When Sloan Casey was at her lowest point at 17, she met Alex Abrams. Though sheltered it was almost as if Alex brought her back to life through her struggles. But after falling for Alex, the last thing she expected was for him to ghost her.
But what...
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"Sloan, how was your week?" Max grants me her generous smile as usual once it hits my turn in group today. Usually I skip, I'm quiet and scared. But as I look up at her, things are different.
"Better than before" with that a smile forms on Max's lips, she's satisfied with me saying a word at all. So then the sound of her pen making a check mark on her clipboard makes me feel some weird sense of reward.
"Tell us about it, what's been happening?"
What hasn't been happening should be the questions "I submitted all my college applications, made friends at school" with that a smile grows on his face.
Alex still sits in the corner analyzing me. His tattoos crawl up his arms, and instead of them being intimidating like my parents taught me, I find them incredibly attractive instead.
"Are you still feeling sad about your other friends" Avery wasn't in group today, it was her grandfathers 80th birthday party, so I guess it was easier to speak out more.
"I mean they were my 'friends' for years. My boyfriend left me for my bestfriend after I had no information to give him. Of course I'm not going to be 100% okay" Max nods
"Is anything in particular bothering you lately" the nightmares have rejoined my mind, sometimes they feel so strong, so real. I relieve moments I wished would go away.
"Nightmares" everyone in the group sits waiting to hear what I have to say, so then I speak again
"It's either a re-occurring dream of the memory of my overdose or I relapsed" for some reason I feel the wet sensation in my eyes. My biggest fear leaving my mouth, the possibility of me relapsing.
"Well that's why we are here, to help guide each other through these tempting times!"
We fold our chairs later tucking them away as we clear out the church basement. As I exit he leans against his car smiling at me "You know if I didn't know you were secretly a marshmallow you'd be intimidating"
He laughs and slips into his black sedan "Want a ride Sloan?" I look around for zero sign of my mom, she'd be here late.
"I'll call my mom, let her know I have a ride" I pull out my phone and call her. Straight to voicemail, so then I try again.
"I'll be on my way in a few" before I can get a word in she blesses me with hers.
"My friends driving me home, it's okay"
"Friend?"
"Avery mom" I hear her sigh lightly as I know she's arguing with herself on the inside.
