Page 21 of Counting On You

Chapter Five

Vicky

It feelsas though it takes me forever to reach the reception area, and twice as long to find my way back to the redhead who’s engrossed in small talk with a group of new arrivals.

As I wait for her to acknowledge my presence, I make out her name:

Marlene Elijah.

“Excuse me?”

She turns her head away from the group and for a moment, confusion crosses her face.

She has no idea who I am.

“We met ten minutes ago,” I say to refresh her memory. Her face remains blank. The woman’s clearly overworked. Either that, or her facial recognition abilities suck. “I think you guys made a mistake. I’m supposed to share my apartment with a girl, but there’s a guy in there.”

Her frown deepens as she regards me. I can almost see her brain trying to place me. “What’s your apartment number?”

“2B.”

“And you are?”

“Vicky Sullivan.”

Her manicured finger trails down the names on her list and begins to tap against one row at the bottom of the page. After a short pause, she glances up with a smile.

“Not a mistake, I’m afraid. Your roommate is Kaiden Wright.”

I stare at her, completely dumbfounded. She can’t have said what I think she just said. Someone made a mistake somewhere. After all, this is the LAA Center.

Hello?

The Love Addicts Anonymous Center.

“But…” I shake my head. “I’m supposed to be here to get help.”

For…

There, I can’t even say the words.

LOVE ADDICTION.

It sounds so ugly. Sickening. Like an infectious disease.

Marlene doesn’t look at me full of pity or wrath. She smiles kindly, as if my supposed condition is something she’s dealing with on a regular basis.

“I’m pleased to say that we’ve placed you in our newest therapy program.” At my horrified expression, she pats my upper arm. “At first it might seem inconvenient that you’ve been paired with a male, but don’t worry. We know what we’re doing. Kade is going to be your partner. You’ll make a great team.”

“But he is male,” I protest.

Doesn’t she get the magnitude of it all?

Ican’tengage with a stranger in the kind of things Bruce and I should be experiencing, like living together and going to therapy.

This is just wrong.

“Correct.” She nods her head. Her glance sweeps to the waiting group behind her, and I realize I’m about to lose her. “You’re going to help each other. Isn’t that great?”

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