Save Me (The Me Novellas) (8 page)

Ben pulled into the driveway at the back of the house and opened the tail gate.

I pulled out the set of keys Andy had given me and unlocked the front door. “I’m downstairs,” I said. “Last door on the right.”

Ben grabbed the floor lamp and the desk chair and headed inside. I followed him.

And ran smack into my other new roommate, Dylan.

Who also happened to be the bartender at The Ale House.

TEN

“
What are you doing here?” Ben and Dylan asked each other simultaneously.

“
Whoa,” I said, frozen in the doorway. I glanced back and forth between them. “You’re Dylan?”

“
Kat, we’ve known each other for months,” he said, grinning. “The guy who tries to give you free beer, but you insist on paying for it?”

I felt my cheeks flush. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, you’re the Dylan who lives here? The Dylan who emailed me last night?”

Ben frowned. “What the hell is going on? You’re moving into a house with people you don’t know?”

I rolled my eyes. “I already met the other roommates, Ben. I just hadn’t met him. But clearly I didn’t need to. You know, because I already know him.”

He looked at me as if I’d sprouted another head. “Yeah. Right.”

“
To be fair,” Dylan said, his expression amused, “I didn’t know Katie from Craig’s List was you. Ben’s girlfriend.”

“
Ex-girlfriend,” Ben clarified.

“
Oh. Right. Sorry.” Dylan turned to me and I noticed for the first time that his eyes were brown, just like his cousin’s. “You want some help moving in? I can offer a set of hands if you need them.”

“
Sure,” I said.

“
No,” Ben snapped. “We’ve got it.”

Dylan held up his hands. “No prob. Just thought I’d offer.” He shot me a puzzled look before retreating up the stairs. A door shut. Probably his bedroom.

“
You didn’t have to be so rude,” I said as I followed him into my empty bedroom.

He set down the lamp and chair and looked at me.

“
And you didn’t have to be moving in with some asshole I work with.”

“
Dylan’s an asshole?” I was confused. “Since when do you have a problem with Dylan?”

“
Since I found out he was roomies with my ex-girlfriend.” He stormed out of my room and up the stairs to the front door.

I stood there, speechless. Had he just said he didn’t want me sharing a house with guys? Was he trying to tell me that he was jealous? That he missed me? That was more than he’d expressed the entire time we’d gone out.

I followed him out to the truck. My mattress was propped against the side as he attempted to lift it. But it was a queen and it was heavy.

I started to ask about Dylan but he interrupted me. “Grab this side,” he said, motioning with his free hand.

I grabbed one of the handles and lifted. Together, we carried it to the house and shoved it down the stairs and into my room. Ben went back out for the bed frame, in pieces in the back of the truck. I helped bring in slats and rails and, in silence, he assembled the bed in just under ten minutes.

“
Dresser and then we’re done, right?”

I nodded. “I have a box of sheets and towels, too. But I can grab that.”

He nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Five minutes later, my furniture was all in. Ben lifted his cap and wiped at his sweaty brow. His blond hair was damp, flattened to his skull, but he still looked good. I looked away.

“
So thanks,” I said. I set the box of linens down on my unmade bed. “For helping.”

“
Yep,” he said. He glanced at his watch. “I gotta get moving.”

“
Date?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes. With my brother. He needs his truck back.”

“
Oh.”

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and fingered them. “So. It was good to see you.”

“
Yeah,” I said, not sure if I meant it or not.

He shifted from one foot to another. “OK. So I guess I’ll see you around.”

“
Yeah. See you around.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. A wave of his hand and he was gone.

And I was alone in my new room, wondering what had just happened with the ex-boyfriend who, until that moment, I’d been sure could care less about me. He’d been different than I expected. I thought he was going to show up, reveling in the fact that I’d called him and needed his help. It wasn’t begging, but it was asking, and that’s what he’d said I’d do. But instead, he’d been quiet. Reticent. Catty when he saw Dylan.

I didn’t know what to make of that.

Other than the fact that I’d probably never understand men.

I made my bed and unpacked the stuff from Dani’s. Not only had she brought me my things, but she’d repacked my clothes into my suitcase. The pants were perfectly folded, my shirts rolled into tight little balls. I wondered how she could live in such a pigpen of a house when she could pack the neatest suitcase I’d ever seen.

I sighed as I stowed my clothes in my dresser. I didn’t deserve her for a best friend. And I’d lied to her. About the house, the roommate situation. I knew I needed to make it up to her, to come clean. I wouldn’t be able to live with that hanging over my head.

Monday. I’d tell her Monday when they got back from their long weekend. The bike festival was a two-day thing and they’d managed to find a hotel room somewhere in Glencoe so they wouldn’t have to drive home between events. Dani called it a mini vacation. I’d kept my mouth shut.

There was a soft knock on my door. Meg, I thought, checking up on my move-in. She hadn’t been home when Ben and I unloaded the furniture.

“
Come in,” I said.

But it was’t Meg who opened the door. It was Dylan.

He smiled at me. “Hey.”

“
Hi.” I smiled back.

“
You getting settled?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yep.”

I was. I’d gotten the bed made and transferred all of my school stuff from my backpack on to my desk. The laptop was plugged in and charging and the books I was using this week were stacked in a small pile next to it. I’d need to run back to the storage unit to grab my printer but, otherwise, I was all set up and ready to go.

