It Burns So Bright, This Flame Will Never Die.

***Ronnie's POV, 1 week later***

I was through the worst part of my withdrawal now, and after spending a week and a half from my wife and kid, I was more than ready to go home.

Max had been a lifesaver, literally. He definitely snapped me out of it, and got me back to using my damn brain and realizing how much of an idiot I am. Even after everything that's happened between us, he still has my back after all these years. It's mind blowing.

As I finished shoving what little I had here into some random bag, I heard someone knock on the door. I heard it open and a familiar voice talking to Max. I shoved the last item in the bag and stood up, walking out to the main room.

"Hey Ronnie." Lexus smiled at me as she pulled away from Max while hugging him.

"Hey." I smiled back, a little awkwardly. "I was just getting ready to leave..."

"Oh, you don't have to," She said as she set her purse down on the couch. "it's fine." She smiled at me again. Max raised his eyebrow at her behind her back.

"Oh, no it's fine...I haven't been home in a week and a half, I really miss Scar and Trav." She looked at me weird. "You've been staying here?" I nodded. "I, um...relapsed. So Max helped me get clean again."

She looked angry. Not at when I mentioned I relapsed, but when I mentioned I'd been staying here for over a week.

"Oh...well I'm glad you got clean again." She put on a smile. I nodded and smiled slightly back. What the fuck was going on right now?

"Yeah, so...um...I guess I'm gonna go..." She nodded and smiled again. I quickly walked back into the bedroom I was staying in to grab my stuff before quickly walking out, Max slowly trailing behind me since he had to drive me home.

"What the hell was that?" I asked once we were both in the car.

"Awkward. That's what that was." Max mumbled as he started up his car and pulled out of the driveway. I nodded in agreement.

"Why...did she look like she was mad when I mentioned I'd been staying with you for a week and a half?" I asked slowly. It seemed like he froze up a little, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"I dunno." He said lowly. "She's weird sometimes." I glanced at him and chuckled.

The rest of the ride was mostly silent, we talked here and there. Finally, I was home, and practically bouncing with excitement in my seat.

"Good luck, dude." Max smiled.

"Thanks...for everything." I smiled, looking at him. "I mean it."

"Anytime." We did a quick hug before I got out, grabbing my bag from the backseat and waving to Max before going up to the front door. I rang the doorbell and a few seconds later, Scarlet appeared.

"Ronnie!" She exclaimed. I dropped the bag and wrapped my arms tight around her waist, hugging her in a death grip. She squealed and hugged me back just as tight.

"I missed you, baby." I said quietly into her hair. We pulled away and I rested my forehead against hers, smiling when I noticed she was already teary-eyed.

"I missed you too." She whispered. I pressed a soft kiss to her lips, one which she gladly returned. I squeezed her waist, happy that she was back in my arms and didn't hate me like I thought she would.

"I'm sorry for doing what I did." I mumbled against her lips, pecking them again.

"Just make sure it never happens again." I laughed slightly at the "warning" tone in her voice. She smiled and pressed a quick kiss to my lips one last time before we pulled away. I heard Travis babbling to himself in his nursery, making a huge grin spread across my face.

"He has no idea you're coming home today." Scarlet giggled, taking my hand and leading me to the nursery. My grin only got bigger when I saw my son sitting on the floor with his back turned to us, playing with his toy trucks.

I snuck up behind him and crouched down, watching him play for a minute. "Havin' fun, bud?" He turned around so quick it made me bust up laughing, and he let out the most excited screech when he saw who said that.

"DADDY!" I scooped him up in my arms and kissed all over his face, making him squeal and giggle happily. "I missed you so much, duder!" I laughed, hugging him tight to my chest. "Daddy's never leaving you again, trust me. You're coming everywhere I go from now on, I was losing my marbles without you."

"Well what am I? Chopped liver?" i laughed at my wife behind me, and Travis giggled when he saw her standing there with her hands on her hips and tapping her right foot, trying to look mad. A smile broke out on her face though, and I laughed evilly. "She cannot deny our cuteness, Travis!" I held him in the air and continued to laugh like a maniac, amusing him greatly. "VICTORY IS OURRRS!!!"

$$$

The three of us spent the whole day together when the initial excitement of "Daddy's home" was over. We took Travis to Toys 'R Us and let him pick out whatever he wanted, then went out to lunch, then took Scar shopping and let her get whatever she wanted, and finally, went out to dinner. Now we were home, Travis fast asleep in his crib, exhausted from the exciting day he had.

