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“I don’t like what’s going on under your roof with my son.” Now wasn’t the time to discuss it, but it fell out of his mouth before he could stop himself. “The sooner my lawyer can get this going, the better. One day soon he’ll be in the backseat of my car instead of yours, and you’ll be going home without him.”
“You’re a convict, Mikey. You don’t stand a chance. He’s got a two-parent household with us.” She motioned toward the man on the driver’s side. His name escaped Michael, and he didn’t care to know.
“He’ll have two parents in my household soon.” He knew the comment would get to her. Though his and Haize’s relationship hadn’t been labeled, it was progressing fast and had moved on from just sex. They were in love. They just had to be careful.
“What are you talking about? Just because you bring a woman home and fuck her doesn’t mean that’s stable for Jace. That’s not a two-parent household.”
Michael shook his head and forced a laugh. “If you only knew, Marilyn. If you only knew. My situation is far more stable than yours, bringing home Johns to make money and sell drugs to. Answering to a pimp. Never being free.” He didn’t want to divulge too much and have her take it out on Jace for telling him. “My lawyer will be notified about all of it.”
“You don’t stand a chance, Mikey. I’ll make sure of it.”
The car backed out and Michael stepped back, looking at Jace in the backseat until they were out of sight, and started counting the days until their next visit together. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Haize was busy at work with some late clients and Mitch was too erratic to go home to. He still had a few hours until his curfew.
He drove to the park and sat at the table where he and Haize sat just a few nights ago. The night they made love in the woods, fully clothed, warm bodies against each other… every inch of him filling her up with nothing hindering how she felt from the inside. He grew hard in his pants just thinking about it and had to get his mind on something else.
Sliding his phone out of his pocket, he shot her a quick text. She always said it was fine, and she’d answer when she was no longer with a client.
Michael: Thinking about you. The visit went well.
Haize: I’m so glad!
Michael: I love you.
Haize: I love you, too!
Michael found himself smiling without even realizing it. He stared down at her words and how freeing it was to say them to each other. He’d never been able to do it so well before unless he was using it to manipulate a woman to get what he wanted. It was a hard word to say, but with her, it felt good. It felt natural. And he truly meant it.
He cautioned himself about how happy he was. He’d never felt the strong emotions he was experiencing, and knew he needed to be careful. Getting too happy meant he could lose a lot, and he tried not to think about the pain he’d feel should none of this work out. It was a negative way to think, but realistic with how things always turned out in his past.
Mitch had been scarce since their fight. When Michael was home, he’d stay in his room or find excuses to be outside. It was fine with him – he wasn’t sure how he could fix their broken relationship, especially with all the threats and jealousy. It was going to take Mitch going into recovery before they could ever consider mending things. One thing he was certain about – he couldn’t trust him… not until he was sober and stayed sober.
When he got home from visiting with Jace, Mitch was sitting on the porch, a cigarette perched between two fingers and a beer in his other hand. He exhaled a long stream of smoke as Michael walked up, offering the package to him, which he obliged and slid one from the cellophane. The lighter was next, and he lit it, inhaling the poison smoke deep into his lungs. It was another habit he needed to kick, but he had to take it one thing at a time, and cigarettes wouldn’t violate his parole.
“I see you been getting home before your curfew now,” Mitch smirked and sipped on his beer.
“I’m not gonna stand out here and fight with you. Truth is, you’re right about it. I need to get home when I’m supposed to. There’s no telling when that lady will show up and she’s ready to revoke me for anything. Just waiting on me to mess up.”
“You fucking around with that lady from AA?”
Michael felt the anger rise inside of him, and he balled his fist to control himself. There was something about Haize that awakened him – he wanted to protect her, and he didn’t want anyone saying anything horrible about her.
“No. It’s not fucking around.”
“Mikey, you’re not the settling down type. You’re fucking around and you’re gonna drop her like a hot potato just like you have with every other woman that comes into your life. Every other woman except Marilyn, that is.”
“Marilyn and I are history.”
Mitch arched his eyebrow and pulled another beer from the cooler, holding it out to him. “Oh wait. You’re prim and proper now. No alcohol. No drugs. One pure woman. Can’t seem to stop smoking though, huh? That habit will kill you faster than anything else.”
“You could get clean, too, Mitch. We’ve already talked about this. Come with me to meetings. See a counselor. Things can get better.”
“Save it, Mikey. You’re only doing all this because you have to. You can’t stand there right now and tell me that you would’ve considered any of this had it not been for parole requirements. If you got out a free man, your ass would be using. You wouldn’t be sober. And Marilyn would be on your dick all day long, married or not.”
Michael had considered everything Mitch was saying. Had this not all been required, he likely wouldn’t have gone to any counselor or AA meetings. But he wasn’t going to admit it out loud and give his little brother the satisfaction. “Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless of the reasoning, it’s helped me, and I’m glad someone made me do it. Taking that first step is the hardest.”
“Save it. Stop using that therapy bullshit on me. And the AA bullshit. You only have to go to two meetings a week. You’re only going nightly so you can slide into her panties when everyone leaves. I know you, Mikey. You can’t control yourself when it comes to tits and…”
“I don’t have to justify a damn thing to you, Mitch. People change. People get better. Or they don’t.” He spread his hands and flicked the cigarette to the ground, extinguishing it with the heel of his boot. “I can help you if you want me to. Or you can sit here day in and day out, numbing the pain off all the shit we’ve been through until one day, your body can’t handle it and you fade off into oblivion.”
