Problems Ongoing

Chapter 24 – Cut Off

The quiet never lasted anymore.

It came in flashes.

Short. Fading.

Gone before she could hold onto it.

So she reached for it again.

“Nia,” the voice on the phone said carefully.

“I need more,” she cut in.

A pause.

“You sure about that?” Rafael asked.

“Yes.”

No hesitation.

No second thought.

“Bring it.”

He did.

Too much.

More than before.

Enough that she didn’t have to stop.

And she didn’t.

Hours blurred into each other.

Days lost their shape.

She stayed inside more.

Shut people out.

Ignored calls.

Ignored everything that wasn’t—

That.

Because when she took it—

For a moment—

She didn’t feel like she was falling apart.

But the moment never lasted.

So she chased it.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Marcus noticed first.

“She’s not answering,” he said, pacing.

Ryan didn’t like it.

Not at all.

“Something’s wrong,” Marcus added.

Ryan grabbed his keys.

“Let’s go.”

The house was too quiet when they arrived.

No movement.

No sound.

Marcus didn’t wait.

He went straight in.

“Nia?”

No answer.

Then—

A faint sound.

From down the hall.

They followed it.

And found her.

Sitting on the floor.

Back against the wall.

Not steady.

Not present.

Marcus’s chest tightened instantly.

“Nia—”

She barely looked up.

“Hey,” she said lightly. Too lightly.

That’s when he saw it.

In her hand.

The cold white dust.

Cocaine.

His expression changed immediately.

“No.”

He crossed the room in seconds—

And snatched it away.

“What are you doing?!” she snapped, her voice rising instantly.

Marcus held it away from her.

“This ends now.”

“Give it back,” she demanded, standing quickly.

“No.”

Her eyes sharpened.

Anger rising fast.

“Give it back,” she repeated, louder.

Ryan stepped in, his tone controlled.

“Nia, listen—”

“Don’t tell me to listen!” she snapped.

Her breathing picked up again.

Her hands shaking.

“You don’t get to take that from me,” she said.

“We absolutely do,” Marcus shot back. “This is destroying you.”

“It’s helping me!”

“No, it’s not,” Ryan said firmly. “Look at yourself.”

That hit.

For a split second—

She hesitated.

Then—

Her expression hardened.

“I said give it back.”

“No,” Marcus said again.

That was it.

“Then get out.”

Silence.

Ryan frowned slightly. “Nia—”

“I said GET OUT!” she yelled.

The room went still.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

Her voice shaking with anger.

“I don’t need you,” she continued. “I don’t need either of you.”

Marcus stared at her.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.”

Her voice dropped.

Colder.

“All you do is judge me. Control me. Tell me what I should and shouldn’t do.”

“That’s not what this is,” Ryan said.

“It is to me,” she snapped.

A pause.

Then—

“So leave.”

Silence.

Marcus didn’t move.

Ryan looked at her for a long moment.

Really looked.

And what he saw—

Wasn’t the girl he knew.

“…Fine,” he said quietly.

Marcus turned to him. “We should go—”

“We're not coming back,” Ryan said under his breath.

Then louder—

“Fine.”

He stepped back.

Marcus hesitated.

Then followed.

The door closed behind them.

And just like that—

They were gone.

The house fell silent again.

Nia stood there.

Alone.

Her breathing slowly steadied.

Her eyes drifted to where Marcus had taken it.

Frustration burned instantly.

Because now—

The quiet was gone again.

And there was nothing—

No one—

To stop the noise from coming back.