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Chapter Sixteen:

As they drove, even Coral had to wonder why Jeff was driving so fast, his already intense eyes more focused on the road. She wanted to speak up, say anything to get him to calm down, but she knew the only way for that to happen was for her to explain. Of course, she didn't want to explain. Explaining meant telling the truth and telling the truth was too dangerous as it could get Jeff into trouble with the clinic. It seemed if Mike had already got the cocaine in his system, she was avoiding the inevitable, but if that meant Jeff wouldn't know for a few more days, then so be it.

"Can you slow down?" she had to ask quietly.

Jeff didn't more. "No."

The words might as well have been venom to Coral. She had to cringe – Jeff when he was mad was scary, scarier than she would have originally thought. Her green eyes flashed between the road and Jeff's similar eyes, wondering how to get him to slow down.

"Can you please slow down?" she pleaded again, going to touch his hand.

Coral had never seen someone more so fast. His hand was a blur as it came off the steering wheel and into the window, making a loud sound in protest. He looked once at her and nearly dove the car into the curb. "Happy?" he snarled.

"What is wrong with you?" Coral yelled, slapping the headboard with both hands. "Why don't you just stop short on the highway? It would have killed us quicker."

"What's wrong with me?" Jeff laughed, toying with a piece of lint on his shirt. Bitter words flowed in the air like magic. "Do not even ask that, Coral. Damn it, what the fuck is wrong with you? You tell me you won't tell me why you kissed me and then you ask what is wrong with me? You make less sense than… than—"

"I can't tell you." For the first time in a while, Jeff saw the vulnerability in her eyes, watching as they misted over. He put the car in park and turned it off, prepared to make his attention fully on her.

"Coral, you need to talk to me. I know this has to do something with Mike. Is he not the same person anymore or something? I need to understand what is going on. If he isn't, it's not your fault, its rehab. Rehab helps a lot of people, but it can change them too. He might be different now, but you know. It's just a thing of life. You can't help that."

Coral shook her head, snickering. "It's the opposite."

Jeff was bewildered by her comment, unsure by what she meant. "Okay, you lost me. What?"

She turned to body to look him in the eye, the tears pooling over. The Moore was quick to rub them away, also smearing her black eyeliner, but Jeff wasn't going to point that out right then. Instead, he took her hand and smiled, offering her a plea to continue. "It's just… I can't tell you."

A frown fell onto Jeff's face. How was he ever going to get to the girl? Jeff shifted in his seat and glanced briefly out the window. Rain had begun to fall. Then, he turned back to her and said in a low voice, "Coral, if something is wrong, I hope you do tell me. Did something happen today?"

One swift, brief nod came from her face. "Yeah."

"What?" Jeff asked gently.

Her jaw twitched as she looked up carefully, the green eyes of the duo locking like a door. She opened her mouth slowly and then shut it again. Just as Jeff thought she was going to shut him out again, she whispered, "He is the same person. He… hasn't changed."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, rehab isn't working."

"He wants to go back—"

"Already happened," she muttered bitterly. "He… he… I caught him behind the bathroom with his old dealer. I found cocaine in his pocket. I told him I wanted him out of my life. I figured making him jealous would get him to feel guilty, I just—"

"WHAT?" Jeff roared. "Shit, Coral, has he already—"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't know if he's already done it. I don't know if he will. I just… I thought he would be different, you know? I really thought maybe he was going to take this to heart and see he doesn't need this in his life. That the people who love him in his life are more important than the drugs—"

Jeff shook his head before she could continue. "Coral, you can't change someone like that. He's always gonna do that if that's the first thing he ran to do. I think for right now though, the important thing to do is hope that he didn't use the cocaine and trashed it because I'm downright screwed if he did."

"I know, I thought if I didn't tell you, I could prolong whatever happens."

Jeff smiled a little. "Not the best thinking there."

As Coral went to respond, Jeff's cell phone began to ring. He gave her another, more apologetic smile and pulled it out. Coral watched as the color drained from his face. "What?" she demanded. "What is it?"

Jeff sighed. "It's… the clinic."

Coral's eyes widened in fear, knowing they had only been gone for a little over an hour. Just enough time for the doctors to test him positive for the drug. Jeff was screwed and she was a horrible person for allowing herself to believe Mike could be her fix to what was broken, when he was still shattered as well. Now she not only screwed herself, but she got Jeff into trouble.

"Hello?" Jeff asked into the phone, running a hand through his multi-colored hair. "Yes, this is Jeff Hardy. Oh, hi Dr. Benson. Right, no, it's okay… sure." He paused, seemingly listening. "WHAT? No, I don't… oh shit. Sorry, Dr. Benson. I just… uh, we'll come back to the clinic… right. I know, doctor. Okay. Bye."

Jeff hung up and pulled back onto the road without a word. Coral watched impatiently for a moment before asking, "What happened? What did the doctor say? What is going on Jeff?"

It took a moment for Jeff to look at her, sympathy in his eyes. "Coral, hunny, Dr. Benson, Mike's doctor just told me Mike is dead."

A/N: Hmm, that's a pisser, right? Mike's dead... uh, oh. Find next what happens next in the next chapter... Okay, READ AND REVIEW AND UPDATE I SHALL!!