Chapter 6
Dex
One of my cousins starts talking in his sleep at six o’clock, and I’m up and out of that bedroom so fast he hasn’t even finished his first sentence by the time I’m closing the door behind him.
I’m a light sleeper, and he was going on about demons or some shit, which is not something I want to be confronted with when I’m badly hungover and can’t get my bearings in a strange new room.
I’m the first one up—our shift at the fire station doesn’t start until eight—so I creep down the stairs as quietly as possible and make myself a cup of shitty instant coffee with plenty of milk and sugar.
Then, because I’m not an asshole, I make one for Korren as well.
He might’ve gotten the better deal in the campervan, but he doesn’t have a functioning kitchen or bathroom, which probably sucks.
I let myself out onto the porch to drink my coffee in the fresh air, where the early morning chill burns away a bit of the hangover fog.
There’s something horribly claustrophobic about Uncle Rhodes’ house.
It was really generous of him to take me in after what happened with my family, but I’ve hardly been there a few hours and it’s already awkward as hell trying not to get in the way.
His house is way too small for the six of them to be living together—Dad was always grumbling that Uncle Rhodes lived like he was broke when he actually had plenty of money—and I’m going to be tripping over them wherever I go.
I wrap my hands around my mug of coffee and scowl at the caravan that should’ve been mine. I’ll just have to keep out of the house as often as possible. Stay late at work, spend time at the gym, go fishing in the evenings, that sort of thing. It sounds exhausting.
I didn’t expect Korren to be awake, but I hear noises from his campervan, so I grab his coffee and cut across the grass to bring it to him.
When I knock at the door, he drags it open faster than I’d expected.
He looks even grimier than yesterday in full daylight, his hair hanging lank around his face, his clothes stained and creased.
But for some stupid reason my eyes latch onto his mouth, which is still kind of sexy-looking despite how filthy he is.
“What?” he growls. “It’s not time for work yet, is it?”
I hold out the coffee. “I couldn’t sleep either.”
He glowers at me, as if I’m trying to poison him, and then he drops his gaze to the cup. “I only drink black coffee.”
“I’m not your fucking boyfriend. Take it or I’m dumping it in the grass.”
He takes the coffee.
Then I don’t know what to do. I’m lonely and would much rather hang out with someone than sit alone on that porch for another hour, but we’re also competing for the cabin, so it’s not exactly like he has an incentive to spend time with me.
Plus there’s the awkwardness of the whole challenge and what happened last night.
For lack of anything better to say, I jump straight to the most awkward thing I can come up with.
“Hey, Korren. I’ve got the next challenge for you.”
His eyes flash. “What is it?”
“You’re going to hold my hand as we walk to work every morning. Starting today.”
“Every morning? Are you serious?”
I grin at him. “Dead serious.”
“That’s going to get old really fast.”
“Isn’t that the whole point? That cabin is mine.”
“Fuck this.” He looks like he’s about to dump the coffee on my head.
I take a precautionary step back, my grin widening. “Does that mean you’re giving up?”
“Asshole.”
And now that I’ve pissed him off, I have no excuse to linger, so I turn and slope off back to the porch to spend the next hour wishing I was anywhere else.