Page 45 of Unwanted

“You’re infuriating, you know that?”

“I’ve been called worse things.”

“This just feels… Having him here and so close…” I let out a long, loud sigh. “And the more time we spend together, it feels like a really big deal.”

Empathy settles on Jenika’s face. “It is a big deal, Arlo. But not necessarily because you’re a recovering addict and maybe more because he broke your heart and now he’s back.”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I hated how often she was right, calling me out on things that took me too long to figure out.

“So, you’re saying I’m not scared I’ll relapse, I’m just scared he’s going to break my heart again.”

I was my most vulnerable with Jenika. There were no secrets between us, or at least none worth keeping, yet I always felt so exposed after talking to her, after revealing my darkest insecurities and deepest fears.

She reaches for my hand and squeezes. “I think you’re scared of both, but I think only one of those fears might actually eventuate into reality, and deep down I know you know which one.”

I did know which one I was more scared of and I hated myself because it absolutely wasn’t the fear of a relapse.

15

FRANKIE

“Thanks for driving me,” Rhys says.

With Lennox choosing to move in with me, I had decided to rent a car. I still didn’t know how long I would be here and still needed to speak to Jordan to see how long it was feasible for me to stay here.

I wasn’t ready to leave.

I would never admit it out loud, but I wasn’t ready to walk away from my family again. I loved the way we were all rallying behind Lennox. I loved the comfort between us, and, most of all, I loved that I could see Arlo every day.

We were no longer skating around each other, the awkward tension now morphing into a charged, sexual-like tension that made me curious to see how our time together would eventuate.

I had lit a flame and was playing with a fire I wasn’t sure either one of us knew how to put out, but I had my mind set on making things right with him.

One way or another we were going to hash it all out.

Now that I was here, there was no way I could return to Seattle without laying all my cards on the table. I hoped for so much more between us, but even if it fizzled into nothing, at least this time when I left I wasn’t going into hiding.

There would be no running. No secrets. No lies.

Everything would be out in the open and at least we could both walk away knowing there was no longer anything unsaid between us.

“It’s no problem. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for Lennox.”

Rhys had somehow fit into our makeshift family like he belonged. He was teaching us sign language and putting a smile on Lennox’s face I hadn’t expected to see anytime soon.

He mentioned needing to get to the gym, and since Arlo was going to be there today and I wanted to see Arlo at work, I offered to drive him in.

It wasn’t a completely selfless act, but when Arlo asked what I was doing there, because he would, at least I had an answer that wasn’t “I came to see you.”

“So you train with Arlo?” I ask Rhys.

“Everyone trains with Arlo.”

He must notice a confused look on my face. “He sets up the programs and organizes everyone into the classes and oversees it all runs smoothly. Which means he’s always around, but occasionally we do train together.”

I tried to imagine the Arlo I knew at the gym. His body had filled out enough that I knew he worked at it, but we were never the guys who bothered with our bodies. The whole setup here at the gym, and the way Rhys has repeatedly spoken so highly of him, makes me even more curious about his life and profession now.

Rhys and I step out of the car and I follow him as he leads us both into the gym. When we walk through the door he looks at me over his shoulder. “If you follow the yellow arrows on the floor they’ll take you to Arlo’s office.”

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