Gavin laughed, and then the waitress showed up to take their order. When she’d gone, Gavin looked at Axel. “How you doing?”

“That was my question for you.”

Gavin downed his water and eyeballed the full, noisy diner. “This place is still pretty popular, huh?”

“Best breakfast for fifty miles. You stalling on purpose?”

“Yeah.” Gavin met the eyes of the one person in his life who seemed to truly understand where he’d come from, the hole he’d dug himself out of, and how hard it was to stay on level ground. “I’m hanging in there,” he said to Axel’s patient silence.

“Define ‘hanging in there.’”

“I want to stay clean, more than anything.”

“But . . . ?”

“But . . . sometimes it’s hard.”

“No shit,” Axel said. “In case you haven’t noticed, life’s fucking hard.”

When their food came, they dug in, and Axel gestured at Gavin with his fork for Gavin to eat and talk. “Tell me how it’s going here in Wildstone.”

“I want to be back. I love being home. But it’s also bringing up some really bad shit. Losing my parents. Arik. And now me and CJ are . . . well, I’m not actually sure, but we’re something. And I like it. But I’m terrified of losing it.”

“You talk to him?”

“Yeah.”

Axel nodded. “You feel the urge to use again?”

“No. Not exactly. I mean, my brain doesn’t want to, but my body isn’t always on the same page.”

Axel nodded. “We all get that.”

“Still?”

“Still. Your present self’s just gotta be stronger than your past stupid self.”

Gavin laughed roughly. “Yeah.”

“Look, an addict’s an addict, and unfortunately, we can switch up an addiction for another pretty easily, but sometimes you can replace the need for bad shit with something else.” Axel shrugged. “Sex would be my choice. Only I don’t mean with me. Nothing personal or anything, but you’re a little too pretty for me.”

Gavin laughed again, and it felt good.

“But seriously.” All smiles aside, Axel leaned in. “You get an urge you can’t handle, you call me. I’ll be there. Doesn’t matter what day or time. Got me?”

Gavin felt gratitude hit him, and he nodded. “Got you. But I’ve also got this.”

“See that you do.”

Gavin finished his food and pushed his plate away as he glanced out the window. To his surprise, CJ stood stock-still on the sidewalk, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Gavin waved.

CJ didn’t. In fact, he turned on a heel and walked off. What the hell? Standing, he tossed some money on the table. “See you next week?”

Axel nodded. “Unless you need me before.”