A Long Way Back (Unfinished Business #2) - Barbara Elsborg Page 0,57
him out the back.
Dog had just come back inside when Tay yelled. “Ink!”
Ink sucked in a breath.
“Ink! Get in here.”
He made his way to Tay’s room to find him sitting on the bed, the bag of orangey-red powder clutched in his hand, fury written all over his face. Dog ran to Tay’s feet.
“What the fuck have you done?” Tay snapped.
“I know you’re angry. But it’s for your own good.”
Tay gaped at him. “What right do you have to decide what’s for my own good?”
“I promised your parents I’d look after you. That’s what I’m doing. You shouldn’t be taking non-prescription medication.”
“Pack your stuff and get out. And take your dog.”
Dog stayed at Tay’s feet. Good boy. “No. You’re stuck with me. You can’t tell your parents the truth and if you lie in order to try and make me leave, I’ll tell them the truth. I guess you could call the police, but you wouldn’t want them to know the truth either. So how are you going to persuade me to go?”
“I know a guy,” Tay snarled.
Ink couldn’t stop the laugh bursting from his throat. “What have you been watching on TV? What guy?”
“His name’s Lennie. He’ll make you leave.”
“I won’t let him in. I can stop you letting him in. You going to ask him to bust down the door?”
He watched Tay thinking.
“How about if I called that talent scout?” Tay said. “I didn’t make a note of the number, but I remember the name. Alex Nelson. The Sound of the Street. Shouldn’t be hard to find.”
Ink’s heart jumped, but he made sure he kept his face expressionless. “Call him. I’m not interested, so he’ll just be pissed he’s made the journey here for nothing.”
“You fucking bastard,” Tay muttered under his breath.
“Not usually. I’m a nice guy. I’m trying to help you. In less than seven days, you won’t be addicted anymore.”
“Who says I’m fucking addicted now?” Tay yelled.
Ink shrugged. “If you’re not, you won’t miss the pills, will you?”
“I need them. I’ve been sick. I’m in pain.”
“You did need them, but they’re not helping you get better. You’ve been having to swallow more and more to take the edge off.”
“How would you fucking know?”
“Because I’ve lived with addicts. I’ve had my stuff stolen by addicts. A couple of nights ago, a guy in the squat I was in died of an overdose. You might think codeine is relatively harmless, but it’s not. When it stops being effective, what do you try next? Heroin? Fentanyl? I want to help you stop taking codeine. I’ve bought vitamins, energy drinks, protein shakes, Imodium, chocolate, lube and condoms.”
That didn’t even raise a smile. Did I expect one? Well, I’d hoped.
“Because I’m really going to be thinking about having sex with a guy for the first time while I have stomach cramps and I’m throwing up and I’m fucking cursing him for being a fucking bastard.”
“But after?”
Tay huffed. “Fuck off. You’re not touching me.”
Once he knew Tay was over the worst, he’d leave. So why did that sound so…difficult.
“I’m trying to be a friend,” Ink whispered. “What you’re doing isn’t right. You’ve been through something terrible. It was mind-blowingly scary, but you can get your life back again. It’s something within your control and you’ve no idea how lucky that makes you.”
“Lucky?” Tay gaped at him. “Fuck the hell off.”
“Codeine isn’t the happiness it pretends to be.”
“Pack your stuff and get out of here.”
“No. Do you actually want to keep taking it? You can’t be that stupid.”
“You—” Tay glowered. “I need it.”
“Then you’re an addict.”
Tay’s fists clenched. “I can fucking stop if I want to.”
“Then stop.”
“I don’t fucking want to.”
Ink just stood and stared at him. “See if you can manage without it.”
“Fine,” Tay snapped.
“Really?” That was too fast.
“I’ve said I will. God, what do you want? A promise signed in blood? Do something useful. Get me a coffee…please.”
“Okay.”
Ink went into the kitchen aware that capitulation had come sooner than he’d thought. Had he missed some tablets? He stood thinking, waiting for the kettle to boil. Was it worth warning Tay of what was to come? He was already showing one of the withdrawal symptoms—irritability—and he knew about the stomach cramps.
Along with the coffee, Ink took water and vitamin tablets back with him, and when Tay swallowed them without a murmur, Ink wondered what he was up to. I should have taken his phone. Maybe he’d texted his dealer. Probably this Lennie guy. I could take the phone now. But was that level