“Thank you, Ro.” She whispers as she looks up at me again. Her eyes wide with innocence behind them. I have no idea what she has done to get her here, but I can’t help but fucking feel responsible for her.
“I know that this isn’t easy to do and you’re going to need some sort of support. So, you can stay here as long as you need as long as you’re trying to get clean.” I sigh as I look around. I’ve known addicts and they all slip up at some point, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not trying. ”You’ll have to help out. Help Sky around the clubhouse.” She nods her head.
“Of course.” I stare at her for a moment as she continues to nod her head.
“You’re going to have some withdrawals.”
“I know,” She pauses as she looks down. “It’s the only reason why I’ve kept doing it.” I can read the shame on her face from where I stand. But I’m aware that the biggest problem with addicts is that they will say anything to fucking get you off their backs.
“Come on.” I motion back inside the clubhouse, and she follows me inside.
I feel the need to walk with her back down the hallway to the room she’s staying. I was in such a rage earlier, that I don’t really remember kicking the door in, but I’m glad that it wasn’t completely closed, so I didn’t actually break it down.
?
When I walk back into the office, Venom looks at me, shaking his head and laughs.
“What?”
“You’re going to have your hands full with that one.”
“Just trying to help her out.” I’m not sure if the way I say it is my way of trying to convince him or myself.
“Yeah, okay.” He laughs out.
“You got something to say?”
“Nope.” He manages to get the word out through his laughter, causing me to glare at him until he shifts, and I can feel him about to finish what it was he was saying. “It’s just, regardless of what you’re admitting to yourself, you’re stuck on that one.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind.” Now it’s my turn to laugh, he just shakes his head.
“You going to regret that?”
“No, because there isn’t anything to regret.”
“Sure, you say that now.” He jokes, shaking his head, but not looking up at me. “I bet you, in a month, when she gets attached, you’ll change your mind again.”
“I told you, there isn’t anything.”
“You know that you’re full of shit right. Anyone else would be on their ass.”
“J will be after her.”
“And what’s your point? I’ve seen you toss people out who ended up with their brains blown out on the ground outside of the old clubhouse and you didn’t even flinch.” I continue to look over at him, not wanting to admit anything. “Especially, after they break a rule you give them.” Looking away from him as he continues to call me out and I hear him laugh harder this time. He’s out of his goddamn mind if he thinks this is anything more than she reminds me of Caroline, back when we were just kids trying to survive. Back when I felt responsible for her. Back when I thought I knew her better than anyone else would ever. Back when I thought that I was in love with her.
“Look, she fucks up again, she jeopardizes the club in any ways, she’s on her ass. She knows that now.” I stare back at him, satisfied, but he doesn’t give me the same look back. He just stares back, unenthusiastically.
“Sure, she will be.’ I just continue to stare at him as he starts to look back at what he was working on.
?
The ring back tone sounds on my end and I’m not looking forward to the phone call.
“What’s wrong?” Caroline says as soon as she answers. Tally has been on my ass for a few days about reaching out. It’s all a part of our plan to build back up my underground race circuit.
“Why do you think that anything is wrong?”
“Because you’re calling me.”
