I stood in the gutted out bathroom and looked at the framing I had started. It was the part of the job when my sponsor always made me stop and look around. He said our rock bottom was what gutted us, and the choices we made after getting to our feet was the framework. It would depend on me whether the room would be functioning or not when we were finished.

Not much had changed from that young kid who just wanted to get on with the program. He thought he had the answers. He thought he could rush through the program and get back to his next fix. I may have learned more than I planned to and stayed sober, but I still had a lot left to learn.

I was grateful to find such an amazing woman in Maggie when my brother decided to be a douche and leave me broke. That was inexcusable. No one leaves an addict alone and desperate. He of all people should’ve known that.

I took a deep breath and continued the framework. I had a lot to think about for how my life was going to continue. I was tired of running. I wasn’t even sure what I was running from. I stopped, closed my eyes, and looked to the ceiling when my phone rang. If Maggie wanted me to run downstairs for something, she had another thing coming.

I took my phone out of my pocket and saw that it was April. I swiped it to pick up but didn’t put it to my ear right away. I took a deep breath before I answered.

“Hello.”

“Hey, stranger.”

“Is he willing to give me my money back?”

“I guess small talk is out of the question.” April never pulled any punches with me. She took the shit I gave her, but only to throw it back in my face. She didn’t deserve the attitude, but she understood it.

“I really don’t have anything to talk about unless he’s giving my money back.”

“No, I can’t get him to do that yet. He’s placed it into an account I don’t have access to, so I can’t even get it for you.”

I scoffed. “I figured he put it into a personal account.” I tossed the hammer to the floor. “Is the center in trouble, April? Be honest with me. Did he need the money to pay bills?”

“No, we took a hit after you left, but you already know that. The center is fine now. Actually, he took over your role, and when people found out they had someone tough like you, business picked up again.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think the Tim you knew would’ve taken all of your money and left you with nothing?”

She was right. He always felt guilty about anything he did to negatively affect another person. It was why I was the enforcer and why he dealt with their feelings. We made a great team.

“Brody?”

“I’m here.” That was the problem. I was on the road away from home, not caring what my actions were doing to him. “Has he really changed that much?”

The sadness in her voice was almost too much to hear. “I don’t even recognize him anymore. We handle everything by email or text. There’s no conversation anymore.” She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again, there was a shake in her voice. “I don’t know if I can continue working here, but I can’t bring myself to leave him.”

“Go on vacation, April. Take a week or two and do what you have to do to get centered again. Let him see how it is without you. It will do you both some good. If you decide after that to leave, Tim will be okay.”

“Wow, you two really have changed roles. You would’ve told me to suck it up before and get back to work.”

I laughed because it was true. “You’re right. I’ve learned there’s more to life than work.” I looked out the door toward Maggie’s bedroom. “I’m learning there’s so much more out there. We just have to stop long enough to see it.”

* * *

I barely walked through the door where Maggie was going through boxes and she was demanding a report. “How far did you get?”

“Well, aren’t we bossy?” I looked around the room and narrowed my eyes. “Damn. How long was I upstairs?”

“Too long.”

“Did you go through the kitchen boxes?”

“Yeah, and I found something.”

She sounded serious. I walked over and sat next to her on the floor before I responded. “Was it bad?”

“The worst. I found out you’re right.”

“I am?” I smiled. “That happens a lot, but what am I right about this time?”

Her expression was flat as she shook her head. “I really have no idea how to cook.” She picked up a handful of utensils out of a box and shook them. “I don’t know what most of these are for.” She dropped them, causing a loud clang.

“I thought we were waiting on these boxes.”

“We were, but I’d gone through all the other ones you set down for me. They were the only other ones I could reach.”

“Okay, well, we’ll tackle your lack of a kitchen after the upstairs bathroom and I’ll show you a few things.”

“So, now you cook?” She threw a ladle at me. “What don’t you do?”

“Sit idle.” I stood and moved the boxes she had gone through to the side. “We’ll go through these again when we stock the kitchen and decide then what you need or don’t need.” I turned back to her and pointed to her foot. “How’s it going with that?”

“It hurts.” She pulled a folding chair closer to her and used it to help her up. “I still can’t put any weight on it. My right leg is going to be stronger than the left after all of this.”

I moved two boxes closer to her and propped her foot up. “It wouldn’t ache as much if you kept it elevated like the doctor told you to.”

