Page 121 of Imperfect Player

Fuck.

It’s everything I’ve avoided my whole life. It’s why I’m here in the first place. An impossible feat.

Still at my side, Everly sits silently as I sign the papers.

It’s official.

I, of sound mind and body, just signed myself into rehab.

I want to be here, even if I’m terrified of it.

One of the parameters of the program is no visitors for the first two weeks. Perfect. I want to do this alone. I don’t want Everly to see me like . . . whatever I’m going to be like. While I’m not sure exactly what’s going to go down, I know that what she’s seen so far hasn’t been my worst.

This will be.

“I’ll be back, just as soon as they’ll let me,” she promises.

It’s a promise that, for her sake, I hope she doesn’t keep.

I don’t say anything. I just nod.

“It’s going to be okay. You’ve got this.”

Another nod.

She presses her lips against mine in a tender kiss filled with love and promise. I don’t kiss her back.

A weak smile from her. Another nod from me.

Then, she’s gone.

The day has already been long as fuck, and I can feel the alcohol continuing to wear off.

Everything is so foggy as I walk down the hall, guided by two men in scrubs.

Withdrawal is a killer. It’s fucking with my head, my body.

We enter the room, with a hospital-looking bed in the center of it and a small dresser off to the side. It’s nothing much, but it’s more than I deserve. Hell, even at my best I never really cared about money or belongings, probably because I’ve always had more than I needed.

I rest on the bed, trying to get the spinning to stop. The doctor, the men in scrubs, they just stand there, talking about me like I’m not even here.

That’s when I see her. Everly.

She walks into the room, eyes on me, a sweet smile on her face.

“I thought you left,” I say.

The bald guy in the scrubs shoves her, pushing her toward the door.

“Leave her alone,” I shout.

His hands grab her arms, holding her as she fights against him.

“Let her go,” I demand.

His sick laughter fills the air as she struggles against him, fighting him as he holds her against him.

My feet hit the floor and I run toward them. “I said, let her go.”

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