Free Addicted to Him by Lauren Dodd

he could cure me.
    The young kid hands Lisa a bag of food and her shake, then Dad gets his. They start walking to the door because it is getting even more crowded.
    Seth walks toward me, never taking his eyes off mine. I feel sweaty, breathless, and excited seeing him get closer and closer to me. He holds out a greasy brown paper bag and a Styrofoam cup. “For the lady, who is obviously not named Lisa,” he teases.
    I reach out to take the bag from him and the tips of our fingers just barely graze each other. A jolt runs through me like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. He looks at me with such intensity that I could swear an X-rated movie just played between us in a millisecond. I bolt through the crowd of people before I start to hyperventilate. I bust through the red door and spot Dad and Lisa sitting down at a picnic bench near a treed area. I take a couple of gulps of fresh air to try and get control of myself.
    As good as it felt to know that Seth remembered me, and as good as it felt to react to a guy’s touch normally, there is something very dangerous about what just happened back there. It felt downright combustible which is the last thing I need in my life.
    I chuckle to myself. It’s not like the guy even asked me out or anything and I’ve already got myself convinced that I couldn’t handle a relationship with him. Talk about your wishful thinking. I take a sip of my malt and practically groan. It is almost as good as Seth’s fingers touching mine.
    I walk around to the vacant side of the picnic table, across from Dad and Lisa. Lisa is devouring her burger so ravenously she reminds me of a Tyrannosaurus Rex feasting on a Velociraptor. Dad eyes her curiously, moving his food out of her reach. I start to unwrap the lip of my bag when I see a note written in black Sharpie on it. I look up to make sure Dad and Lisa aren’t paying attention then glance back down.
    I cleaned bird shit off your car. Surely that earns me one date . His cell phone number is scrawled underneath. I sit there in shock. I knew that I was attracted to him, but I can’t believe that he is genuinely attracted to me. He could have any girl in the world, why would he want me?
    “Is something wrong, honey?” Dad asks, noticing that I haven’t pulled out my food yet.
    “No, not at all,” I say, digging into the bag for my burger. I scarf it down as fast as I can, which isn’t hard considering how good it is. No wonder Lisa was craving that all day.
    “Oh my God, I should have worn pants with an elastic waist,” Lisa complains, tossing her garage in a nearby trash can.
    “Seth doesn’t disappoint,” Dad agrees. I felt like Seth knew that I didn’t want him to say anything about meeting me in front of Dad and Lisa somehow. Like he could just read my mind, which is crazy. He’s probably just a total player, not some soul mate that just happened to pop randomly into my life two different times in the same day.
    “This is really good,” I brag, popping the last bite in my mouth.
    “This place has been here since the fifties. It isn’t much to look at but the food makes up for it,” Dad says.
    “Part of me feels guilty for loving it so much. I hate seeing Seth being forced into his father’s footsteps at such an early age,” Lisa says, sucking out the last of her malt.
    My ears perk up at the mention of Seth even though I’ve got my bag wadded up in my hand, just waiting for the courage to throw it into the trash can.
    “What kind of a man runs off with a girl half his age and abandons his family?” Dad asks disgustedly. “What a coward.”
    I feel sad for Seth. Not only was he toting around his brother and sister but now I find out that he has to work at this burger joint just to help out his family after his dad abandoned him. This new information gives me the courage to toss the bag right into the trash. The last thing this guy needs is any of my baggage.
    I follow Dad and Lisa to the car, hating how much I’m