He surveyed the room. “It looks good. A little plain, but good.”

I looked at the blank walls. “Yeah, it could use some décor.” I thought of Meg’s walls. “Or paint.”

He lounged in the door frame, his hands shoved in his pockets. “There’s a bunch of paint in the garage. You’re welcome to use it if you want.”

“
Thanks.” I put the last of my t-shirts in my dresser and closed the drawer. “You don’t have to stand in the doorway, you know. You can come in.”

“
OK.” He eased his way into my room.

I motioned to my bed. “Sit.”

He sat.

“
I didn’t know you had a cousin,” I said. It was stupid but it was the first thing that came to mind. And at least I didn’t add a ridiculous adjective like gorgeous or god-like to the statement.

“
I usually try to keep the fact that I’m related to people a secret,” he said, smiling. He looked a lot like Andy. Same dark hair, same brown eyes. But his features weren’t as sharp, as defined. Andy’s face was all angles and Dylan’s was
…
softer. Friendlier.

“
I didn’t know you were looking for a place to live.”

“
Well, a week ago, I didn’t either,” I said.

“
A week ago? Care to elaborate?”

I didn’t know why, but I did. Want to elaborate, that is.

“
How much time do you have?” I asked.

He settled back on my bed, his back against the wall, his feet hanging over the side. “As much time as you need,” he said, grinning.

I sat on the chair at my desk and propped my feet next to my computer. And I told him. About my parents moving. About living with Dani for six hours. About the rat and the snake and the impromptu nap at Perkins.

“
Wow,” he said, shaking his head and laughing. “You’ve had quite a week.”

“
You think?”

He nodded emphatically. “Yes. I hope things improve from here on out.”

“
Yeah. Me, too.”

Sitting there in my room, chatting with Dylan, I was pretty sure things would. I’d apologize to Dani on Monday. And I’d talk to Carl, too, see about going full time at the bookstore. I was in good shape with my final papers for school. Things were coming together. Finally.

The only missing link was Ben. Because, in the whole chain of events over the last few days, I wasn’t sure where he fit in. Sure, he’d been a jerk when I’d asked to move in with him. And yes, he was self-centered and a little egotistical. But he’d shown up to help me. And he’d been upset when he found out I’d be living with Dylan. I didn’t know what to make of it.

Clearly, Dylan didn’t, either. “So, what’s going on with you and Ben?”

I shifted in the chair. “What do you mean?”

“
I don’t know,” he said. “I thought you guys broke up or something. I felt like I’d done something wrong when you guys walked in.”

“
You didn’t. And we did break up.”

He nodded his head, thinking. “He just seemed a little weirded out about you living here.”

“
Yeah, I know. I have no clue why.” I ran my fingers through my hair and rubbed at my eyes.

Dylan noticed. “Oh, jeez. I’m sorry. I’ve been sitting here yakking at you and you’re exhausted. I’ll go.” He stood up.

“
No, no,” I said, stifling a yawn. “I was the one doing all the talking.”

“
Only because I made you.”

“
I was a willing participant.”

He smiled. “Whatever. Go to sleep.”

I yawned again. I was more tired than I realized. “OK. I will.”

“
OK. Goodnight, roomie.” He left my room and closed the door.

I made a beeline for the bed, not even bothering to change my clothes or head into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I was exhausted.

I pulled the sheets and comforter up to my neck and shifted on to my side. The last thing I remembered was the smell of sandalwood.

Dylan.

ELEVEN

I spent the weekend with my new roommates. I’d never participated in communal living. Never had the experience of dorm living or shared apartments. It was a new experience.

And I loved it.

The unit of three welcomed me and enveloped me into their fold, almost as if I’d always been there. Nightly dinners together were common, I found out Saturday morning. There was a whiteboard calendar on the wall in the kitchen. If you knew you were going to be around for dinner, you put your initials on the date. Meg was the designated chef. By design.

“
I love to cook,” she said over homemade tamales Saturday night.

The four of us sat around the table, platters of steaming tamales in the center. There were three kinds: a spicy chicken, a beef brisket and a spinach and feta. I had one of each.

“
We usually chip in for groceries,” Andy said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He’d just polished off his fourth tamale. “A few bucks here and there.”

I nodded. “OK.” I could do that, especially if it meant I was guaranteed meals like the one I was eating. My culinary talents were limited to opening cans of soup and heating frozen dinners.

“
And Dylan bakes,” Meg said, smirking. Andy laughed and put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Yeah, they were definitely a couple.

“
Shut up,” Dylan told her, his mouth full of tamale.

“
It’s just not edible,” she clarified, erupting into a fit of giggles.

“
And he uses the smoke detector as his timer,” Andy said.

“
One time,” Dylan said, shaking his head. “I burned cookies one time.”

I watched them banter back and forth, arguing about his lack of baking skills, and felt a flicker of something. I didn’t have brothers or sisters, didn’t have cousins who were close in age or in location. This was what I imagined my life would have been like with siblings. Well, siblings who spoke the same language and were not 16 years my junior, like Baby Es would have been.

By Sunday night, I felt like I’d always lived there. Or at least that I’d lived there for longer than 48 hours. Meg spent the afternoon helping me paint my bedroom. We’d rummaged in the garage, hauling out cans of paint, testing colors on an old piece of scrap wood before settling on a dusky blue. Andy unearthed paint rollers and a drop cloth and we were good to go.