A Need So Beautiful (A Need So Beautiful #1)(47)

“Charlotte?” he yells. “What happened?” He takes me by the arms, helping me up. I collapse into him.

I won’t go with the Need. It can’t have me. I won’t let it! I grit my teeth and swallow down the pain. “Sarah,” I say. “She’s sick. We have to get her to Monroe.”

“Monroe?” he asks. “Charlotte, if something’s wrong with her, we should get her father and take her to a hospital. Not the clinic.”

“She’s drunk, Harlin. He’ll freak. Maybe even kick her out of her house.” I’m so worried about her and yet the Need is trying to take me away, take me back inside that party.

Harlin looks and sees Sarah curl up on the ground, dry heaving. He lets go of me and darts over to her, kneeling down next to her.

The minute he lets me go, I start wheezing. My body is demanding I go back into the museum, back into the dinner. There’s something there I have to see.

Harlin looks at me. “Are you having an attack?”

“I’ll be fine. I have an inhaler at the clinic.” No I don’t, but I’m hoping the farther away from the Need I get, the easier it’ll be to fight. I have to do it this time. I have to fight.

“Damn it, Charlotte!” he says. “Why didn’t you tell me you were having an attack? Stop keeping things from me!” He scoops Sarah into his arms. Her body hangs limply. “Let’s go,” Harlin orders without looking at me, making his way around the side of the museum instead of going through the kitchen.

I try to step away, but pain splinters in my head, calling me back. It’s like walking against a current. Harlin runs ahead, carrying Sarah to the town car. I try to move faster, but my bones feel like they might pull away from my body, just rip right out of me.

Just as I round the front, it’s too much. I fall into the cool, damp grass, but get to my knees and begin crawling. I’m losing focus, getting fuzzy. But I choose Sarah—I choose my life—over the Need.

Harlin’s out of my sight, somewhere in the parking lot, and for a second I consider going inside just to stop the pain. It might not take long and the idea of euphoria I get after makes me moan for it.

No. If I do that, if I continue to give in, it’ll destroy me. I have to stop it now. There’s still time to stop it.

Gripping the grass with my fingers, I pull myself forward. I’m close to the sidewalk now. Just a few more yards. My chest is tightening.

I hear the sound of feet and look up in time to see Harlin running in my direction. He came back for me. There’s a small relief to my pain as I feel his strong arms wrap around me, helping me to stand.

“You need to go to the hospital,” he murmurs. “Monroe’s not helping you. You look terrible.”

“Thanks, honey,” I choke out. He exhales in exasperation and he leads me toward the waiting car.

“I had to give the driver fifty bucks to not call Daddy Warbucks in there,” he says as he opens the door. “So remind Sarah that she owes me.” But I can hear in his voice that he’s worried. About both of us.

I nod absently as I get in. Sarah is sprawled across the seat and I move her legs to sit next to her. The pain is so strong that tears are streaming down my cheeks.

This is it. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know it hurts like hell. I close my eyes as we pull away, driving toward the clinic. The minute we’re off the property there is a pain in my shoulder, like I’ve just been burned with a hot poker. I wince and glance toward Harlin. He’s leaning over the seat, giving the driver directions.

I take the moment to slip the sleeve of my jacket over to find the source of pain. It’s on fire. At first I see only gold, more than ever covering the skin. But at the high point of my bone, I see something different and it terrifies me. Because in place of the gold there is a cracked, gray circle. And it looks like death.

Chapter 18

I pull my sleeve back over the spot, my eyes wide and burning with tears. What’s happening to me? I try to take in a breath, but I can’t. Panicked, I look out the window to see the museum—and my Need—get farther and farther away. I gasp again.

The pain is overwhelming, but it’s the cracked flesh that’s scaring me. I feel my fingertips tingle, like there’s no circulation. The museum gets smaller in the distance as the first spots start to come across my vision. My face has gone numb; my lips feel cold. The world tilts.

“Charlotte.” Harlin moves to kneel on the carpeted floor of the car. “You’re turning blue!” I meet his eyes, not responding, not sure I can. I’m almost ready to welcome the dark when I feel him touch my hand.

And suddenly, a short breath enters my lungs. I just need Harlin. I lean forward and hug him, my face buried in his neck. He’s warm and still smells of cologne. I’m only getting air in short bursts, but it doesn’t matter. I cling to him.

“Monroe,” I whisper.

“No.” Harlin shakes his head, but doesn’t let me go. “We’re going to the hospital.”

I can still feel Harlin’s hand in my hair when the world around me fades away. Before I can make sense of the change . . .

I’m on the bridge again, rain pelting me. I know I’m supposed to climb on the metal railing but I take a few steps away from it. Suddenly, gold starts to glow around me and I look down to see my skin running off in flesh-colored streams of water. I clasp my hand over my forearm, trying to keep my skin on. But then I realize it’s just makeup washing away. And underneath, I’m only gold.