forearm. “Mike, talk to me, hon.”
E ven though his gaze was now away from the window, she still couldn’t clear ly see his eyes. “Don’t worry. I didn’t drink any of it.” He buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “If you don’t believe me, just check the bottle,” he said, his voice low.
“I know you didn’t drink any. I believe you.” She stepped closer, taking her time in not wantin g to overwhelm him. “I’m assuming that things at the prison didn’t go well?”
Mikey shook his head no, finally looking directly into her eye. He looked so exhausted and worn out. Dark circles were forming under his eyes and his posture was that of a man who had been defeated.
“You can talk to me.”
Walking away from the window, he went to the coffee table and sat down, inviting her to sit across from him on the couch. The green tint of his pupils weren’t as bright as usual.
“Not much to talk about, Eva. I went in there a dumb ass fool. Again, Viper had the upper hand on me.” He brushed the palm of his hand down his cheek and it sounded like sandpaper.
“What do you mean?” She leaned forward and grabbed his other hand, wrapping her fingers in his.
“He’s just as arrogant as he was. But I do have to admit, he spoke some truth.” Pausing, he pulled his hand away from her and stood up. He started pacing back and forth, a nervous tick she had noticed about him right off the bat. “He talked about how Casey and I are weak and this whole charade of staying clean is just destined for failure.”
The fact that he couldn’t sit still drove Eva crazy, but she knew she had to allow him to do what he needed to get it all out in the open. This wasn’t easy for him. “Those are just words, Mikey. He’s a no good…”
“Just hold on.” He cut her off, holding his hand up to silence her. “I hate to say this, but I agree with him. Just his antagonizing alone drove me to get that whiskey today.” He sat on the table again, burying his face in his hands. “I’m never going to be able to forgive him. I’m never going to get over this PTSD. And what’s that all going to lead to in the end? Me drinking myself silly. You know it, I know it, hell, and even Viper knows it and he’s locked up.”
Eva pulled his hands away from his face and noticed that a few tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. He looked away in what she thought was an attempt to hide the fact that he was on the verge of crying. It broke her heart to see him this way. She was under the assumption that he was handling things pretty well and progressing forward.
“Look at me, Mikey,” she whispered, putting her hand on his chin to push his face toward hers. He resisted and jerked away. “Look at me, please.” She put her hands on both sides of his face, slowly guiding his head back in her direction. His eyes were bloodshot and more tears began to flow. Leaning in, she kissed his forehead. “You didn’t drink that whiskey that’s sitting in there in the kitchen, did you?”
Exhaling a deep breath, he closed his eyes. “No.”
“How long did you have it here before I got home?”
“I don’t know. About an hour,” Mikey replied, his eyes still closed as he leaned in to her kisses.
She pulled away and smiled as her thumb wiped away one of the stray tears that trickled down the bridge of his nose. “I’d say today was a success then, wouldn’t you?”
Mikey swallowed hard and looked in the direction of the bottle and back to her. “That was just today.”
“And when you think about it, today is all we really have control over. To be honest, it’s been one of the hardest you’ve gone through. Going to that prison, seeing Viper, and having him degrade you and your family like he did. For you to not take a drink is something you should be damn proud of, Mikey.”
He let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure I
E ven though his gaze was now away from the window, she still couldn’t clear ly see his eyes. “Don’t worry. I didn’t drink any of it.” He buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “If you don’t believe me, just check the bottle,” he said, his voice low.
“I know you didn’t drink any. I believe you.” She stepped closer, taking her time in not wantin g to overwhelm him. “I’m assuming that things at the prison didn’t go well?”
Mikey shook his head no, finally looking directly into her eye. He looked so exhausted and worn out. Dark circles were forming under his eyes and his posture was that of a man who had been defeated.
“You can talk to me.”
Walking away from the window, he went to the coffee table and sat down, inviting her to sit across from him on the couch. The green tint of his pupils weren’t as bright as usual.
“Not much to talk about, Eva. I went in there a dumb ass fool. Again, Viper had the upper hand on me.” He brushed the palm of his hand down his cheek and it sounded like sandpaper.
“What do you mean?” She leaned forward and grabbed his other hand, wrapping her fingers in his.
“He’s just as arrogant as he was. But I do have to admit, he spoke some truth.” Pausing, he pulled his hand away from her and stood up. He started pacing back and forth, a nervous tick she had noticed about him right off the bat. “He talked about how Casey and I are weak and this whole charade of staying clean is just destined for failure.”
The fact that he couldn’t sit still drove Eva crazy, but she knew she had to allow him to do what he needed to get it all out in the open. This wasn’t easy for him. “Those are just words, Mikey. He’s a no good…”
“Just hold on.” He cut her off, holding his hand up to silence her. “I hate to say this, but I agree with him. Just his antagonizing alone drove me to get that whiskey today.” He sat on the table again, burying his face in his hands. “I’m never going to be able to forgive him. I’m never going to get over this PTSD. And what’s that all going to lead to in the end? Me drinking myself silly. You know it, I know it, hell, and even Viper knows it and he’s locked up.”
Eva pulled his hands away from his face and noticed that a few tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. He looked away in what she thought was an attempt to hide the fact that he was on the verge of crying. It broke her heart to see him this way. She was under the assumption that he was handling things pretty well and progressing forward.
“Look at me, Mikey,” she whispered, putting her hand on his chin to push his face toward hers. He resisted and jerked away. “Look at me, please.” She put her hands on both sides of his face, slowly guiding his head back in her direction. His eyes were bloodshot and more tears began to flow. Leaning in, she kissed his forehead. “You didn’t drink that whiskey that’s sitting in there in the kitchen, did you?”
Exhaling a deep breath, he closed his eyes. “No.”
“How long did you have it here before I got home?”
“I don’t know. About an hour,” Mikey replied, his eyes still closed as he leaned in to her kisses.
She pulled away and smiled as her thumb wiped away one of the stray tears that trickled down the bridge of his nose. “I’d say today was a success then, wouldn’t you?”
Mikey swallowed hard and looked in the direction of the bottle and back to her. “That was just today.”
“And when you think about it, today is all we really have control over. To be honest, it’s been one of the hardest you’ve gone through. Going to that prison, seeing Viper, and having him degrade you and your family like he did. For you to not take a drink is something you should be damn proud of, Mikey.”
He let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure I
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