I FELT bad for that last comment. The guy was being so nice and I was messing it all up. Last night when I had landed on him, I had totally freaked on him. I mean, super weird that he gave up his bed for me, but it was also one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me.
And the clothes. I crept back and looked in the bags. Krista had bought clothes that matched my tough girl routine. Had Ryan told her how I dressed? That hoodie. I caressed the soft, thick fabric. I had never seen anything so nice in my life. It felt expensive. I wanted so badly to accept his kindness, but it scared me too. What if he was playing the long game? Getting me to relax so I let my guard down and then boom! The axe would fall. It would catch me off guard and it wouldn’t end well for me.
I chewed on my lip. I didn’t have much choice but to accept his help right now. My only other option was to return to the streets. Looking like I did it wouldn’t be a good time for me. I needed my shoulder to heal so I could work again. I needed to put savings back together. With no money, I was starting at ground zero again. I needed to replace my ID so I could stay at the good shelters. And that also took money.
I also needed to go talk to my boss at my job. Maybe, if my manager saw me, he would keep me on. It was a long shot, but I needed to try.
Ryan came out of his bedroom. His hair was wet, and he carried a gym bag. He avoided my gaze. Was he mad at me? Because I wasn’t accepting his kindness? Anxiety fluttered through me.
‘Thank you for the clothes,” I said.
“Sure,” he said, as he dug through the cupboards and grabbed a couple protein bars.
I watched him as he filled up a water bottle with filtered water. He was definitely avoiding looking at me.
“So, what time do you get home?”
“I have a late practice today, so I should be home around 5 PM.”
“Okay.”
“Why?”
“Well, I thought if I went out today, it would be good to know what time you got back, so I would have a way back in.”
His blue eyes glanced at me. “You’re going out?”
Now it was my turn to avoid his gaze. “I have something I need to take care of.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He let out a long breath and then opened a drawer. “Here is a set of keys. The fob is for the elevator. And this is for our apartment. Just make sure you lock it when you leave.”
Our apartment. My eyes flew to his face, wondering if he heard his own words. He dropped the keys on the counter. “Try to eat something, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And if you’re in pain, your meds are right here.” He put my meds beside the keys.
“Thanks, Ryan.”
He finally looked at me. He didn’t look mad or anything. Just concerned. “You going to be okay?”
I nodded. “Totally.”
“You need money?”
I shook my head no.
“What about for the bus?”
Oh right. God. He lived so far away from my job. “I can walk.”
He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and tossed bills on the counter. “Here. If you go any distance, take a cab.”
My eyes stuck on the money. The guy had just tossed sixty dollars on the counter like it was nothing.
“Watch TV, sleep. Have a bath. Eat whatever you want.”
“I’ll pay you back,” I blurted out.
“Zoey.”
“For everything. For the clothes. For this money. For the meds and any food I eat. I’ll make a list.”
Baffled amusement flitted across his face. “Will a list make you feel better?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. But the deal is that you can’t pay me back until you are on your feet, you have a job and you are thriving.”
The breath whooshed out of me. Something eased in my body. “Okay. Deal.”
He lightly bumped his fist on the counter twice. “Okay. See you later.”
I watched him as he walked across the apartment. He moved with such agility. He was so tall. So big. But he was unbelievably graceful. He looked over his shoulder and busted me watching him.
I lifted my hand. He studied me for a long moment and then he left.
I MADE THE LIST. To my dismay, Krista had spent $458 on clothes. I didn’t even want to think about how long it would take to pay that off. I added the meds to the list and the cash Ryan had given me. At this rate, I would owe him a month’s worth of wages before the week was up.
I showered and dressed myself in my new clothes. I wore a pair of black leggings, a plaid shirt, and my new hoodie. I admired my reflection in the mirror. Despite my face, I hadn’t seen myself look this good in a long time.
While I waited for the bus, I noticed that my face attracted a lot of stares. Some people avoided looking at me. Others openly stared. I ignored them all.
It took two buses to get to my job. I walked into the back and found Carl, the day manager, in his cramped office.
“Zoey,” he looked at me with horror. “Are you okay?”
“Hey, Carl.”
“Sit down,” he closed the door. His concerned look made my throat feel thick.
I took a deep breath. “So, I got jumped and my bag with my uniform got stolen. And I was in the hospital, otherwise I would have been here sooner to explain.”
“Oh geez, Zoey. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“I have a sprained shoulder,” I motioned to my arm in a sling.
“I’m sorry you got hurt.”
I cleared my throat. “I was hoping I could still come and work here when I got better.”
“Zoey, you’re one of my best workers but you know how it is around here. I can’t hold your position open. I’m sorry. Once you are back on your feet, come and see me. We might be hiring.”
