Alex, at least in his mind, finally seemed to be equalizing. He wasn't drinking every night, he was taking better care of himself, and he had even gone out with his coworkers a few times after work. There was still a long way to go, but he felt like it was at least a step in the right direction.
He felt the other person approach before the pounding started, and his heart gave a little lurch. God, he hoped it wasn't Richard. But it was rude to just leave people standing out there knocking, regardless, and if it was Richard, he at least wanted the satisfaction of slamming the door in his face.
If his heart had lurched before, it just about stopped when he opened the door. "Holy fucking shit," he breathed. "Fuck, get in here, let me look at you."