THE SPACE BETWEEN

Chapter 51

Trigger Warning(s):  Explicit Language

(Jared's POV)

'I'm sorry. I didn't think it was the right time for you to get into it with him.' I told Brit as I closed the car door.

'I was at a loss for words anyway. They aren't the same two people we went to dinner with the other night. I feel so bad. How do things go so wrong that quickly?' Brit was teary eyed when she looked at me.

'I take it you haven't had many dealings with people who suffer from addiction.'

'No—it's ugly!'

'It's a very ugly disease and people's lives can be destroyed in an instant.' 

'Missi looked like hell. What could I possibly have said or done to help her?'

'To be honest, I didn't know what to say to her either. But I did say what needed to be said to my brother. Missi's been through this type of thing before, but I hate seeing her suffer because of what Shannon is doing to himself. She struggled in the past to pull herself out of a bad place and she succeeded. She and Shannon met not long after that. You should read her book. It will help explain things.'

'The one she wrote before I met her?'

'Yes. I still have it.'

'Why didn't you mention it before?'

'I never thought about it.'

'I definitely want to read it.'

'Your wish is my command.' I cupped her face and looked into her eyes. 'But promise me one thing. Don't let what's happening with them affect us. Ultimately, they are two consenting adults, and we can't fix them. Don't get hung up trying to figure out a way of saving them or you'll drive yourself crazy. I've been there and that's like trying to walk through quicksand. You may think that reasoning with them or outsmarting them will work, but trust me when I say it won't. I've tried being supportive, but now I need to step back before I get too caught up in it again.'

'Okay.' Brit said hesitantly.

I knew it was hard for her to understand. She probably thought I was uncaring, but I'd been through this enough times to know the drill. I hoped Missi's book would help her see that. 

Missi should have turned and walked away by now if she was still the person who'd written that book, but I could tell she wasn't in a good place. She was clinging to the hope that the situation would improve eventually. There was never any doubt that she loved my brother, but she needed to save herself. 

(Shannon's POV)

Once I braved taking a shower and kept some coffee down I started feeling half alive. I listened at the spare room door to see if Missi was awake, and the distinct sound of her puking her guts up told me she was. I thought of asking her if she needed anything, but I figured having to deal with me would aggravate her stomach even more.

I called Angel and she agreed to see me again today. I needed someone other than my self-righteous brother to bitch me out. Jared's and my tolerance levels for each other under duress tended to be pretty much nonexistent.

I listened at the spare room door again before leaving to meet with Angel. Missi was quiet and I hoped she was getting some rest. I figured she'd likely come out after I left and that was probably best—but the silence was driving me crazy.

***

'Well done, Shannon. That's balls to the wind in the opposite direction of where you needed to go. I feel honored that your first official session with me seems to have catapulted you into self-destruct mode.' Angel said sarcastically.