plan on doing.. I'll be back there in like half an hour," he told me, and I nodded even though he couldn't see me. I didn't want to interrupt them two's fun, but they were living together now, anyway, and rarely had any time not together.

"Okay, I'll text her and ask if she's in the middle of anything," I grinned, and he grunted.

"Makes me want to vomit," he muttered at the thought of them two in fact being in the middle of something. I chuckled to myself.

"I'm sure they're just playing checkers," I mused, and he sarcastically laughed.

"You suck."

"You love me," I grinned back.

"The sad truth," he joked, and I laughed. It was crazy how much better he could make me feel just over the phone.

"I love you, say hi to Jake for me," I said.

"I love you, too. Tell Layla and the other one I said to keep a three foot distance between each other at all times, please," he replied, and I rolled my eyes.