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Setting ot up and headed to the activities roo to put any shoes on Whoever aiting forflow, and I certainly didn’t feel like entertaining anyone As I turned the corner and walked through the doorway,for a faht chestnut hair attached to the body that was undoubtedly Scarlett’s, asped for air She had found me Not only had she found me, but she had come to see me

My first reaction was to run back to ress in the couple of weeks that I had separated s, but from her Heather had helped me realize that I had made Scarlett an addiction, just like the chemical dependencies, only she wasn’t physically har that Scarlett had done herself, it was the way I had deified her and put her on a pedestal I knew that my love for her was true, but Heather had emphasized that because I didn’t value nor loveI was still working through a lot of these ideas and had finally begun to accept that I orthy of so just mere feet in front ofbrown eyes, if I inhaled her sweet, heavenly scent, or if I touched her silky, soft skin, that I would fall right back into that unhealthy obsession I had for her, si a bottle of whiskey directly in front of ht off the bat It wasn’t so hard to not drink or do drugs or any of the other bad shit while I was in there It wasn’t in thrown in my face, I didn’t have to watch other people enjoy it while I abstained The real test would be once I was back in the real world; the everyday life of a luttonous and addictive behaviors I thought I had a coupleon myself before faced with any ofto breathe, the thing that I cravedto not take the cowardly way out, to not run from my problems but to , stopping just a couple of inches behind her chair I wasn’t quite sure what to say to her It was al to and flirting with girls had always co to say, I just said whatever the fuck I wanted to, and they all loved me just the saed to strip ance that I once had in abundance, while si to build my self-respect and worth The first part had happened quickly, the second was a definite work in progress Gathering e, I inhaled a deep breath and said the one word that cael," I said as I exhaled

SCARLETT

Frozen I was frozen in ray eyes that le tiht I had prepared ain, but the hts about my unannounced appearance Maybe I should’ve called first orhe was enrolled in a rehab program

"Scarlett, turn around and look at ruff voice assaulted my ears

Slowly, I stood up and turned around to look at where he was standing My eyes instantly welled up with tears seeing hiy, tattered jeans and white undershirt His dark brown hair was longer than I had ever seen it and it appeared he hadn’t shaved since he had been there His face had much more color than when I had last seen him in Miami and I could tell that he had put on a few pounds as well

He held his arap between us, flying into his body, nearly knocking hi to him as ifeach other for I’, el," he repeated softly

I pulled rey, emotion-filled irises "I hope it’s okay that I came," I stammered

"Of course it’s okay that you came I’m just shocked to see you; I didn’t think you wanted to have anything else to do with rabbed his hand and walked us over to an empty sofa in the corner of the room After we both sat down and o of one another’s hand, I brought aze back to his "I told you that I’d always be here for you Even if we aren’t together in that sense, I will never abandon you, especially when you need support and a friend"

A small smile replaced the obvious tension in his face "I’m sorry I didn’t call I wasn’t quite sure what to say"

"It’s okay, Mase I understand I’ help" I looked around the room curiously at the other people "So what’s it like? What do you do all day here?"

He chuckled "It’s actually not so bad The first few days I was being my usual ass-ish self, but I’vebetter I have an a me realize shit that I knew but didn’t think htly as he continued to talk about his previous teeks, truly happy that he seeress After a little over two hours, one of the clinic’s staffhours were ending and that we needed to wrap it up I was disappointed that I had to go, but I knew that I needed to get home anyhow I hadn’t checked my phone the entire time I was there, and I was sure that Ash had most likely tried to contact htly one last tio our separate ways, I wanted to ask if I could come back, but was scared he would say no Alhts, he asked, "Will you coain? I’d really like you to meet Heather I’ve told her all about you"