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Authors: Cassandra Giovanni
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shut.
“Do you hate me?” Adam asked for what seemed like the millionth time since Bobby’s departure.
I turned to face him, shaking my head. “No, of course not. I’m just…scared of what we’re becoming–of the road, you’re traveling down. What if you can’t shake this? What if that bottle is the only way out? I don’t know if I can handle that.”
Adam leaned forward putting his hands on either side of my face, and I let my hands settle on his wrists. “I’m trying, River. How long before you give up hope?”
That wasn’t the response I wanted. I wanted him to tell me it was a momentary lapse of judgement, and it wouldn’t happen again. I locked my eyes on him; placing my hands on his cheeks as my thumbs caressed the dark circles under his eyes, and I said the words he needed to hear, “Never, Adam. You’re the only thing keeping me together.”
But now I felt like every part of me was falling apart.
If he couldn’t keep it together, how would I?
How would
we
?
Chapter 13
I rubbed my eyes, yawning as I stared at the computer screen. The edges of my vision dimmed, and I blinked hard. Even with the open window behind me the florescent lights were making my eyes go buggy. I heaved a sigh before digging in my drawer and pulling out a snack bar. As I took a bite, I felt eyes on my back, and I turned slowly to find Jesse leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.
He stretched his left arm out, his sleeve pulling up to reveal a shiny, over-sized watched. Even from the distance between us I could see the Z on the side bolt. “Two thirty and that’s what you’re eating?”
I rolled my eyes as I chewed slowly before swallowing and giving him a broad smile. “Yum.”
Jesse blinked at me several times before standing straight and nodding over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” I asked as my vision finally brightened back up.
“Lunch. It’s a good thing we have similar work styles, except my wife tends to yell at me when I don’t eat right–so I’m saving you while you’re saving me. Let’s go,” he said, and as I opened my mouth, he shook his head. “No, no way out. You’ve been producing a lot lately, and I know that it doesn’t mean you’ve become more efficient– no offense. It means you’re working too much.”
I narrowed my eyes at him but gave in when his shoulders slouched in disappointment that I wasn’t following instruction. I breathed in before I hit control alt delete and grabbed my purse from below my desk.
“Where to?” I asked.
He shrugged, looking over at me with his hands in his trouser pockets. “What do you like?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded.
“Burgers and fries–curly fries.”
Jesse laughed to himself as he pushed the door open for me. “I should’ve figured.”
“What will your wife say about you eating right?” I asked as we walked to his BMW.
He shrugged as he unlocked the door. “At least I’m eating.”
My eyes dropped to my hand on the door as I wondered if Adam ate the sandwich I made him every day, or if he left and…I shook the thought from my head. He wasn’t drinking at work. He wouldn’t do that again.
“You okay?” Jesse asked as I slid into the passenger seat and buckled in.
“Huh?” I asked, looking up at him.
“You look like I said something wrong,” Jesse replied, cocking his head at me as his blue eyes darted back and forth over my face.
“Just worrying about Adam,” I said, sinking into the cold leather seat and pulling my purse closer to myself as I shivered.
Jesse nodded and then flipped some switches on the dash. “Leather is good, except in the winter it’s freezing–but that’s what they made butt warmers for. As for the summer, you just burn your flesh off–instant suntan.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, and I gave in smiling. “Thanks for tearing me away.”
“There’s a burnout factor, and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen. I’ve got big plans for you,” he
“Do you hate me?” Adam asked for what seemed like the millionth time since Bobby’s departure.
I turned to face him, shaking my head. “No, of course not. I’m just…scared of what we’re becoming–of the road, you’re traveling down. What if you can’t shake this? What if that bottle is the only way out? I don’t know if I can handle that.”
Adam leaned forward putting his hands on either side of my face, and I let my hands settle on his wrists. “I’m trying, River. How long before you give up hope?”
That wasn’t the response I wanted. I wanted him to tell me it was a momentary lapse of judgement, and it wouldn’t happen again. I locked my eyes on him; placing my hands on his cheeks as my thumbs caressed the dark circles under his eyes, and I said the words he needed to hear, “Never, Adam. You’re the only thing keeping me together.”
But now I felt like every part of me was falling apart.
If he couldn’t keep it together, how would I?
How would
we
?
Chapter 13
I rubbed my eyes, yawning as I stared at the computer screen. The edges of my vision dimmed, and I blinked hard. Even with the open window behind me the florescent lights were making my eyes go buggy. I heaved a sigh before digging in my drawer and pulling out a snack bar. As I took a bite, I felt eyes on my back, and I turned slowly to find Jesse leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.
He stretched his left arm out, his sleeve pulling up to reveal a shiny, over-sized watched. Even from the distance between us I could see the Z on the side bolt. “Two thirty and that’s what you’re eating?”
I rolled my eyes as I chewed slowly before swallowing and giving him a broad smile. “Yum.”
Jesse blinked at me several times before standing straight and nodding over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” I asked as my vision finally brightened back up.
“Lunch. It’s a good thing we have similar work styles, except my wife tends to yell at me when I don’t eat right–so I’m saving you while you’re saving me. Let’s go,” he said, and as I opened my mouth, he shook his head. “No, no way out. You’ve been producing a lot lately, and I know that it doesn’t mean you’ve become more efficient– no offense. It means you’re working too much.”
I narrowed my eyes at him but gave in when his shoulders slouched in disappointment that I wasn’t following instruction. I breathed in before I hit control alt delete and grabbed my purse from below my desk.
“Where to?” I asked.
He shrugged, looking over at me with his hands in his trouser pockets. “What do you like?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded.
“Burgers and fries–curly fries.”
Jesse laughed to himself as he pushed the door open for me. “I should’ve figured.”
“What will your wife say about you eating right?” I asked as we walked to his BMW.
He shrugged as he unlocked the door. “At least I’m eating.”
My eyes dropped to my hand on the door as I wondered if Adam ate the sandwich I made him every day, or if he left and…I shook the thought from my head. He wasn’t drinking at work. He wouldn’t do that again.
“You okay?” Jesse asked as I slid into the passenger seat and buckled in.
“Huh?” I asked, looking up at him.
“You look like I said something wrong,” Jesse replied, cocking his head at me as his blue eyes darted back and forth over my face.
“Just worrying about Adam,” I said, sinking into the cold leather seat and pulling my purse closer to myself as I shivered.
Jesse nodded and then flipped some switches on the dash. “Leather is good, except in the winter it’s freezing–but that’s what they made butt warmers for. As for the summer, you just burn your flesh off–instant suntan.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, and I gave in smiling. “Thanks for tearing me away.”
“There’s a burnout factor, and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen. I’ve got big plans for you,” he
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