17. Homeward
17
HOMEWARD
T heo
We paddled back to the campsite to grab our gear before heading to the marina. It didn’t take us long before our canoes and kayaks were all loaded up.
Before we left the campsite, we walked around to make sure we hadn’t left behind any garbage or recyclables. Once satisfied we’d be leaving the campsite in a better condition than we found it, we left.
Our group was a little more reserved on the way back, our energy mellow. It sucked that we’d had to call it early, but nobody wanted to get stuck in tomorrow’s thunderstorms.
Luckily, Jasmine had managed to convince Lux to come back to Sudbury with us to check out the duplex. From the sounds of it, Jasmine was working on getting Lux to be her and Talia’s roommate. I had zero complaints about that idea; in fact, I hoped like hell Lux said yes—and not only for the purely selfish reason that I’d get to see more of her.
She’d told me about what awaited her back home with her sister, and I thought it’d do her good to get away from that situation. I had a younger sister, Olivia, and while we weren’t super close, I couldn’t imagine having her hurt me in such a manner. I’d always watched out for her and protected her, and I knew she’d always have my back too.
Lux moving in with Jasmine and Talia really would save Desmond and me the headache of trying to find a college student to rent that room. It might have been easier back when we only rented to college students, but now that we had two semi-permanent renters, it was a little harder to fill that spot.
We really had to vet potential renters and make sure they got along well with Jasmine and Talia, which wasn’t impossible as they were both pretty laid-back people, but our last renter wasn’t exactly a good fit, although she’d seemed to check all the boxes. It turned out she wasn’t comfortable with “Talia’s lifestyle” and was standoffish with Jasmine. She didn’t exactly cause problems, but I knew both Jasmine and Talia felt like they had to walk on eggshells and were relieved when the renter’s term was up.
It’d be nice to avoid another situation like that by finding someone that already got along with both Jasmine and Talia.
It took our group just under two hours to get back to the marina. We made it within minutes before the general store closed, giving us enough time to let the owners know we’d be heading out tonight instead of tomorrow.
We unpacked our canoes and kayaks as dusk fell, working together as a group to get everything loaded up. The good thing about that was that we were the only people in the parking lot getting ready to leave.
I’d hitched a ride with Desmond in his old truck, and once we jumped the damn battery again, we kept it on to recharge it and used his headlights to finish loading everyone’s gear.
We packed Zoey and Kai first so they could head out, Kai wasn’t feeling the best and Zoey was worried he was going to have a seizure. He’d been on top of his meds but sometimes that didn’t matter, especially if he was overtired and overstimulated.
Once they’d left, we helped Baz get their canoe on the top of his Jetta while Rhiannon and the other girls helped load their supplies. They took off too, honking as they left the parking lot.
Then it was just Talia, Jasmine, Lux, Desmond, and me. Desmond and I put Talia’s kayak and Jasmine’s canoe on top of her CRV while the girls finished loading their gear. Talia had driven in with Baz and Rhiannon, but she’d be returning with Jasmine and Lux since they were going to the duplex.
“Alright, see you guys back at the house!” I said, grinning at Lux in particular. She smiled back, a little uncertain. The girls piled into Jasmine’s CRV, Talia squishing into the backseat while Lux rode shotgun.
Desmond and I climbed into his truck and he put it into gear, following Jasmine out of the marina. It was only a forty-seven-minute drive back to Sudbury, but I itched to hold Lux already.
“Well, that was a good trip. Sucks we had to cut it short,” I commented, sitting back in my seat and casting a glance at Desmond. “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah, it was great,” Desmond replied. There was something about his tone.
“What happened?” I demanded, eyeing him warily.
“Nothing,” he sighed, running his hand over his face. “Nothing happened at all.”
“You know, a little bird told me that a certain someone has feelings for you,” I told him, trying to hide my grin.
He shot me a look, his brow furrowing. “What little bird?”
I sent him a look in reply, knowing he knew exactly who I was referring to.
