Page 47 of Addiction

I walk off, hearing him laughing behind me while the smile remains wide across my face. Getting under his skin seems easier than I thought. But what I hadn’t anticipated is how easily he’s getting under mine.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Asher

“Resilience Rehabilitation. I like it,” Theo says, scanning his eyes over the brochure advertising the gym. I’ve wanted the name to have meaning. When you look at the definition of ‘resilience’, it represents overcoming changes and difficulties, and having the strength to build a better future. It’s a no brainer.

“I think it fits well.”

“It does. You’ll have to let me have some of these so I can hand them out when I do my groups and around the community, too.”

“Take as many as you want, I’ve hundreds. Grayson and Nora have been busy helping spread the word, but the more the merrier.”

He nods, looking over the railings. We are on the top floor looking down at the guys below finishing off the paintwork. In the last few weeks, Mark has managed to pull some strings and get contractors who were willing to work longer hours to speed up the process. And now, with the main construction work done, it’s time to start looking into getting the equipment brought in and set up.

“I’m impressed with everything you’ve done here, Asher.”

“It all seemed too good to be true in the beginning. But now it’s become a reality that this building is my life, job, and future. Of course, I couldn’t have done it all without Twilight. I will forever be in his debt.”

“But look at what you can achieve from it,” he says, turning to look at me, pushing his thin-framed glasses further up his nose. His salt and pepper hair and trim build reminds me of Robert Redford. “Asher, you may not have had the power or the complete independence to build this place from the ground up because of your finances but look at where you can take it. Look at what you can bring to your community.”

“This place and my family are what get me up on a morning. It hasn’t been easy, as you know, but I couldn’t have done all of this without them. Or you for that matter.”

He smiles. “I’m just simply a guide. Someone to help you to navigate life and prevent you from making bad choices.”

“Even so. You are a massive part of who I am now. And I’ll be forever thankful for that.”

He grips my shoulder and smiles. An alcoholic himself, Theo has now been on his sobriety journey for nearly twenty years. His experience and drive to help others is admirable. When I was first introduced to this guy, I loathed everything about him. I hadn’t been able to see him for who he is; I’d only seen him for what he is: my sponsor, someone to criticize my wrongdoings, another person to look at me with disgust and disappointment over the choices I’d made and the damage I’d caused.

But Theo had slowly become my lifeline and washed away any irritability I had toward him. Now he is not only my sponsor but has become a dear friend.

“So, the opening date is in a couple of weeks. Are you on track for that?”

“Pretty much,” I say, turning to rest my back on the railings. “Mark and I need to discuss the next step, but the majority of the work that needed doing is complete.”

“I think it’s great that you want to start fitness programs, but I’m even more impressed that you want to help the recovery of addicts. As you know yourself, motivation and purpose are key, and helping them with that is so important.”

“It’s just something I feel I need to give back.”

“I hope I get a free membership for a few months.”

“A few months? You can have a lifetime with everything you’ve helped me with. In and out of the gym.”

He chuckles. “It’s no trouble at all.”

“Asher?”

We turn at the sound of Mark's voice and find him reaching the top of the metal stairs. With a pile of paperwork under his arm, I know he’s either here to talk business or on his way to Cole’s security.

“Hey. Did we have a meeting I forgot about?”

“We didn’t, but we have now.” He looks at Theo. “Although, if you’re busy?”

“No, no. I was just about to leave anyway,” Theo replies.

“Mark, this is Theo, my sponsor. Theo, meet the man behind all of this.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Mark,” Theo says, shaking his hand. “It’s great what you’ve both achieved here.”