Serendipity (17 page)

“Whoa, you okay there?” Dean asks. He wraps an arm around my waist to stead me.

“Mmhmm,” I mumble.

I close my eyes and lay my head on his shoulder. I breathe in his sent and I can’t be certain, but I think I feel his lips press a kiss to my forehead.

I’m getting too old for this shit! Last night was so much fun until Austin kept putting the moves on Barbie…
my
Barbie.

She nearly fell asleep in the cab ride home so I took advantage of the situation and carried her into the house and up to my room. I wanted so badly to kiss her soft lips but I knew that it wouldn’t be right. She’s not the kind of girl I could kiss and walk away from afterwards.

I quickly dress quickly and walk into the kitchen to find my parents going about their usual routine. Dad’s reading the paper and Mom’s making breakfast.

“Phoebe awake yet?” I grab a cup of coffee and pull out a chair.

“Nope, she’s still sleeping. What time did you get in last night?” my mom asks. She sets down a plate of eggs and hash browns in front of me.

Just looking at the food makes me want to throw up. I had more to drink last night than I should have. Luckily, I stopped drinking early so that I could make sure that Barbie got to bed safely.

“Eh, maybe around three or so. I need someone to drive me to O’Malley’s to pick up the truck,” I turn my attention towards my dad.

“Hurry up and eat. We’ll take your car,” he offers.

After breakfast I grab my car keys as we drive to the bar. He’s quiet until we pull in.

“What’s going on with you and Phoebe?” He asks as I park next to the truck.

I shift the car into park and sit back. I furrow my brows in confusion—why would he be asking me this? “Nothing, Dad.”

“I swear, Dean, if you hurt that girl, I will kick your ass.”

I hold my hands up in defense. “Seriously, Dad, I’m not sure what you
think
is going on, but I can assure you that whatever it is, you’re wrong. I’m with Devon.”

He gives me a curt nod and opens the car door. “Good, keep it that way.” He gets out of the car and pulls the truck keys from his pocket. He glances back at me with his lips pressed in a hard line.

See, even if I wanted to be with Barbie—which I don’t—my parents would kick my ass for even trying. We’ve been getting along great lately and while there is no denying that there are sparks between us, there is no way my parents would support me if I acted on my feelings for her.

We pull out of O’Malley’s and take a different direction home. I know my dad’s probably wondering where I’m going but I have something I need to do first. I decide to make a quick stop by Austin’s apartment to talk with him about last night.

“Hey, Dean, come on in,” he opens the door in his boxers, stepping aside to let me in.

“Hey, I just wanted to talk with you about last night,” I say, closing the door behind me. I don’t bother sitting down. I stand with my arms folded across my chest, I wait for his response.

Before he can say anything, a leggy blonde walks out of his room, wearing the white button-down shirt he wore last night. She pauses when she sees me and gives the briefest of smiles before turning to walk into the bathroom.

I give him a look of disgust. This is exactly why I need to kick his ass for even attempting to put the moves on Barbie.

“What the fuck? You were all over Phoebe last night and then you came home and had someone else over?”

He throws his hands in the air. “Like you don’t know what it’s like to need to get laid. Phoebe’s not that kind of girl so I called Samantha. She works with me and flirts nonstop.”

He’s right. I called Devon when I needed to get laid—even though I had Barbie on my mind the whole time I was with her.

“I get it, Man, I do. Just don’t do that shit with her.”

“Listen, Dean. I get that you want to protect Angel but you can’t tell me what to do. She has my number so if she calls, I’m not going to ignore her.”

I clench my fists at my side and I’m about ready to deck him when the blonde emerges. She walks into his room and shuts the door without so much as a glance. Once the door closes I get in his face.

“I swear to God, Austin, if I catch you near her again, I’ll break both your fucking hands so you’ll never be able to touch her again,” I grit my teeth. I’ve never been this pissed off before and especially not over a chick. I turn to leave but before I walk out I look at the man I use to call my friend. “You bet your ass I’m protecting Angel…
my
Angel.” The door slams into the wall when I open it and I don’t bother closing it behind me.

I get in my car and wait until I regain my composure before start it and head home. Did I just have a fight with one of my best friends over a girl? But then again she’s not just any girl. She’s Barbie.

Waking up with a hangover is not fun. I haven’t had that much to drink in a long time. Embarrassingly, it didn’t take much to get me drunk. I’m in my clothes from last night and I don’t even care. I throw my hair into a messy bun and make my way downstairs around lunch time. Emily is nowhere to be seen which is unusual but Keith is in his normal spot eating.