Meaning Mommy and Daddy had alone time...;)

"Ronnieee." Scar giggled as I pressed little butterfly kisses all over her neck and collarbone as we sat in our bed. I let my hand rub across her stomach, letting my lips kiss all the way up to her own.

"So, how about we make that second baby?" I whispered huskily in her ear, making her giggle again.

"You know I said wait until our anniversary," She laughed and swatted my hand away playfully as it tugged on the band of her pajama shorts. "Then we can try for number 2."

"Is that our second child's name? Number 2?" I mused, making her laugh again. "Awwww, Number 2's so cuteee!" I squealed, clasping my hands together. She started laughing harder, making me grin. "Number 2, don't play with that! NUMBER 2 RADKE! GET OVER HERE NOW!"

"Oh m-my god!" She managed to choke out of her hysterical laughter she was currently in.

"Alright, what have you been smoking? It wasn't that funny." I laughed. She wiped at her teary eyes, trying to get out of her fit of giggles. "I missed your goofy-ness." She giggled. I smiled and leaned down, kissing her neck again. "Ronnie, stoppp..." She giggled again.

"Rahn, stap it Rahn." She burst into laughter again as I started talking in "Sammi Sweetheart"'s voice from Jersey Shore. "Oh my gawd, Rahn, just stap!"

"YOU TRAWMUHTIZED ME, RAHN!" Scar whisper-yelled, fake-sobbing.

"RAHN, I'M DONE RAHN. I'M DONE!" I whisper-yelled back. Scar started beating me with a pillow, still pretending to be hysterically crying.

"WHAT DID I DEW TEW YEW RAHN?! I DID NUTHING TEW YEW! NUTHING!" I pointed my finger in her face, pretending to cry also.

"LIKE WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TAH DO RAHN?! LIKE IT'S NAWT OKAY RAHN! IT'S NAWT OKAY!"

We both ended up in a fit of hysterical laughter, but we had to try to be quiet or else we'd probably wake our son up.

"Is this seriously what we do when we have time alone? Quote Jersey Shore?" Scar asked, sounding very amused.

"AW YEAH, CABS AW HERE!" She burst into a fit of giggles again, both of us burying our faces in our pillows.

As we were trying to calm down, my phone started ringing. I grabbed it and hit it under the blanket because my damn ringtone was so loud, Scar whisper-yelling at me again to turn it down.

"Hello?" I laughed as I finally answered it, Scarlet still not being able to stop giggling.

"Hey Ronnie." My eyes almost popped out of my head at Lexus's voice. Great timing.

"Hey, what's up?" I tried to sound casual and not nervous, that way Scarlet didn't become suspicious.

"I just wanted to know if you were alright...since you relapsed and everything, then got clean..." She was up to something; I could tell in her voice.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." I glanced over at Scar and smiled, one she returned. "I'll be right back." I mouthed to her. She nodded and I got up and out of bed, casually walking out of the room. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Stress got to me, made a mistake...it's all good now, though."

"I'm glad...I'm proud of you for doing it again." I smiled slightly. "Thanks. Obviously there's still a ways to go...I'm not completely through all the withdrawal shit, just the worst part of it. But I'm fine enough to be home around my family now, and that's all that matters to me." I was hoping that the last sentence would drop a hint.

"Yeah.....well, um, the reason that I called was...well, Ronnie...I miss you."

Yeah. Last sentence didn't work.

"Lexus," I sighed quietly.

"We don't hang out anymore, you were so fun to be around...I really miss us being friends." You mean fuckbuddies?

"You know what happens when you and I get together," I said lowly. "you're nothing but trouble for me." I didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings, but I had to be straight up with her. I had no more room for fucking up. Especially now.

"I'm not like that anymore." She said, quietly and almost sadly. "And you know I'm with Max, and you know how I feel about him."

"Actually, I don't," I sighed, sitting down at the table. "Please enlighten me."

"He's my soul mate, we're perfect for each other." I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Especially cheat on him with his best friend."

"Mm-hmm." She sighed at my response. "I know what you're thinking. I promise I'm not like that anymore, Ronnie. I wouldn't try to break someones relationship up. Especially a marriage with a kid."

I glanced down at the floor. Alright, so maybe she was being honest. But should I really risk everything all over again, just because she misses me and wants to hang out?

"All I'm asking is that we hang out together soon. Max can be there too, if you want." I drummed my fingers on the table and chewed my lip. "Alright. When?"

"Next Friday good for you?" I nodded. "Yeah, that's fine." We talked for a tiny bit more before we said our goodbyes.

"See you next Friday, Ronnie." We said goodbye and I hung up, staring at the phone as I did so.

Was I making a horrible mistake?