Leaving Home by Chase, A. (life books to read .txt) 📗

Cody didn’t look convinced, but he also didn’t seem to want to force himself into

Chaz’s room. “All right. Here’s your phone. I put my number in it. Call me if you need help during the night. I know what it’s like.”

Chaz nodded, not saying he would. Of course, he wouldn’t think of asking Cody for

help. Did he look like he wanted to listen to a lecture of how he was ruining his life by using the drugs to mask the pain?

He fumbled with his wallet as he tried to pull his key card out. Swearing under his

breath, he finally got the door unlocked. Chaz shoved it open with his shoulder, then

stumbled into the room. He braced his hand on the wall before kicking the door shut.

Taking a deep breath, he shuffled to the bathroom where he turned the water on in the

tub. He twisted the faucet all the way over to as hot as he could get it. Afterwards, Chaz went to his shaving kit. He dug around, looking for his pills, almost bursting into tears when he found one of his Vicodin bottles.

Chaz hoped there was more than one in the bottle. He couldn’t remember if he’d got

them refilled before he had headed to Tulsa. Probably not, since he hadn’t been using them and he was trying to prove he wasn’t addicted to the painkillers. He made a mental note to stop at the nearest pharmacy on his way to Peter’s.

He dropped the bottle as he struggled to get the cap off.

“God damn it,” he swore as the bottle exploded and all the pills spilled into the sink.

He watched the little white rectangles bounce everywhere, and he growled in

frustration. With trembling fingers, he picked five of them out before setting them on the counter. He stared at them, trying to figure out if he had the coordination to crush them up or if he should just swallow them.

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LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 118

Looking at his hands, Chaz decided the best way to do it was to swallow them. He

wouldn’t be able to handle any kind of holding anything long enough to break the meds.

Chaz found a glass before filling it with water, then he took the pills, hoping and praying they kicked in quick.

Chaz struggled to get his clothes off, but in the end he won the war. After turning off

the water, he had to climb into the tub, hoping his hands or knees didn’t slip on the wet tile.

The minute his back hit the hot liquid, he groaned and his vision went black for a minute.

Fuck! That felt awesome. Chaz folded a towel before tucking it behind his neck to prop his head up. Resting against the side of the tub, he closed his eyes.

He was willing to soak as long as it took to untie the knots of muscles in his back.

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Chapter Eleven

Chaz stared at his truck, not sure he wanted to get in and drive all the way from

Oklahoma to Wyoming. He couldn’t tell how his back felt underneath the several painkillers he’d taken for the long twelve-hour drive ahead of him.

“Maybe you should consider flying to Cheyenne.”

Chaz glared at Cody, who had come to stand beside him. “Maybe you should consider

minding your own business, Cody.”

Cody snorted. “I would, but I know Tony would do the same thing for me. I’m just

looking out for my friends.”

“I thought we were friends,” Chaz said.

“We are, and I’m also doing this for you.”

Chaz shot him an incredulous look. “Are you serious? What the fuck is this? Some

fucked-up form of intervention?”

Cody shook his head. “Even if I think you should get help, I know it won’t work if you

don’t want help.”

“My back’s wonky from the hit I took from Halo last night, but that’s it. I’ve only taken two pills to help.”

Rolling his eyes, Cody wisely didn’t say anything about it. “I’ll see you at some point.

Now that I’m retired, I won’t be on tour anymore.”

He was willing to delay the excruciating drive he was about to take. “What happens

now?”

“I don’t know really, it depends on what my doctors say. I might have a job lined up,

though. Heading to Austin later in the week. I’m visiting my parents first.”

“Good idea.”

Chaz had thrown his bags on the back seat of the cab, so all he had to do was get in and

drive.

“Have a safe trip, Chaz. Be careful,” Cody warned before punching Chaz’s shoulder

lightly.

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Chaz watched Cody walk away, then finally sucked it up and climbed in. He stopped

once heading out of town to get gas and snacks for the road.

His phone rang after he’d been on the highway for an hour. Glancing at the screen, he

saw it was Peter. He’d ignored all of Peter’s calls last night. He should probably answer it.

After hitting his Bluetooth set-up, he said, “Hey, Peter.”

“Finally. Are you all right?” Peter sounded upset. “I got worried last night when you

didn’t answer your phone.”

“Sorry, honey. I’m fine. Bruised like hell, but I’m on my way to your place.” He didn’t

want to talk about his accident.

“It looked bad,” Peter continued. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“I took a long hot bath, then a couple of aspirins. Knocked me out as soon as I crawled

into bed. Sorry about not calling you or anything.”

His apology was sincere. He’d only ignored the first of Peter’s calls because he didn’t

want to get out of the tub. Once he had, he’d taken a few more pills and gone straight to bed.

“Aspirin? That’s all?” Peter’s voice held doubt.

Chaz hated being treated like a child, but he knew Peter had the right to question him.

He lied again.

“Yes, aspirin. Did everyone get home okay?” Chaz changed the subject.

Peter sighed, seemingly aware of what Chaz was trying to do. Yet he allowed the

conversation switch.

“We’ll talk about this when you get to the ranch. They got in all right, and slept for a

while. Randy’s out checking the horses and