Page 5 of Love Fire

However, it quickly becomes clear to me that he is not the only one staring at me. Everyone in the group is now looking at me. Alessandro must have finished his story while I was distracted by his friend. I should say something soon.

“Thank you for sharing, Alessandro.” I just need to say something helpful but vague enough that no one notices I wasn’t paying attention. “All progress is good. And that’s all we can really ask of ourselves while in recovery. Whether it’s a year sober, or a month, or even a day. Progress is progress, big or small.”

Everyone in the group seems to be nodding along. I think I must be in the clear. Now, I just have to find an excuse to leave.

“Elizabeth,” I say while looking over at her. Elizabeth is by far the most talkative member of the group. She can take thirty minutes to tell you what she had for breakfast. “Why don’t you share with us all how your last week has been. In the meantime, I apologize but I must slip out to use the bathroom.”

I get up and head to the door while Elizabeth begins her story. I don’t think anyone is the wiser but as I walk away from the group, I can feel eyes on me. I turn around and see Alessandro’s guest watching me. Once again, I feel the warmth rising inside me. I quickly walk out the door and hurry down the halls.

I need to meet up with Remy. I hurry towards our usual meeting spot, the kitchen. This time of night it’s usually empty.

“You’re late,” Remy says as soon as I step into the kitchen. Remy is a tall, pale rehab tech who my father employs on the side. He annoyingly taps his watch as I dig into my pockets.

“The meeting started late. Besides, it's not like you have anywhere else to be.” I pull out the packets of iridescent. I hold out the packets for Remy but as he reaches for them, I pull away. “There is an upcharge now.”

“Are you kidding me?” Remy says with a groan. “How do you expect anyone to afford that? The patients here don’t get a large allowance from their families, if they even get one at all.”

“Not my problem.” I hold out the packets again. “Boss’ orders.”

An annoyed Remy takes the packets and hands me a wad of cash in return. I count through the stack.

“It’s all there,” Remy coldly says as he stuffs the packets of drugs in his pockets. He leaves without another word.

I roll my eyes and hide the money in my jacket pockets. Remy thinks he has it rough. He has no idea.

Of all the jobs my father has me doing, this is by far my least favorite. At the end of the day, I can live with making iridescent. But selling the drug to rehab techs to then be sold to addicts is a different beast.

These addicts are at the rehab center because they want to get better. They are here because they need help to get their lives back on track. They are supposed to be able to trust the people that work here.

They’re supposed to be able to trust me. I’m meant to be here helping them with the PNA meetings. I’m here as proof to them that getting clean is possible. Instead, I’m helping to sabotage their recovery.

My father is a sick man. He sees these struggling people as nothing but dollar signs. As an area of profit to be harnessed. He also just sees me as a means to get that profit.

I need to find a way out of all this. A way to get free of my father’s watchful eye. I need to do it soon or I don’t know what will happen.

I just can’t keep doing this. I know what it was like to be in their position. To be struggling with the early days of detoxing and sobriety. I can’t live with being the one to ruin it for all of them.

As I get lost in thought, I move back to the meeting room from the kitchen. Hopefully Elizabeth is still talking. The least I can do for these people is actually listen to them.

Before I can even fully leave the kitchen, I’m snapped back to reality as I slam into a firm chest. I look up to see Alessandro’s handsome friend looking down at me. He crosses his arms.

“I am so sorry about that,” I start to say when he cuts me off.

“I thought previous clients weren’t interested in meeting up with old rehab techs,” he says with an unmistakably suspicious tone.

Fuck. I need to think of something.

And quick.

6

BRENT

Well, this is suspicious. Originally, I followed her to “bump into her” in the hallway. I simply want to get to know her. You can’t help a guy for trying, right? Besides, it is in my best interests to keep an eye on patients recovering from iridescence, especially ones this new. They could fall off the wagon at any moment. Erin is in charge of them in some capacity. But this? This is a lot more interesting, if not a lot weirder.

Why was the rehab tech handing her cash? She slipped it into her jacket so quickly that I almost did not catch it, but it is definitely there, secured under her arm. She looks suspicious as well, with a furrowed brow and an edgy stance. Her body is poised to run at any moment, juggling between balancing on the ball of one stilettoed foot and the heel of the other.

The rehab patients also looked shifty. They looked brand new like they had just stepped into the clinic a few days ago, even the ones I have seen before. Or—like they were still detoxing. The last time I was here, about a week ago, everyone seemed much better. What could have happened in that time?

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