Chapter 45 ~Blink Twice~
(Xander's POV)
“Hey, are you there, Mr. Grayson?” The voice resounded from my phone speaker again.
I finally managed to get the words out of my mouth. “Ye…yes.”
I looked at Calvin, who seemed to have the same question in his eyes.
“Who's involved in the emergency?” I inquired.
“Um… Miss Dakota Reign, she was brought in as a result of a substance overdose and presently is unconscious."
“Dakota?” I only just saw her a few hours ago. How did this happen? “I'll be on my way. I take it you're the doctor?”
“Yes, I am,” the voice responded.
“Okay. I'll be there.” I entered the car and Calvin hopped into the passenger seat.
We drove in silence. Probably just overwhelmed by everything that was happening at the same time.
It took two hours to get to the hospital, and by the time we got there, it was already dawn.
After filling the necessary forms at the hospital, we were taken into Dakota's ward.
The doctor was speaking as we walked through the hallway. “She's only just woken up and isn't fully stabilized, so keep it brief.”
“Okay, doc.” I nodded as he opened the door.
“I'll leave you guys to it.” He walked away.
My eyes met Dakota's. I looked at the tubes attached to her. She looked deathly pale. I've never seen her so frail. It was almost scary.
I approached her bedside and Calvin walked behind me.
“What happened?” I was taking it all in.
She still somehow managed to give a half-smile. She coughed a little, nodding her head towards Calvin.
I guess she didn't want him here while she told me what happened.
“Could you excuse us for a minute, Calvin?” She spoke in a small voice.
Calvin squinted his eyes in tiny circles, staring at both of us cautiously.
He mindlinked me. ‘Blink twice if you're in danger.’
Chuckling inwardly, I blinked my eyes two times.
‘Nah, you're alone in this, man.’ he said, walking out.
When he left, it was just Dakota and me alone in the room.
“So, what happened? I heard you overdosed on drugs?” A thought flashed through my mind. “Wait… was it because of the…”
She looked confused at first, then slowly she scrunched her face in disgust. “Don't flatter yourself.”
“Okay… better.” I breathed out.
We sat in comfortable silence that was filled only with the beeping of the hospital machines, for a while.
“So, how's the mate?” She asked suddenly.
“Lost.”
“Lost?” She squinted, her eyes looked confused.
“I don't even want to talk about it.” I groaned. Clearly, I was still upset about the whole issue.
It was a sore subject.
Again, silence followed. Comfortable silence.
“The reason I left Singapore wasn't only because of daddy's business,” Dakota began, and I leaned in to hear what she had to say.
“I came to see a therapist,”
Therapist?
“I was… maybe still am, battling with depression.”
“Wait! Are you an addict?” I was a little horrified.
She widened her eyes. “N…well, if you put it like that… I don't know what to say. But I do have a substance problem. Maybe I'm even suicidal… I mean, I did try to kill myself, after all.”
I nodded in understanding. Who was I to judge?
Weren't we all fucked one way or the other?
“How did the doctor get my name and number and shit?” I asked.
She grinned. “I told him to call you.”
I deadpanned.
“What? I don't know any other person in America and dad stays so far away, so…” “Is that a problem?”
“Well-”
My mate is kind of missing because of you, so yeah, it kinda is.
She must somehow have read my thoughts because her eyes turned a little sad. “You know, there used to be a time where I wouldn't even hesitate to call you if I was in danger. You'd have even been mad if I didn't.”
Technically, you were using me. Taking advantage of the love I had for you.
“Well, things change.” I said simply.
She sucked in a ragged breath. “We've grown so far apart.”
Her eyes looked unfocused and I could tell she wanted to say something but didn't know how to.
“Spill, Dakota.”
“You read me so well.” She still looked undecided, but blurted out. “I have a son.”
What!
The!
Fuck!
I was expecting literally anything but that.
“Wh- how?”
“He's four years old.”
I was stunned. Wait-
“Is he mi…?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”
I visibly breathed out with relief. “So it's for your boyfriend, the doctor? Wait, how long have you guys been seeing each other?”
Dakota laughed a bit at my thousand questions.
“I'm sorry, this might sound a bit judgy, but if you had a boyfriend, why then did you kiss me?” I arched my brows.
“Who said I can't like two men at the same time?” She smirked. “After all, you boys do that all the time.”
Touché
“But a whole son!” I was still in disbelief. “Where's he? What's his name? I need to know all the details.”
Dakota laughed. It sounded a bit wheezing because of her weakness. But generally, she looked better than when I first came. Even had a little rosy tint on her cheeks now.
“That's the reason I didn't want to tell you about him. He's in Singapore.” Her eyes hooded. “It's kinda a sore topic.”
“If you're not ready to talk about it, trust me, that's completely valid.”
“Yeah. We're cool though, right?” She asked, a meaningful look in her eyes. “I mean after everything.”
Now that I knew she was probably high when she kissed me and all she's been battling with, it didn't feel so diabolical anymore.
“Yeah, you're my person, Dakota. And I'll always love you, even just as friends.”
“Now when you say stuff like this…” she chuckled.
“You know what I mean.”
“So, Fiona is missing?” She asked, looking intently at me.
“After she saw us kissing, she was upset and left for her parents, but didn't end up getting there. I'm not sure how, but she's missing.” I cleared my throat so it wouldn't break.
“It might be rogues.” Dakota muttered. “Who knows?”
A thought flashed through my head instantly.
“Wait! Can I ask a favor from you?”
She looked at me, a smile on her face. “Yeah, I mean if I can, I will.”
Dakota's dad was one of the most feared alphas, and well connected, too.
“Can you ask your father for help in finding Fiona?”
The smile on her face faltered instantly, and a look flashed across her face.