Camera Flashes (1) - Taylor Swift

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Grace twirled the newcomer chip between her fingers on the car ride back from the first meeting she attended. She didn't think she deserved one yet, it was less than twenty-four hours since her first drink but Michael had opened the glovebox of his truck and lent her his until she had one of her own. A tangible reminder of the goal, the biggest step she would take.

With the world crashing down around her and the fact that she had found out so many people she had trusted had betrayed her and things hadn't been what they seemed, she wanted a drink so badly. She wanted to drown it all in whiskey until her mind stopped screaming that nothing was how it should be, but she twirled the chip over and over.

"How long until you stop wanting another drink?" She asked, the sun had started to go down in the horizon and covered them in a golden glow.

"When I find out, you'll be the first person I tell," he answered truthfully. It felt discouraging but he knew it was better than a lie. Grace would see right through it.

"I'm mad at you for leaving me," she stared down at it again, she did not speak angrily but instead it was soft, emotional, "I understand why you did what you did but I am so fucking... outraged. You are my big brother, I know only by a few minutes but still— you weren't supposed to leave me."

"I think if both of us knew then what we know now then things would've been really different. I'm sorry I didn't come back, I promise I mean it when I say if I had known they didn't tell you, I would have told you."

She chuckled drily, "And yet it was Amber and Taylor that finally got us in the same place."

"Yeah. Did you decide what you're going to do about Taylor?"

"I'm going to sleep on it," Grace replied, "Parker's on his way to pick me up, I asked him to clean out the mini bar. It's pretty tempting but it feels like the right thing to do."

"Good for you," he smiled, "I'm proud of you, if that means anything. Not just for this, but for everything."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're safe and happy, Michael. That was always my biggest wish besides finding you."

He smiled as he kept his eyes peeled on the road, "So, on Sunday's we don't go to church, we go to meetings. Amber goes before lunch, Chris and I go after dinner. We spread it out so someone's home with Gracie. If you're thinking of coming by tomorrow, it'd probably be good for you to go with Amber. The first couple weeks are brutal so the more meetings, the better."

"What time should I be there?"

"Ten-thirty, we'll meet you in town after for some lunch. Have you tried pizza?"

"I love pizza," they sat in silence for another moment before she said, "How much do you care about the others?"

"Not even a bit."

"Therefore you do not care how I exact my revenge?"

"Do what you have to, Gracie. I trust your judgement."

Grace got her hotel room after dark, it was far from what she was used to but they weren't exactly in the city. The mini bar was empty, she checked. She looked at her phone plugged in on the nightstand, all of the things she needed to say to people leaped towards the front of her mind. She was so anxious about everything, annoyed and betrayed.

She twirled the chip in her fingers a few times more and then decided she needed a little more time.

She got her own chip that following morning, Amber was officially her sponsor as they had decided on the drive over. Grace really liked her as a person, she seemed genuine and kind and she didn't know too many people like that.