He grunted, turning his attention back to the road. “I don’t know about that. I think you and the little bird have your hopes up.”
“We’ll see,” I lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug.
Lux seemed serious when she’d told me Jasmine had feelings for Desmond that night, plus I’d been observing the two of them for a while now. There was something there, something that they were both fighting.
But Desmond wasn’t in a talkative mood, and he put on the radio to drown out my attempts at conversation. I chuckled, unperturbed, and ended up falling asleep after fifteen minutes. The late nights and little sleep I’d gotten over the last few days had caught up with me.
* * *
About an hour later, we pulled into the driveway of our duplex. Jasmine’s car was already parked, the canoe and kayak still on the roof rack, although the girls weren’t in it. I could see the lights on in their house.
We unloaded the truck, carrying everything into our place. The two coolers, our sleeping bags and our duffle bags went inside, while we carried our tents and air mattresses around back to the storage shed.
Once that task was completed, we took down our kayaks and hung them up at the side of the shed. Then we returned and unloaded Jasmine’s canoe and Talia’s kayak, hanging them up on the other side of the shed.
When that was done and we were about to head inside, an unfamiliar car pulled up with a few boxes of pizza. Jasmine stepped out to pay for it and caught sight of us. “Hey guys! Come in for some pizza, I ordered enough for all of us.”
“Sounds good,” I grinned, taking the pizza boxes off the delivery guy while Jasmine handed him a wad of cash. She grabbed the bag of pops and dips, and the three of us walked inside.
Lux was sitting at the small round kitchen table, her hair damp from a shower she must have recently taken. She smiled timidly at me when I walked in and set the pizza down on the table in front of her.
“So, what do you think of the place?” Desmond asked Lux, glancing around with pride. Jasmine and Talia always kept it clean, and I know that made Desmond happy, especially after the amount of money we’d sunk into renovating it.
“It’s very nice,” Lux told him, smiling. “I’m not opposed to the idea; I don’t know if I can commit. I need to find a job first.”
Desmond nodded. “Well, consider it yours, if you want it. If you don’t, just let me know before the end of August. I’d really hate to have to find another student renter, but I can if it doesn’t work out. I think Jas and Talia would prefer having you as a roommate.”
“Definitely!” Talia shouted, peeking her damp head out from the bathroom down the hall. “Like, I beg of you. I’ll even pay your rent for the first few months until you get a job.”
“Hell, I will too!” Jasmine offered, her eyes wide and pleading. “Student renters were great when we were students, but the last one was a nightmare. Please say you will, Lux! I want you to be our roomie so bad!”
“I don’t think that’d be necessary,” Lux blushed beneath their attention. “I have some savings I could dip into.”
“So, it’s settled then?” Jasmine asked hopefully, her eyes going from Lux to me and Desmond again.
Lux bit her bottom lip, deliberating. I could tell a lot of thoughts were racing through her mind at that moment.
“If it doesn’t work out long term, that’s alright. There will be no hard feelings. You’re welcome to give it a trial run if you’d like,” I chimed in. I held her gaze, hoping she could see how much I wanted her to say yes, too. Not that I wanted to pressure her.
“Fine,” Lux’s lips twitched as she tried to suppress a smile.
Talia let out an excited whoop as she came into the kitchen, high-fiving Jasmine and then holding her hand up for Lux. Lux tentatively high-fived her, the smile on her face widening.
“You guys are ridiculous,” she laughed, shaking her head.
“Oh, you’ll learn,” Talia joked, diving into the first box of pizza.
Lux
The five of us ate pizza and hung out on the back deck overlooking the yard, sheltered from the rain beneath a gazebo. It was still a warm evening, despite the rain, but I much preferred the shelter of the gazebo and the nearby house to the tent and a tarp.
I couldn’t believe I actually said yes to them, that I’d be their new roomie and move to Sudbury. But on the drive up, I’d loaded my emails and I had no responses from any of the places I’d applied at.
