Page 4 of Love Fire

4

BRENT

As I walk into the rehab center, I sigh and brace myself. Alessandro has been getting himself into all sorts of trouble lately and if he is not still clean, it is bad news for all of us. He better not have checked out or made some bullshit excuse about insurance again. I will kick his ass until sundown if he skips out on yet another rehab clinic.

I nod and say hi to the techs around the entrance. Billy gives me a visitor pass and Andrew asks how the job is. I give answers that are personable enough to not arouse suspicion but not so much that I give anything away. It would not only be illegal but unwise for me to say anything about my cases, anyway. I would be putting dragons in danger, and we are the very creatures I have spent my life protecting.

As soon as I walk into the main area where the patients of the clinic hang out, Alessandro practically jumps on me and wraps me up in a hug.

“Cuz! You made it.”

“Yeah, dude, of course.” I return the hug, squeezing him as much as he will let me. “Just glad to see you still at it.”

“Hell yeah! Still sober!”

“That’s fantastic.”

He gives me a slobbery wet kiss on the cheek and I push him away.

“Come on, you doofus.”

He laughs and leads me to a group of chairs sitting in a circle. “Take a seat. We’re about to have a meeting. You can see me in action. I got all the swift moves. Ladies be lovin’ my honest swag.”

I laugh too and sit next to him as he settles confidently into his seat. He could be king of this place with the way he acts. I have never attended a rehab meeting before and I have to admit curiosity strikes me down. I look around at the rest of the patients and size up their various states of distress. Some are covered in sores, some have patches of hair missing, and some seem completely detached from reality as they stare at the floor or at the lights. Old faces I remember, new faces I have never seen, but all of them trapped in their own kind of hell. I did not need this stark reminder of how bad iridescence can be, but it strengthens my resolve that much more.

As my gaze travels around the room, my eyes lock with a woman: the electric combination of green eyes and red hair shocks me into paying attention to her as she introduces herself to the group.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Erin and I’m an addict.”

Erin. Who is she? She is a new face to me and, judging by the softness of her skin and hair, she is not on drugs. She looks professional, formal, and exciting. My attention zeroes in on her without my input and every word she speaks whispers into my ears like a soft wind in a sun-warmed meadow.

“Most of you know me, but for the new faces I’ll share my story.” She smiles directly at me and my heart skips a beat. “After my sister disappeared, I fell into the drug scene—bad. Partied too hard, took too much, drank everything in sight. It wasn’t a conscious choice at first—no one wants to become an addict, right? We just think, ‘I’ll take this one for fun. One more can’t hurt. I feel like shit so I deserve a little pick-me-up.’ That’s how it starts, right? I deserve it. I need it. I should have a little something. And before you know it you’re neck-deep in your own vomit, in a club bathroom you’ve never been to before, in a city you don’t know the name of. It just starts with that one time, right?”

The patients around me nod their heads and murmur in agreement. I can barely pay them any attention with how entranced I am by Erin. The sun shines through the open windows and hits her cheekbones in just the right way. She sits up tall and straight, giving an aura of confidence that rivals even Alessandro. More than this, everything she says hits home for me. After meeting with so many addicts over the last few years who were or are hooked on iridescence, it is breathtaking that someone has managed to do so well coming off it.

Erin continues in a gentle but strong cadence. Everyone in the room is rapt by her, even the ones who were previously near-catatonic.

“My life was turned upside down in a matter of weeks. I knew I had to seek help and I wouldn’t be able to kick the drugs without it. It took me a long time to get my shit together, but I did it. And everyone in this room is doing it right now. You’re all so strong and brave for taking the step to even come to rehab. It’s so important that you know how much.”

She smiles around at the group, and they nod and smile back. My own smile threatens to overwhelm my face and I turn to Alessandro, who grins—but something lies underneath it, a hint of embarrassment or shame. Before I can ask what is going on with him, Erin invites the others to speak. I hold my tongue and eventually Alessandro has his turn. He takes a deep breath and sighs as he hangs his head.

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

My heart sinks at the tone of his voice—disappointed, embarrassed, as I thought. I turn my gaze across the circle to Erin, whose own look is as concerned as mine.

5

ERIN

“Today marks one month sober!” Alessandro announces to the group. Everyone breaks out into a round of applause. The good news and commotion is enough to pull me out of my locked eyes with Alessandro’s guest.

Alessandro’s guest puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. His handsome tan face beams with pride for Alessandro. I should probably stop staring at him.

I check the time and realize I’m running behind schedule. I’ve got a delivery to make and the sooner I get it done the better. I need to find an excuse to leave.

Suddenly, I notice Alessandro’s handsome guest is staring at me. A warmth begins to rise in my chest and move to my face. God, I hope I’m not blushing. It’s been a long time since someone who looks like him ever looked at me.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone so tall before. Even when sitting down, I bet he’d tower over me when I wear heels. His muscular body perfectly fills out his suit but somehow, he still manages to look quite lean. I can already feel myself getting lost in his welcoming and soft light brown eyes.

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