The Guarded One ✔

Chapter Thirty-Nine

When I wake up the next morning, the smell of bacon and eggs fill my nostrils.

I struggle to open my eyes, but when if do, my vision is blurry. I look to my side to find my clock reading, nine am.

What happened last night?

When I hear chatter from downstairs, I decide to get out of bed.

I climb down the staircase slowly, where I find three mugs of coffee on the counter and a man behind the stove.

Who's he?

I find Aunt Laura setting up three plates onto the table before looking up at me.

"Hey kiddo" she half-smiles.

I furrow my brows when reverting my gaze to the stove to find Raff Marcus turn around to face me.

"Raff? What are you doing here?" I ask.

He smiles warmly. "How bout we eat breakfast and I can explain"

I nod slowly while taking a seat around the table with Aunt Laura. Raff gently places the bacon and eggs onto each of our plates before taking a seat around the kitchen table.

"So what's this about?" I ask, taking a sip from the cup filled with orange juice in front of me.

The bright sun shines through the blinds, highlighting the dust flying through the air.

"I spoke to your friends last night" Aunt Laura starts slowly, looking down at her plate. "They explained to me...What's been going on with you...See, I've been working so many extra shifts so I can pay for you to go to college, I feel like I haven't seen you at all for months now...I didn't realize...Maybe that's my fault"

I shake my head violently. "No, Aunt Laura, none of this is your fault"

She sniffs. "How could I not have known that you've been drinking for months? It's my job to protect and watch over you...I'm sorry Jason, I didn't mean to fail you"

I take her hands. "You didn't fail me...I failed myself"

How could she possibly blame herself for this? It's my fault. I did this to myself. Aunt Laura has done nothing but support and care for me since I moved here.

"You need to stop drinking, Jason" Raff lowers his voice, "If you keep this up, you won't have a future"

"You don't think I know that?" I raise a brow. "I'm trying over here...But I can't stop"

"You need help," He says calmly, "Your friends found you laying in the middle of a parking lot last night. What if you were hit by a car? What if one of these days you get worse than a few bruises and alcohol poisoning?"

"I have a problem... I know that" I admit, "but I don't know what to do about it"

I want to make it all go away. My addiction, my pain, my dependence. I want to wake up without a pounding head and the urge to die.

Raff looks me in the eyes firmly. "Do you want to get better?" He asks.

I can tell that he's not trying to be cruel. He's trying the 'tough love' approach. Maybe that's the only thing that can save me now.

"Of course, I do" I nod.

"Then repeat after me" he orders "my name is Jason Sanders and I'm an alcoholic"

I revert my gaze to Aunt Laura who has tears running down her cheeks. I squeeze her hand before looking back over to Raff. I take a deep breath, while tears stream from the outer corners of my eyes.