“Hey, Darlin’,” he greets me and sets down his newspaper. I know he’s probably thinking about how horrible I look but he doesn’t say anything. Aside from me in the hospital, I usually try to make it a point to do my hair and put makeup on before I even leave the bedroom.

“Morning, Keith.” I mumble and pull open the fridge to look for something to make.

“Emily made some chicken salad earlier today. Make yourself a sandwich,” he offers.

“I think I will, thank you.” It doesn’t sound appetizing at all but I need to eat something.

I sit next to him and eat my sandwich in silence.

“What’s goin’ on with you and my boy?” He asks. He folds his arms on the table and leans in as if I’m about to tell him a deep, dark secret.

I nearly choke on my food at his direct question. “Um, nothing. He’s with Devon.”

He grunts and nods his head in agreement to my answer.

Wow! That came out of left field!

I’m relieved when Emily walks in the door, her oversized sunhat flopping over her face, and blocking her eyes. She lifts it off and smiles when she greets me. “Morning, Phoebe,” she sets down the wicker basket on the counter, and walks over and leans down to kiss my cheek, squeezing my shoulder as she does so.

Emily’s display of affection really, really makes me miss my mom.

“Good morn—afternoon,” I quip. Taking my plate over to the sink, I lift the top of the basket and peek inside. Carrots, tomatoes, beets, peppers and an array of fruit fill the basket.

“Don’t you go pickin’ at those,” Emily startles me when she appears over my shoulder.

I turn around and swat her arm and we share a laugh.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” I ask, reaching into the cupboard, I pull out a mug and pour myself a cup of coffee.

“Well, I thought since you’ll be going back to work soon, maybe we should go look for a car today, and tomorrow we could go furniture shopping?” Emily raises her eyebrows and waits for my answer.

A smile spreads across my face but I look down and realize I have to take a shower and change my clothes before anything.

“I think that sounds like a fabulous idea but first, I desperately need a shower.” Reaching into the fridge, I pull out the bottle of creamer and pour it into the coffee.

“Sure, Phoebe, take your time and then when you’re ready, I’ll help you put some new gauze on.” She sits down next to Keith at the table and blows out a relaxing sigh.

“I think I’m going to leave it off.” I stir my coffee, place the spoon in the sink and blow on the hot brew before taking a sip.

“Whatever you’d like, dear,” she shrugs.

I take my cup and sit down next to her. She tells me all about the fruits and vegetables they have on the farm, adding that tonight she’s making some kind of cucumber salad that sounds delicious.

Stepping out of the shower, I wrap a towel around myself and wipe the condensation off of the fogged mirror. The stitches don’t look too bad, and nobody seemed to notice them last night. Thank God I only have a few more days before they’re out for good.

When I return downstairs, I walk right into a heated conversation between Emily, Keith, and Dean. The air was so thick with tension you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.

I stop in my tracks. “Um, I’ll just go wait in the truck,” I offer, before darting from the room. I grab my boots and step outside. I accidently let the screen door slam behind me and cringe, hoping that I don’t disturb them.

I pull the door and breathe a sigh of relief when I find it unlocked. I noticed that they don’t lock up much around here. Back home, if you leave anything unlocked, it’s basically leaving an open invitation for someone to come in and take your things. I sit inside and leave the door open for some fresh air. I hum to myself and tap my foot against the running board. Looking down at my boot, I smile to myself. Three days ago, I would have been completely against buying boots like these but they are quickly becoming my favorite item of footwear.

I look back at the door and wait for someone to come out. I don’t know how long I’ve been waiting but it’s starting to get hot. I turn on the location device on my phone and look up car dealerships in the area. The body shop had deemed the car a write-off so insurance covered it. I’m using the little bit of savings I have for a down payment on a new car. It’s been years since I’ve owned a car and the thought of having a car and home that are all mine makes me want to burst at the seams.

My mom is right—I’m an adult with a good job and it’s about time I cut the apron strings. It’s all so new and sometimes scary. I would never have anticipated things working out like they have but I’m kind of glad they did. I’m also thankful that I let Devon talk me into staying with the Montgomery’s. In the short time I’ve known them they’ve become a family of sorts.

I earmark a few cars that pique my interest, when Emily opens the truck door. “I’m so sorry, Phoebe. You should have come back inside. It’s far too hot for you to be sitting in the truck,” she sets her purse down between us and starts the truck, cranking the A/C and adjusting the vents.

“It’s okay,” I shrug. “I was actually looking at cars while I was waiting.”

“Oh yeah? Did you find anything that you want to take a look at?” She glances at the screen when I show her the picture of what I want.