“I got tired of bending over to dig through the boxes. Most of them were too heavy to lift and keep my balance on one leg.” She shrugged. “The floor was my only option.”

I looked around again. She hadn’t touched the back corner. “Have you found anything cool yet?”

“No, just a bunch of stuff. My dad wasn’t really into sentimental things. He was practical. I don’t expect to find my school drawings.”

“My dad was the same way.” I shrugged. “He probably still is.”

“How long has it been since you’ve spoken to him?”

“Years. I’ve lost track.” I wasn’t sure why I was talking to her about things, but I couldn’t stop. “He had always been a little standoffish with me. He treated Tim and Lila so much better. I’m the oldest, so I witnessed it more. It was easy for me to recognize it.

“When my parents split, it was as if he divorced me at the same time not that our relationship was good before he left. Lila went to live with him after Mom got sick. She was just about finished with high school and our mom didn’t want her school work to suffer. Tim caught on what an asshole our father was and chose to stay with our mom. He took care of her and me. I was too strung out most of the time to take care of her myself.” I narrowed my eyes when I realized how much Tim had done for the family. Every single one of us walked out on him.

“What is it?”

“I’m an asshole is what.”

“For not talking to your dad?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t give a fuck about that old man. I’m not going to give him any more of my time by talking about him, either.”

“Sometimes you have to get it out to move on.”

“Look who’s talking.” I motioned to the other side of the room. “You don’t touch the stuff that could actually mean something to you. You go through the shit you know nothing about.”

“It all has to be gone through. I’ll get to the other stuff.”

“Yeah, and I’ll talk about my other stuff when I’m ready. What the fuck is it to you, anyway?” I felt guilty for not wanting to talk about it anymore, and that pissed me off.

“What is it to me? I thought we were friends.”

“Because I finger fucked you?”

She tilted her head and looked me over. “That’s two times you’ve been proven right tonight. You’re a fucking asshole.” She stood and tried to walk out, but couldn’t put any weight on her foot again and fell to the floor. She pounded her fist on the floor before pulling the folding chair to her again. I was an asshole.

“I’m not sure why we’re fighting.”

“Oh, that’s easy.” She stood and hopped on her good foot to catch her balance. “Because you’re a dick.” She folded the chair up and used it as a crutch to help her keep her balance as she hopped out of the room.

“You don’t have to hop.”

“I can manage.”

“Don’t be stupid.” I grabbed her arm, but she pulled away and lost her balance, causing her to fall to the floor again.

She covered her eyes with her palms and screamed her frustration. She slapped my hands away when I tried to pull her up. That infuriated me more. I grabbed both of her upper arms and pulled her to her feet and didn’t let go until I had my say.

“Stop fighting me. I’m trying to help you.”

“I don’t need your help.” She lost her balance again trying to get free, but I refused to let go and stopped her from falling. She slapped and punched my body anywhere she could reach.

I let go of one of her arms to block her as I saw her knee come up. It freed her arm to slap my face. It stunned me. I didn’t hit her, but I did struggle to grab her wrist as she assaulted me. I did the only thing I could do. I pinned her to the wall and twisted my hips sideways to press against hers.

Once the lower half of her was flat against the wall, I made quick work of grabbing both wrists and putting them above her head. “Stop!”

“I’m not stupid! The only stupid thing I’ve ever done is let you into my life.”

She was right about that, but I wasn’t about to leave. She was stuck with me whether she wanted to be or not. We were both panting from the excursion of trying to gain control, but the heat generating between us was keeping us from catching our breath.

I bent down to kiss her, and she turned her head. She could be mad. I didn’t care. I wanted to taste her, and there was nothing she could do to stop me. I kissed her neck and ran my tongue down to where her cleavage was just peeking out. I would’ve pulled her shirt down or ripped it off, but I didn’t want to free her hands. Not yet. Not until she kissed me back.

“You’re so sexy when you’re fighting me.”

I felt her throat swallow when I kissed her neck again. I moved my hips to be flat against hers to press my erection into her belly. I wanted her to know how turned on I was. She was still breathing hard, but it was mixed with whimpers and moans each time I used my tongue or pressed my hips into her. When she pressed her hips back, I lost it.

I grabbed her face and kissed her. I didn’t care how much she wanted to hurt me. I’d stop if she told me no or shoved me away, but I had to taste her. I needed her more than I’d ever needed anyone at that moment, and I wasn’t sure what was happening. What I was sure of was I wanted to be nowhere else other than there with her.

