Page 6 of Fought and Freed

Maddy stood staring out at the garden for a bit. “I always considered myself a good judge of character, but I couldn’t have been farther from the mark where Mike was concerned. From the moment I first met him, he pretended to be a white knight, when in reality, he was a viper.”

She explained how Mike wove his way into her life, and how, when it was time for her to leave, he tried to stop her from heading off to college.

“I realized he wasn’t a good guy,” Maddy admitted. “But to me, that’s just who he was. When I got on that train, I assumed that was the last I’d see of him. My life was going in a good direction. I had friends, and I had started a relationship with four great guys.”

Surprise filled Dr. Hayes’s voice. “Did you say four guys?”

“Yeah.” Maddy smiled as she thought of them. “It’s not for everyone, but they each give me something I need.”

“If they treat you right, that’s all that matters,” Dr. Hayes said without judgment. “We’ll get to them on another day. Continue with Mike.”

When Maddy and Lucca talked in the hospital, they’d decided she could tell the doctor about everything except for who she really was. It wouldn’t benefit her recovery to tell the doctor about how her brother was a gang leader. Which meant, as far as the doctor was concerned, Lucca would just be her good friend.

She paced back and forth in front of the window and wrapped her arms around herself as she explained everything Mike had done to her.

By the time she finished, tears were running down her face.

“Well, that’s everything that happened.” Maddy rubbed her sweaty palms on her pants.

“I think that’s enough for today.” Dr. Hayes stood. “Tomorrow, we’ll break down how you feel about everything you’ve been through.”

The session left Maddy completely raw, and she sought a quiet spot in the corner of the covered patio.

She had a few hours free before the group session started, and she sat quietly, reviewing everything she discussed with Dr. Hayes.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” asked a quiet voice.

From the corner of her eye, Maddy recognized him as the guy who ran into her room on her first night, Grant.

When she continued to stare straight ahead, not answering right away, he added, “If you want to be alone, I understand.”

“No, it’s fine.” If she stayed by herself, she would sink into dark thoughts.

He took the seat next to her. “How are you feeling?”

She groaned. “Like shit. You?”

Grant chuckled. “About the same.”

She glanced over at him, noticing the way he was picking his nails. The raw state of his cuticles and the ragged edges spoke to a history of the habit. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but have you done this before?”

He peered down at his hands and let out a deep breath. “Yeah, once. When I got out, I wasn’t strong enough to say no, so here I am again. You?”

“This is my first time.” She leaned back in her chair. “Shit, this wasn’t even my choice.”

Grant raised one eyebrow, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

“Someone gave me the drugs without me knowing.” She closed her eyes, then opened them when Mike’s smug face appeared in her memory. “He snuck it into my pop.”

Grant’s lips parted in surprise. “Boyfriend?”

“Oh, God, no.” Maddy clenched her teeth as the anger returned. “Someone I thought was a friend, but who turned out to be a snake.”

“Wow.” Grant shook his head in sympathy. “That sucks.”

So much more than he could ever know, but she didn’t want to go down that road yet. “So, I got the shakes. What should I expect next?” Not wanting to have him look down at her, she stood to join him.

They walked the halls as Grant gave her the rundown. “They have a lot of activities you can do to help take your mind off of withdrawal.”

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