Edge of Recovery (Love on the Edge) by Molly Lee

attitude the guy gave would’ve merited a fight from me. Now it barely rose my blood pressure. Though, it could be the fact that he saved me from making a huge mistake because I’d been seconds away from claiming Charlie’s mouth. And while I had that fantasy on repeat, there were too many haunting memories reminding me every second of why I shouldn’t cross that line—not to mention the professional forbiddance of the two of us being “romantic.” I would destroy her. Professionally or personally or both. Somehow. Someway. It was in my blood to hurt whatever I cared most about, and right now, that was Charlie.
    The knowledge of this didn’t stop me from taking her outstretched hand when I reached her. She intertwined our fingers as we walked down the hallway, her guiding me straight back to my room.
    “Never had a girl drop me off before,” I joked.
    “I like being your first,” she said, never missing a beat.
    Fuck, she was my first. The first one to strike a spark after I’d woken the fuck up that awful night I’d hurt Blake, hurt her dog. Shit, it crept in at the worst possible times.
    “Tomorrow?” She asked, squeezing my hand.
    “You have something planned?” I resisted the urge to bring her hand to my lips.
    “You know I do.”
    “More pottery?” I laughed, thinking of the tornado, of the smashed pieces of clay that I’d wanted to be that version of my past.
    “No,” she shook her head, her hair tussling back and forth. “You’ll see. And I’ll make you a bet.”
    “Gambling is absolutely my thing.”
    “Figures.”
    “What? I’m not addicted to it.”
    She laughed. “Well, I’d wager almost anything against this.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Tomorrow, you’re going to talk to me. Really talk to me.”
    My chest tightened like she was making some kind of prophetic reading. “You think so?”
    “I know so.”
    “How?”
    “It’s step five.”
    I drew my eyebrows together, retracing the steps in my head. Step five blared red in my mind. Confession.
    “How do you know I’m on that one?”
    “Have you not seen how much we’re alike? How I can read you like a book? Come on, Justin. I’ve lived this. I was where you’re standing, and I made it out alive. You can too.”
    “Jury is still out on that one,” I said. “What are you wagering?”
    “What do you want.”
    I cocked an eyebrow at her, and she smacked my chest.
    “You’d bet me like I was a chip in a poker game?” She teased but her words stung every inch of my skin.
    I checked the hallway to make sure we were alone before I cupped her cheek in my hand. I shook my head, trying to convey my sincerity, praying she would see the truth in my eyes. “I would never bet with something that precious.”
    She sucked in a sharp breath, all joking leaving her eyes. “Good answer.”
    “It’s not a line, I swear.”
    “I know.”
    “Because you’re psychic.” I tried to bring us back to humorville because we were teetering too close to an edge I didn’t know I could go over and come back from whole.
    “Right. So let’s stick to something safer. Lunch?”
    “Loser buys lunch,” I said, grabbing her hand and shaking it. “Deal.”
    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and tried to pull away.
    I held onto her hand, drawing her closer. “You’re going to lose.”
    She sighed. “It’s so sad that you believe that.”
    Something dark flashed behind her eyes and in the look, I saw a piece of myself. It scared the hell out of me because I knew if there was anyone in the world who could get me to talk…it was Charlie.
    Fuck, I’d already lost.
    And I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet.

5
    Confession
    “ Y ou want to come with us?” I asked Conner, who sat on the bench of the wooden deck that connected to the massive lake on the grounds.
    “Nah, man,” he said, gazing out at the water. He motioned toward it with his lit cigarette. “That’s more my brother’s thing. I prefer to stay on land. Keeps me