Page 22 of Caught in Us
Maverick rolls his eyes. “And your best friend.”
“Most days.” I wink at him and laugh.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Alicia looks around. “This is really impressive.”
“I can give you a tour if you’d like?”
“That’d be great.” She turns to me. “If that’s okay?”
My chest fills with pride at her spark of interest. This place isn’t only where I volunteer, it’s a passion project. “Yeah, go check it out.” Picking out the tools I need, I try not to stare as Alicia follows Mav out of the room. They fall into easy conversation and her soft laughter at something he says brings a smile to my lips. Part of the reason I decided to pick her up instead of coming here first was to show her a glimpse inside my world. I only hope she likes what she finds. For Matthew’s sake. That’s my only motivation. That’s what today needs to be about.
Liar.
Yeah, okay, there’s a piece of me that desires her affirmation and approval. I want Alicia to like the person I’ve become. I want her to regret leaving me behind, even if it’s only a little, because somehow that will validate the work I’ve done. And I know how lame that is. I’m a grown man, my own person, and I shouldn’t rely on her opinion of my character for self-worth. But I do. I care more than I should.
13
Alicia
“So you connectwith the area school counselors, teen advocacy groups, and local universities?” I ask, leaning against the counter in the teen center’s kitchen. “I love the partnership aspect to all of this.”
“Yeah, that’s how we started and it’s worked for us. Every now and then the local news will pick us up for a special interest story and that’s great for funding, but to really reach teens we try to go where they are.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know this place existed. When I was working on my pre-reqs for my graduate program applications, I would have loved to volunteer here.”
“How many years ago was that?”
“Almost four now.”
“Well, that’s why. We didn’t exist then,” Maverick says. “We’re coming up on our two-year anniversary next month. When Chase first came to me with the idea, I thought he was crazy. Well, he’s always been a little crazy.” He laughs and shrugs. “I mean, who else would hire a dude in a wheelchair to look after a bunch of at-risk teenagers? But, it’s been such a success, so I guess he was right on this one.”
Wait.What?“Chase?”
Maverick’s lips quirk with his smile, his stare curious. “Yeah, he’s one of the founders. Worked months to secure the funding and non-profit status.”
I swallow hard as the pieces click together. “You used to work with Chase. Back in his firefighting days.”
“Oh, he’s still with the department.” He rolls his eyes, and then nods toward the wide doorway. Inside one of the rooms, Chase works with the teens to hang the punching bags. “He refuses to take a salary from the center, even though he’s here more than most of our paid staff. Crazy.” There’s an admiration in his tone that’s unmistakable.
This man was paralyzed because of Chase’s decision to get behind the wheel drunk. Now they work together to provide a safe space for at-risk youth. The beauty and love in what they’ve built here steals my breath.
As we head back to the exercise room, I take in the features of the center in a new light. There are no doors except for the locked staff offices and two storage rooms. The doorways are extra-wide and the flooring flat and even. The surface makes it easy for Maverick to move freely from one room to the next. I’m certain none of that is accidental, as is the fact Chase created a job for his friend and a way for Maverick to provide for his family.
Chase climbs off the ladder. With both boxing bags hung, the two teens eagerly pull on gloves to try them out.
Maverick rolls to a stop and lifts his gaze to Chase. “I expect a bonus for singing your praises.”
Chase grins at his friend. “Yeah, sure, I’ll drop it in the mail.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be off this week? Wedding prep and all that?”
“Yeah.” Chase sneaks a wince my way. “We actually need to grab some tables and chairs. There’s been a change of venue.”
“Oh, damn,” Maverick says. “Of course. Take whatever you need. We don’t have the fundraiser until next week.”
“Cool. I thought you’d say that. We should actually head out.” Chase turns back to the teens. “Hey, Ryan. Cody. Can I get your help with something?”
Cody glances over at Ryan before meeting Chase’s stare. “Uh, do we have a choice?”
