Her Beautiful Addiction

Neva let the warm shower water cascade over her, washing away the soap suds and the day’s fatigue. All things considered, she’d had a good day.

She’d managed to get Grayson to leave without eating the dinner she’d brought home. When she’d asked him about his plans, he’d just smiled, kissed her cheek, and left. She’d half-expected him to ask for her number, but he hadn’t.

After rinsing off, Neva turned off the shower and grabbed her towel. She dried herself off, wrapped the towel around her body, and wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror. She looked at her reflection—slight bags under her eyes, but otherwise, she looked okay.

She smiled at the thought of her plans for the evening. After telling her sister, Kaitlyn, about her day, they’d decided to go out for dinner the next day. Neva was looking forward to it.

After getting dressed, she planned to spend the evening with her laptop, rewatching the first Avengers movie and eating a hot dinner—even if it was just microwaved diner food. She was building a new life for herself, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

As she was pulling on her shirt, her phone rang. It was Kaitlyn.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hey, Nev! Do you have plans for tonight?” Kaitlyn’s voice was cheerful and bright.

Neva couldn’t help but smile. Kaitlyn was the happiest person she knew. “I’m eating in and watching The Avengers. What about you?”

“Eating in? Did you cook?” Kaitlyn asked, her voice high-pitched with surprise.

Neva rolled her eyes. “Hey! I can cook if I want to,” she retorted, popping her dinner into the microwave.

“Riiigghhttt.” Neva could practically hear Kaitlyn rolling her eyes.

Neva was suddenly glad Grayson hadn’t accepted her dinner offer. She hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet, and her kitchen was pretty bare.

“Let’s have dinner at your place tomorrow,” Kaitlyn suggested, her voice filled with the sounds of her bustling around her own kitchen.

Neva would have loved to live with Kaitlyn if she didn’t already have roommates. Kaitlyn was a great cook, always whipping up something healthy and delicious.

“My place? Sure,” Neva agreed, pouring herself a glass of water.

As she sipped her water, Kaitlyn started talking about what they’d eat. Neva didn’t mind—she trusted Kaitlyn’s cooking.

“And you can finally meet Alex!” Kaitlyn added.

Neva choked on her water. “What?” she managed to cough out.

“My boyfriend, Neva. I told you about him at the party, remember?” Kaitlyn reminded her.

Neva vaguely remembered Kaitlyn mentioning a guy named Alex. “Boyfriend? I thought you’d just been on two dates, K.” She frowned into her cup.

“Neva, that was Zac. The guy I met last semester. Do you even remember what we talked about?” Kaitlyn asked.

Neva swallowed. She’d been so preoccupied with her first day at work that she hadn’t paid much attention to Kaitlyn’s stories. “I’m sorry, K. I’d love to meet Alex.”

Kaitlyn made a sound of approval. “Do you have any preference for dinner?”

Neva shook her head. “I’m good with whatever. You know I love your cooking.”

Kaitlyn laughed. “Good save.”

Neva smiled. “Love you too.”

“Aww, I’ll get you dessert too. Can I come by before six?” Kaitlyn asked.

Neva pulled out a plate. “Yup, definitely. I get out of work by five-thirty. Can you pick me up on the way?” She needed to buy a car soon.

“Totally. I need to get a couple of things from the store, so I’ll get you on my way back. Alex is attending a charity event with his brother tonight so he couldn’t come over,” Kaitlyn explained.

Neva hummed in response. “Where’s the event at?”

“It’s local actually, a black-tie event. He asked me to come along with him, but I promised Maya that I’d help her with her paper that’s due tomorrow.”

Neva took her dinner out of the microwave and transferred it to her plate.

“How have you been doing otherwise, Neva? Are you handling everything okay?” Kaitlyn asked.

Neva took a deep breath and balanced the phone between her shoulder and ear. “I’m doing good so far, K. Just setting up a bit of a routine for myself. I’m also almost done with my resume, actually. So, it won’t be long before I work in the field again.”

“That’s awesome. I’m really happy to see you back, Neva. I’ve really missed you.”

She released the breath she’d been holding.

“Me too, K. I’ve missed you like crazy. Thanks for sticking by me through everything.”

Kaitlyn snorted. “Where else would I be, you dork?”

Neva chuckled.

“Every guy you date in the future will have to pass my personal screening before you go out with him.”

Neva’s smile was tinged with a hint of anxiety.

Boyfriends?

She wasn’t even sure if she was ready to start dating again.

A tiny voice in her head suggested otherwise. She thought of Grayson.

What did he mean when he mentioned having an idea as he dropped her off at home?

She shook her head.

Sure, Grayson was good-looking and seemed like a gentleman, from what she’d seen so far. But look where trusting a guy completely had led her.

Yes, there were happy moments. But the heartbreak and pain that came with it had nearly shattered her. She knew she couldn’t go through that again.

“Yeah,” she murmured in agreement. Trying to sound enthusiastic, she added, “No one gets past you.”

Kaitlyn’s laughter rang in her ear, and they chatted for a few more minutes.

After hanging up, she stood in the kitchen, lost in thought about how her life was unfolding.

Yes, she was determined to turn things around and find happiness again.