The Man I Lied To by Romeo Alexander

I’m not here to heal. I’m here to audit.

Arete Resort is where men who’ve hit rock bottom come to heal. My job is to find out if that’s true before the investors write another check. I’ll pose as a guest and follow the program, simple enough.
Except I’d hit rock bottom before. Eight months ago. A car, a ditch, and a decision I can’t take back. The pain is a permanent reminder, and the pills I smuggled in are nobody’s business but mine.
Then there’s Luka.
He’s new. Assigned to guide me like I’m something he can fix. I don’t trust the program or him. But the longer I stay, the harder it is to remember why I’m here. He doesn’t push. He just keeps showing up.
The lies were supposed to be easy.
They’re not.
When it falls apart, I have to decide what I’m more afraid of losing.
The audit was the job.
Luka became something I don’t have a word for yet.