“Yeah okay.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “You take care okay.”
This conversation was making me emotional. I shot to my feet. “Thanks, Carl.”
I TOOK THE BUS HOME. Maybe I would have a quick nap and then I would try to make dinner for Ryan. I had taken home economics through high school, and although I hadn’t cooked for a while, I knew my way around the kitchen enough to make some simple dishes. It might be challenging to cook with one hand, but I could probably figure something out.
When I got to his street, it started to rain. I walked into the vast lobby and headed towards the elevators. I would need to cook something healthy. Ryan seemed to eat healthy food.
“Excuse me, miss?”
I glanced over my shoulder. A short man, wearing a uniform, stood near a desk. I looked around. He was definitely talking to me.
“Yeah?”
“We don’t allow loitering in this building.”
My lips parted. “Loitering?”
“Yes, I will have to ask you to leave.”
“I’m staying here with a friend.”
He gave a small humorless laugh. “I don’t think so.”
“I am. I’m staying with Ryan Parker.”
“I highly doubt that. In fact, Mr. Parker is one of our more illustrious tenants and you’re not the first fan who has tried to sneak her way in.”
“I’m not a fan. He gave me keys.”
“Well, why don’t I call up there and see what he has to say.”
Ryan wasn’t home. I glared at the guy.
He pointed at the door. “Out. Or my next call will be the cops.”
Well shit. I stepped out into the pouring rain. I pulled my hood up and looked up and down the street. My aching shoulder was burning. I wasn’t sure how I would get back up to the apartment. I walked three blocks to a cafe. It was one of those hoity-toity places that charged $4 for a tea, but I needed to order something if I wanted to sit there for the rest of the afternoon.
I didn’t have Ryan’s phone number and the hospital never gave me his card back. He told me he would get back at 5 PM. I decided my best course of action would be to wait by the car parkade gates starting at 4:30 and hope to catch him when he drove in.
People in the cafe looked at me. The girl at the counter openly stared at my face. I ordered my tea and found a table near the back. I bent over the table, hiding my face as best as I could with my hood. I was starving, and the pain was making me shaky, but I refused to spend $5 on a scone. That was just insane. I needed this money for emergencies.
Three interminable hours ticked by before I got up to go wait for Ryan. The rain was now cascading down in sweeping stretches and the wind was biting. There was no shelter by the car gate, so within moments, I was soaked. The hoodie got so wet it no longer offered any protection. Cold water trickled down my back. It plastered my hair to my head. I was so cold I was shaking. And my shoulder felt like it was on fire. The only saving grace was that my face was so cold it felt numb.
Finally, Ryan’s SUV pulled into view. He rolled down his window to scan his fob, and I stepped forward.
“Ryan.”
His eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
My teeth chattered so hard, I could barely speak. “I had trouble returning to your place.”
“Get in.”
“I’m all wet.”
“I don’t give a shit. Get in.”
I got in beside him.
He opened the gates and then we drove into the garage. He was looking at me in disbelief. “What happened to you? Did you lose your keys?”
“The doorman wouldn’t let me in.”
“Excuse me?”
“He said I was loitering. But I wasn’t. I was just walking to the elevator.”
“Why didn’t you tell him you were staying with me?”
My teeth clattered. “He didn’t believe me.”
Ryan parked the vehicle and nearly ripped his door off getting out. He stuck his head back in. “Come on.”
He looked dangerous.
I half walked, half ran to keep up with him. He couldn’t even look at me when we got on the elevator. He punched the ground floor button. We rode up in silence.
The door slid open. He dropped his bag in the door and then disappeared from view.
“Mr. Parker.”
“Are you the doorman who refused to let my house guest have access to my apartment?”
“No. Sir. Of course not.”
Ryan reappeared in the door and motioned at me with his head. “Get out here.”
I stepped out and the doorman’s face fell when he saw me. “I can explain.”
Ryan was breathing hard. “This is Zoey. She is staying with me indefinitely. If she wants a cab, you call her a cab. If you see her, you greet her with courtesy and respect. And if she walks in front of a door, you do your fucking job and open that fucking door for her like your fucking life depends on it.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”
Ryan looked down at me. I was doing my best not to shiver. “If she gets sick, I’ll have you removed from your job.”
“Yes, sir.” The guy wrung his hands.
Ryan motioned for me to get back on the elevator. I stood behind him and stared at his huge back while emotions flooded my entire body. I could handle abuse. Ignorance. Pain. But someone coming to my defense was my kryptonite. It brought me to my knees and made me weak. Tears mingled with my wet face while I worked to pull back all that emotion that was coming out of me.
