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

“You know what?” Owen said finally. “I’m hungry. And you can get breakfast at Kenny’s for four bucks, tax in. Eggs or pancakes or whatever you want. What do you say we change and go do that? I’ll even spring for yours if you want.” He smiled as Sebastian disentangled from him so slowly that Owen would have assumed the process was painful. Sebastian kept his eyes on the roof below them, hair falling in straggles and wisps, but his voice sounded a thousand times better when he managed to speak. “Save the eight dollars. I can make us eggs and toast.”


Owen grinned and reached out to push sweat-heavy hair off Sebastian’s forehead. “I thought you didn’t eat meat.”


Chapter 24