Wide Open by Shelly Crane Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shelly Crane
callers somewhere else, but when a woman calls and says her husband hits her and she doesn't know what to do about it, it's hard to tell her to go call someone else instead of saying that she needs to leave that scumbag. Mostly, I tell people that though getting help is hard, it's worth it. And that old saying about how you can't go home again is crap. More often than not, their families welcome them with open arms when it's clear they're trying to do better."
He nodded. "You're braver than I am. I wouldn’t know what to tell those people. I don't even have my own problems taken care of."
"You'd be surprised how easy the answer comes when you've been through it." His gaze jerked to mine and I shook my head. "No, no, no. We are not getting into that."
"Fair," he stated. "It's a bad omen to spill your guts and bad deeds before the first date anyway." I felt my lips part. He smiled and moved a little closer, putting the knuckle of his finger under my chin to close my mouth gently. "You didn't think I was giving up, did you?"
I could smell him and I inhaled subconsciously to breathe in more of him. My words sounded more like breaths. "I don't know what I'm thinking. I've never had someone ask me out twice before. Other than creepy Perry."
His smile was slow. "Are you going to make me ask a third time?"
"You think it's a good idea…for two people with addiction in their pasts to get together?"
"Is that you or the pamphlet talking?"
I couldn't help but giggle a little at that. "Mostly the pamphlet," I confessed. "I haven't had an issue in a really long time. I'm positive I won't have a relapse anytime soon, but positive people fall off the wagon every day."
"The thought of dating me makes you want to fall off a wagon?" He quirked a wry brow.
"No." I pushed my hair behind my ear. "You're going to be one of those persistent guys, aren't you?"
He moved close again. "Why? You don't like being chased?"
I swallowed, stalling. "I've never been chased before."
"Well, Maya," he started and seemed surprised about my comment, "I'm about to remedy that."
"Okay," I breathed and then bit into my lip, closing my eyes at the fact that I just said that. "Milo?"
I opened my eyes to find him looking thoroughly pleased. "Yeah?"
"What exactly does that mean?"
He shook his head. "You'll have to wait and see." He leaned back and looked at the group before looking back to me. "I've got some things to do at the garage, so I'll see you next week."
I nodded, knowing he was shirking his addict duties, but suddenly didn't mind. "Bye."
He backed away, his adorable limp barely noticeable, smiling. "Goodbye, Maya."
After catching my breath and thinking on that for a few needed minutes, I focused on the group again and tried to forget the guy with hazel eyes who decided I was worth chasing.
The week passed in blinks of time that flew by faster than they had in a long time. Will seemed to be doing well this week, so I didn't feel so guilty that my mind wasn't constantly on him as it usually was.
When Thursday came around, I wasted no time with Milo, hoping to get him to see what the meetings were all about and stop cutting them off before they could really begin.
"Where are we sitting today?"
He smiled. "Oh, we're sitting?"
"I figured we may as well." I turned to him and had to look up to see his face. He seemed taller. "You see, it's cheating if you stand in the back or sit in the back row. Like I said, they're afraid to commit, so I figured we could sit today. I haven't committed in a long time. Can't hurt."
He seemed to be thinking about it. Like actually thinking, not goading me.
"So let's commit," he finally said and smiled, but it was different. I wondered what had happened to cause the change.
When we sat down in the middle aisle seats, he put one ankle over his knee and fidgeted as they got the meeting started. He followed the guy who made his way up front with his eyes the whole way. It came to me. I'd
He nodded. "You're braver than I am. I wouldn’t know what to tell those people. I don't even have my own problems taken care of."
"You'd be surprised how easy the answer comes when you've been through it." His gaze jerked to mine and I shook my head. "No, no, no. We are not getting into that."
"Fair," he stated. "It's a bad omen to spill your guts and bad deeds before the first date anyway." I felt my lips part. He smiled and moved a little closer, putting the knuckle of his finger under my chin to close my mouth gently. "You didn't think I was giving up, did you?"
I could smell him and I inhaled subconsciously to breathe in more of him. My words sounded more like breaths. "I don't know what I'm thinking. I've never had someone ask me out twice before. Other than creepy Perry."
His smile was slow. "Are you going to make me ask a third time?"
"You think it's a good idea…for two people with addiction in their pasts to get together?"
"Is that you or the pamphlet talking?"
I couldn't help but giggle a little at that. "Mostly the pamphlet," I confessed. "I haven't had an issue in a really long time. I'm positive I won't have a relapse anytime soon, but positive people fall off the wagon every day."
"The thought of dating me makes you want to fall off a wagon?" He quirked a wry brow.
"No." I pushed my hair behind my ear. "You're going to be one of those persistent guys, aren't you?"
He moved close again. "Why? You don't like being chased?"
I swallowed, stalling. "I've never been chased before."
"Well, Maya," he started and seemed surprised about my comment, "I'm about to remedy that."
"Okay," I breathed and then bit into my lip, closing my eyes at the fact that I just said that. "Milo?"
I opened my eyes to find him looking thoroughly pleased. "Yeah?"
"What exactly does that mean?"
He shook his head. "You'll have to wait and see." He leaned back and looked at the group before looking back to me. "I've got some things to do at the garage, so I'll see you next week."
I nodded, knowing he was shirking his addict duties, but suddenly didn't mind. "Bye."
He backed away, his adorable limp barely noticeable, smiling. "Goodbye, Maya."
After catching my breath and thinking on that for a few needed minutes, I focused on the group again and tried to forget the guy with hazel eyes who decided I was worth chasing.
The week passed in blinks of time that flew by faster than they had in a long time. Will seemed to be doing well this week, so I didn't feel so guilty that my mind wasn't constantly on him as it usually was.
When Thursday came around, I wasted no time with Milo, hoping to get him to see what the meetings were all about and stop cutting them off before they could really begin.
"Where are we sitting today?"
He smiled. "Oh, we're sitting?"
"I figured we may as well." I turned to him and had to look up to see his face. He seemed taller. "You see, it's cheating if you stand in the back or sit in the back row. Like I said, they're afraid to commit, so I figured we could sit today. I haven't committed in a long time. Can't hurt."
He seemed to be thinking about it. Like actually thinking, not goading me.
"So let's commit," he finally said and smiled, but it was different. I wondered what had happened to cause the change.
When we sat down in the middle aisle seats, he put one ankle over his knee and fidgeted as they got the meeting started. He followed the guy who made his way up front with his eyes the whole way. It came to me. I'd