“By hitting rock bottom. My neighbor found me overdosed in my apartment and called 911.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Nothing like almost dying to force you to rethink your life choices.
“After I got out of the hospital, my counselor pushed me to join a support group. I fought against it at first, but it was either that or jail time since I’d been caught with too many pills.”
My eyes scan the shoreline and I shift in my seat.
“I met Claire when she was assigned as my sponsor. She’d been clean for five years at the time. She was this loud, purple-haired force of nature who wouldn’t take any of my shit.”
Noia smiles softly. “I kinda got that impression.”
“Yeah. She dragged me to meetings when I didn’t want to go. Showed up at my apartment at all hours to make sure I wasn’t using. Called me on all my bullshit excuses.” I shake my head and chuckle. “I hated her at first.”
“And now, not only is she your friend, she manages Skin & Ink.”
“Even more than that, she saved my life.” I check the foil packets nestled in the coals. “One night, about six months into my recovery, I was at a really low point. It was the anniversary of Kade’s death and I was this close to using again,” I say, holding up my thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart.
“Claire found me sitting in my car outside my dealer’s house. She got in, took my keys, and drove for hours. We ended up at this all-night diner where she told me her whole story—things she’d never shared in group meetings. By the time the sun rose the next morning, I knew I wasn’t going to use that day. And it was enough to help me get through to the next.”
I pull the packets from the fire and set them on a flat rock to cool.
“A few weeks later, she introduced me to Jax. He was new to the program and dealing with his own demons. Not my story to tell, but we connected right away. Both of us were looking for something to focus on besides our addictions.”
Noia tilts her head. “Is that when you got into tattooing?”
“Not exactly. Jax was already apprenticing at the same shop downtown where Claire was working. I’d go hang out there sometimes, just to be around people who weren’t constantly talking about recovery. One day, she saw me sketching while Iwas waiting for Jax to finish up and she offered me an apprenticeship.”
“Wait, you can draw? Like, really draw?”
The look on her face makes me grin. “Yeah, I’ve always been good at it. Used to sketch all the time when I was a kid, but I never dreamed it could be a career. Drawing is basically the backbone to tattooing.”
“So you and Jax decided to open your own shop?”
“Eventually. We worked at that shop for a couple of years, built up our clientele and scraped together enough money to open Skin & Ink. Claire came with us to help manage.”
A cloud of fragrant steam releases into the air when I open the foil packets, allowing them to cool while I dig through a bag for utensils.
I hand Noia a fork and one of the packets. “Careful, it’s still pretty hot.”
We dig into our meals, eating in comfortable silence until Noia takes a sip of her wine and clears her throat. “Claire mentioned something at the party.”
Still chewing, I pop an eyebrow. “Oh, shit. What did she say?”
“She said she’s never seen you look at anyone the way you look at me.” Her cheeks flush behind the dancing shadows from the fire. “And you haven’t been seriously involved with anyone for a long time.”
I set my empty packet aside and lean back, studying her face. “She’s right.”
“Why?” Noia’s voice is soft, hesitant. “I mean, you’re...” She waves a hand at me.
“I’m what, kitten?” I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips.
“You know.” She rolls her eyes. “Gorgeous. Talented. Not completely terrible to be around.”
“High praise, coming from you,” I chuckle, then get serious. “There was someone once. We were together for almost two years before my second deployment.”
“What happened?”
I take a deep breath, surprised when I don’t feel the once familiar twinge of pain at the memory. “Her name was Melissa. She sent me a letter while I was in Afghanistan telling me she couldn’t handle the distance anymore, and that the waiting and not knowing if I’d come back or not was too stressful.”
Noia’s eyes widen and flare. “She broke up with you while you were deployed?”
