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I turn back to Harmony. Didn't mean to leave her hanging there. "No. It's just… Going out and hooking up with random guys is not what I want to do right now."
There. I said it. It’s what I feel, so I came right out with it.
Felt good, too.
Let the blowback begin.
"Cool," Chester says.
"Fair enough," Noah agrees.
"Makes sense." Chase grins happily at me.
Well…that went better than I expected.
I turn to the last holdout.
"I just want you to be happy. But if you're not ready, you're not ready," Harmony says, trying to mask her obvious disappointment.
I smile. "Thank you."
"But the second you are, call me!"
Her entire face lights up, and I laugh. "I will. I promise."
And with that, the official Get Locky Laid operation is put to rest.
The unofficial one, though? That one's just getting off the ground.
12
ROMAN
I've come a long way from the man I was when I first arrived in Brookhaven nearly three years ago, fresh out of rehab, begging for my brother's forgiveness, and feeling like the biggest fuckup on the planet.
Back then, I was barely one rung up from rock bottom. I hated myself for all the mistakes I'd made, all the people I'd hurt. Yes, I was sober, but it was only the first small step in a very long journey. I knew I'd have to spend the rest of my life making up for all the damage I'd done.
And I was prepared to do it.
I'd messed up big time. It's what I deserved. Didn't mean I was looking forward to it. But I kept any pity parties I threw limited to one attendee and tried not to hold them too often.
I did the work, found a job, and started paying Bishop back.
I applied my handyman skills to the house and the animal shelter to fix things up.
I remained clean and sober.
Tick, tick, tick.
And am I committed to staying on this track?
That's the biggest fucking tick of all.
Because no matter how hard these past few years have been, how lonely I've felt, or how much shame and guilt I continue to carry, there is no way I'd ever do anything to squander the second chance I've been given. I wouldn't trade the worst day in my current life for the best day in my former life for all the money in the world.
But now, for the first time since I've been here, I'm actually starting to feel better about myself.
My life.
