Owen has been struggling with addiction since he was a teenager, but it takes a DUI involving another vehicle for him to finally face his issues. The road to recovery is a rough one, and for Owen it's a journey made harder by bankruptcy, loneliness, and repressed memories.<br><br>His new apartment doesn't help either. It's small, worn, and hot as hell. The only way to reach it is a tedious stretch of stairs that seems like the final insult on top of a whole pile of misery.<br><br>Thankfully, the mess comes with one bright spot: intense, pretty Sebastian, who seems to have a knack for keeping his head up and finding the beauty in everything.

Forty-Two Stairs

Dennis grinned. “I know. Relax. It’s not Mom you’re talking to here; I’m not judging you. I honestly mean that I’m thrilled to see it.” Dennis nodded as if to confirm Owen’s hold, secured his own grip on the couch, and they both fought gravity for a few seconds. Then with a laboured hop, Dennis was back in the bed of the truck, and sliding the television forward, where Owen took the prompt to move it without waiting to be told. “So,” Dennis asked, “are you liking the program?”


Chapter 3