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Max’s eyes grew sad. “I get it. I did some things when I used that I’ll never forgive myself for. But you have to move forward, son.”
Every time Max called me that, my chest hurt. I appreciated him for stepping into that role in my life, but it always made me think of Patera and the family I lost.
“It’s different for me. You never killed anyone.”
“Only by the grace of God,” he said, kissing the cross he wore around his neck.
Few people knew Marked was an abbreviation of the company’s registered name, Indelibly Marked, a nod to Max’s conversion to Christianity. He practiced a different flavor of religion than the Greek Orthodox I was raised. That church thought tattoos desecrated the temple of the living God. If my father hadn’t already disowned me for bringing shame on the family, he’d be horrified by the ink I’d gotten since he saw me last.
“Look, Max, the truth is, I like the apartment. I’m not living there to punish myself.”
“Bull. The shower head is so low you have to bend in half to wet your hair. There’s no room for you to paint anything larger than the piece I have over my mantel. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter.”
“But it’s home. Cut the shit and tell me the real reason you want me out.”
Max pulled on his neck. “Someone else needs it. There’s a kid named Aaron. He’s an addict in recovery; did time at Wallens Ridge for dealing. I met him during my prison ministry, and we’ve kept in touch. I think he has real potential to build a better life, but he’s got no family, no one to help him. He’s almost out of time at the halfway house, and I’m worried he’ll fall back into old habits once he leaves. Plus, we could really use another pair of hands around here to set up, clean, and wrangle customers.”
My shoulders sagged. “I can’t argue with that. When would he need to move in?”
Max shifted in his seat. “February 1st.”
“What the fuck, Max? That’s not even a month.”
“It’s not ideal, but he just got notice he needs to be out by the end of the month. I want to help this guy. He’s twenty-four, same age I was when I got clean. You know how hard it is to adjust after doing time. Toss in addiction, and the cards are stacked against him. But we can help level things for him.”
I rubbed my forehead. How could I say no? If Max hadn’t helped me, who knows where I’d be now. Cal’s parents would have kept a roof over my head, but Max gave me a job and then trained me for a career I love. I had an obligation to pay it forward, even if it meant moving in the dead of winter with two weeks’ notice. “Fine.”
“First thing tomorrow, I’ll help you look for a new place. If we can’t find something right away, you’re welcome to my guest room.”
He didn’t say what we were both thinking. That he trusted me in the same house as his wife and young daughters but not a newly released felon in recovery.
“Now, you’d better get going or you’ll be late.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up. I’d be lucky to get to the community center on time, which meant everyone would already be there. At least I wouldn’t be alone with Poppy. After her text yesterday, I couldn’t get that dream out of my head. Well, until now. Max had given me enough to worry about to push aside those thoughts of Poppy. Almost.
“We good?” Max asked.
I nodded.
Max stood and opened his arms. “Bring it in, son.”
Despite the bomb he’d just dropped on me, I returned his bear hug. He cleared his throat and stepped back. “I hope you have a kid someday, so you can understand how hard that was for me.”
I pushed down the rising panic and forced myself to smile. “One step at a time, old man. I need a place to live first.”
Chapter five
Poppy
I maneuvered into aparking spot at the community center and glanced at the dash clock. Damn it. Even driving like a granny, I’d arrived fifteen minutes early. I needed to cut my alone time with Theo if I wanted any chance of getting over him. A wiser woman wouldn’t take his class, but unless the high school let me audit a course, the community center was all I had. It’s not that I couldn’t learn on my own. If I’m being honest, Theo hadn’t taught me anything I didn’t already know, but art was the one topic that made me remotely social. It was nice to watch other people learn and to share what I knew. As a bonus, Theo’s classes usually inspired my work, whether from his assignments or just staring at him while he taught. I was doing what any sensible woman would in my situation. Still, I needed to kill some time in the hearse because my attraction to Theo ramped up whenever we were alone.
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel a few minutes before I started talking to Tallulah like she was a person instead of a hearse. “I know this skirt is a little short, but it already haspaint on it. And I wore the fishnets with the sheer underlayer so my legs are mostly covered. Maybe leggings would have been better. But come on, I’m wearing a turtleneck sweater. No one looks hot in a turtleneck sweater, even if it’s a little cropped. Theo won’t think I dressed up for him. Besides, what he thinks doesn’t matter. And last but not least, I’m wearing my cramp panties. I’ve got this.”
I tapped the steering wheel affectionately. The underwear was a brilliant idea, if I do say so myself. The granny panties were oversized, faded, and torn a little at the elastic. I usually only brought them out on the worst days of my cycle. I felt like a troll whenever I wore them. They practically guaranteed I wouldn’t flirt accidentally. And yes, flirting by accident is a thing. It’s practically a reflex near Theo.
I still had ten minutes to go until class started, but it’d be odd for me not to help set up. Pep talk complete, I climbed out of Tallulah and made my way to the art room. The lights were still off, which was strange. I groped around for the switch and flicked them on, pausing to look around before I stepped into the room. Theo wasn’t the type to wait in the dark to jump scare someone, but I’d learn to take precautions growing up with Chris.
Instead of my usual place by the front, I dumped my bag on one of the back tables and kicked out a stool with my boot. The door opened as I took a seat, and Theo’s Fan Club shuffled in. They glanced around the room for him and let out a collective sigh of disappointment.