“Do you know where Pete is now?”
“No idea.”
Ben nods, and the room is silent for a moment.
“Anyway, they found me after I left the hospital the first time. I tried hiding out, but they will track you down, wherever you are. They don’t play around when it comes to money. But, Ben, I can’t tell anyone about this. You heard what they said right before they shot me.”
“Yeah, I did. But we can’t fight this on our own. Today showed us that. You have to talk about it. I’m not enabling you anymore. I’m not giving you any more money. You have to stop gambling.”
Ben looks at me with a nod, and I stand, walking to the side of the bed.
“Hey, Mark. I’m Pepper. We haven’t officially met, but I’m Ben’s girlfriend.”
“I gathered as much,” he says with a smile.
“I have a proposal for you,” I say. Ben’s arm goes around my waist for support. “My mom does charity work in Texas, and one of the charities she’s highly involved with is a rehab facility.”
“Rehab?” Mark’s brows drag in, and I can tell he’s about to refuse.
“Just hear me out. Yes, rehab is generally thought about in terms of drug and alcohol abuse, but your gambling is also an addiction. An abuse of the pastime. I—we think you could benefit from the program. It would help you get a start in the right direction, where you could make a better life for yourself. I mean, you just got shot by really nasty guys, Mark. This is a way to start over.”
Mark is silent, and my heart pounds, as I’m nervous about his answer.
I want this for him and Ben. I want them to have a good relationship, and if Mark continues how he’s been going, they won’t. Mark might not even come out of this alive if there is a next time.
“You should consider it,” Ben prompts, gripping my waist, and I turn to smile at him.
“Yes, please consider it, Mark. I can call my mom right now and see if she has a spot for you.”
“I don’t know,” Mark says, shaking his head a little and not looking at either of us.
I can feel Ben tense up, and I rub his neck.
“Why don’t I go ahead and call her? Then, if you do decide to go, you’ll have a spot,” I ask, trying to reach a happy medium.
I can tell how much Ben wants this for his brother, and it’s breaking my heart to see the hurt on his face when Mark doesn’t immediately say yes.
“I’ll just go out and make the call, give you two some time together.” I lean over and press a kiss to Ben’s cheek before walking out of the room.
32 Ben
“You need to go to rehab. If you won’t make the decision, I’m going to make it for you. You are a danger—not only to yourself, but also to your family. Did you know those guys sent a letter to Mom and Dad?”
Mark’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Yeah, Mom was hysterical. That’s what you’ve done to them with these games you’re playing. You’re being so selfish.” I’m breathing heavily with the force of my words, just leveling Mark with a glare that I hope he takes seriously.
“Mom and Dad know?” Mark asks, his head dropping a little in shame.
“Yeah. Would’ve been kinda hard to hide something like this from them even if they hadn’t gotten notified. But I called them when we got here and let them know you’re okay.”
“Okay.” Mark drums his fingers against the stark white cover lying across his lap. “I’ll go.”
“You’ll go?”
“Yes. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I know that I have a problem. It’s just hard to face it.”
“Yeah, but it would be even harder for us to face your funeral or, God forbid, you disappearing and us not knowing what happened to you. You can’t be selfish anymore.”
“I know.”
“Good.” I lean forward and wrap my arm around his good shoulder, pulling him just a bit and tapping him on the back. “I love you, and I can’t lose you.”
“I love you too,” he says after a few moments.
A knock on the door pulls us apart, and I look up to see an officer standing in the doorway.
“Mark Johnson?”
Mark sits up straighter, and I stand from the bed.
“Mom and Dad are coming soon. I’m gonna take Pepper home and rest. I’ll be back tomorrow to drive you home.”
Mark nods, and I glance at the officer again.
“I’ll let y’all talk in private,” I say with a squeeze to his good shoulder and head out to find Pepper.
She’s sitting on a bench placed in a small garden area outside the hospital. She smiles when she sees me, and I sit beside her, rubbing my forehead.
“How did it go?”
“He agreed,” I say.
Pepper’s smile grows wider. “I’m so happy. I think it will help him.”
“Me too,” I say, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You ready to go home?”
“Absolutely,” she says, standing.
Before I even know what’s happening, she reaches down to grab my hand and pulls me up too. I bring her in for a hug, so happy that today didn’t turn out any worse.
“I love you, Pep.”
“Oh, yeah? Wanna show me how much?” Her response causes a chuckle to burst out of me, and she pulls me toward the parking lot. “If you need to rest first or whatever, we can.” She gives me a teasing smirk as we arrive at the truck, and I open the door.
“To hell with resting. I’ve got a woman who wants to ravish me,” I say, climbing in the driver’s side and turning the ignition.
“Anyone I know?” she asks with a wink.
I lean over, pulling her head toward me. “She’s my roommate,” I say before touching my lips to hers.
“I love you, Benjamin,” she whispers against my mouth.
And my heart is lighter than it’s ever been before.
“I love you too.”
Epilogue Ben
Five