She kissed me back and put her arms around my neck. Her hands went into my hair and gripped it, holding me to her. Her tongue was just as hungry for me as mine was for her. Once we tasted each other, our hands went to each other’s shirts. I unbuttoned hers as she tugged mine up. I stepped back long enough to take it off.

Her hands ran down my chest to my jeans. She began to unfasten them. “I want you so much.”

I stopped kissing her and placed my palms against the wall on each side of her and boxed her in. “What about waiting until your foot heals?”

“Fuck my foot.”

I looked down her body and back up to her eyes. “I’d rather fuck something else.” I kissed her again and slid her shirt off her shoulders. She shook it off her arms and tossed it to mine. I didn’t bother taking her bra off. I lowered the front to remove her breasts one at a time. I took turns kissing each one and sucking on her nipples. She made the sexiest noises when I bit down.

I slipped my fingers into the top of her jeans and unbuttoned them. I would’ve loved to hear other sounds she’d make when I kissed all of her, but I had to be inside her. I’d get my taste another time.

I crouched down while she held my shoulders to help her take her jeans off and couldn’t ignore what was right in front of me. I lowered her underwear, and when she moved her leg to step out, she showed herself to me. I took the invitation.

Her fingers gripped my shoulders when I flicked my tongue against her clit. It was only meant to be a taste, something to hold me over until I could spend proper time loving her body, but once I was there, I needed that orgasm from her. I hooked the leg she couldn’t put weight on over my shoulder and began my feast.

I slipped a finger inside her as my tongue circled her clit. Her nails dug into my shoulders. “Oh, yes. That’s it.”

I moved another finger inside and hooked them both. I needed to get inside her before I lost it on the floor, but I wanted that first orgasm before I stood. I flattened my tongue and licked her again before going back to the fast flicks.

“Oh, God. Do the circles again.”

I smiled and did as she asked.

“Oh. Fuck. Yes. Keep doing that.” Her hips bucked as her orgasm neared. I was afraid she was going to drop when the leg she was standing on started to shake. I picked up the speed and the pressure. It didn’t take long to get what I wanted.

“Yes! Yes!” She moaned. Her body jerked as the spasms tore through her. When she was finished and her nails had let up on my shoulders, I lowered her leg over my shoulder and stood, kissing her body as I went.

She grabbed my face and kissed me as soon as I reached her neck. “I need you inside me.”

“I might have a condom upstairs.”

“How old is that thing that you might have?” She shook her head and wrapped her hand around my dick. “I’m on the pill. If you know you’re clean, just fuck me already.”

I cupped her ass and pulled her up, wrapping her legs around me when I got her where I wanted her. She cried out and arched her back when I entered her. I pulled my hips back and slammed into her again. She felt better than I imagined, and I couldn’t get enough.

I placed my forehead to hers when I found the rhythm both of us needed. It was fast and frantic. I was glad she could keep up. She placed her arms over my shoulders and put the back of her head against the wall. I gripped her hips tighter and kept fucking her.

“This feels so good.” She placed her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t stop.”

I groaned and placed my head on her shoulder when she squeezed her walls around my dick. It had been too long since I was with a woman, and it wasn’t going to last nearly long enough. I slid one hand over and rubbed her clit with my thumb.

“Oh, God.” She wrapped her legs around me tighter. “Fuck me. I’m so close. Just fuck me hard and fast.”

She moved my hand back to her hip and took over rubbing her clit. Her breasts, hoisted up by her bra, bounced with each thrust I gave her. Watching them and her hand moving furiously over her clit as I pounded into her over and over again was something I would never forget.

I looked at her face as her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, and her head tilted back. I wanted to remember all of her. I didn’t want her to forget me. I gripped her hips tighter and thrust with my arms and my hips working together.

“Yes! Fuck me. Fuck me hard.” Her eyes squeezed tight and her hair was sticking to the sweat on her neck, but she didn’t care. She wanted that orgasm as much as I did. “Oh, I’m so close,” she cried out. Her back arched as her hand sped up and she gripped her walls around me over and over.

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as I kept pounding into her. “You are heaven I don’t deserve.”

She pulled my head to her and kissed me. I felt that kiss throughout every part of me. I pressed her body against the wall and thrust through my orgasm. She never broke that kiss.