I did have several messages on the Gram from people back home sending me Brinley’s latest antics. Brinley even sent a few herself, of her and Scott out on a boat somewhere sharing a disgustingly vulgar kiss. Brinley had never sent me her videos before this conquest of hers, and I knew she was doing it to rub it in.
Apparently, while I’d been camping, she’d scored herself an invite on someone’s fancy yacht and brought Scott along with her for the ride. The resulting social media posts were excessive.
I was surprised that it didn’t hurt as bad as it would have a few days ago. It irritated me, yes, but it didn’t sting. If anything, it made me more resolved to move out as quickly as possible.
And I really did like the house. The front door opened into a small foyer with a front hall closet, then led into a rather large living room with high ceilings and beautiful exposed wood beams.
The kitchen was at the back of the house, it was cute and updated with fresh white cabinets and black hardware. It had a beautiful marble white and black countertop and a deep matte black sink and tap. The appliances were all relatively new from the looks of them, and there was even a dishwasher. A sliding door led to a large porch and a spacious shared backyard.
To the left of the kitchen was a hallway that led to the three bedrooms and bathrooms. Jasmine, having lived there the longest, scored the master bedroom and ensuite bathroom, but the other two bedrooms were still large. The main bathroom was newly updated too; Talia and I would share that one.
There were beautiful dark hardwood floors throughout, and the paint colours were light and modern. Jasmine had told me while giving me the tour that Desmond and Theo purchased this duplex for super cheap, and that it’d been in dire need of a gutting and full renovation on both sides. But the end result was remarkable.
She said Desmond and Theo’s side was more masculine but had the same layout, only in reverse. They also didn’t have another roommate. After Baz moved out, they didn’t bother renting out the third bedroom.
Once we’d eaten the pizza, Talia suggested we play a few rounds of Yahtzee. I’d never played it before. Theo was sitting beside me, so he showed me how to, his arm around the back of my chair as he whispered instructions.
By the end of the thirteen rounds, I’d mostly gotten the hang of it, and somehow managed to win.
“Should we play again, see if that was beginner’s luck?” Talia asked with a wicked grin. She seemed to be hoping my win would inspire me to play another round, but I was a firm believer in quitting while I was ahead—that, and everyone else wasn’t into the idea.
Jasmine yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m out. Damn, I’m so tired. The rain is making me sleepy.”
“Don’t forget all the paddling we did,” I pointed out, smiling a little. My arms were aching from the exertion, and I was a little tired too. But I was also wound up. The heat radiating off Theo’s arm over the back of my chair against the nape of my neck wasn’t helping.
My thoughts kept going back to our night together—to the feel of his body against mine. I desperately wanted a repeat, but the opportunity hadn’t arisen. Not that Theo was keeping his distance, he’d touched me subtly every chance he could. His arm across the back of my chair, his knee brushing against mine. The glances he kept stealing suggested his thoughts were very much in the same place as mine.
“Yeah, I might call it a night,” Jasmine said, yawning again. “You can bunk with me if you want, or you’re welcome to sleep on the couch.” The other bedroom was currently empty, awaiting furniture and a new roommate—which was me, I guess. Before I could respond, Talia interrupted.
“Or…” Talia said, looking at Theo with a smug smile. “You could sleep with Theo. I’m sure he wouldn’t be against that idea.”
My face heated at her suggestion, but Theo’s fingers toyed with the hair over my shoulder, and he smiled at me.
“I don’t mind at all,” Theo said, his eyes practically smouldering as they held my gaze. “I’ve got a spacious and rather comfortable bed.”
Desmond hid a smile behind his beer, shaking his head slightly, and Jasmine smiled with delight. “It’s settled then. Lux can crash with you tonight.”
“I—” I started, then stopped. I wasn’t opposed to this idea, in fact it gave me an opportunity to spend more time alone with Theo, exploring his body the way I wanted to. It was embarrassing that everyone else knew we were hooking up. Not that I was ashamed of it, I wasn’t used to so many people knowing my business.
“Yeah, I guess that’s okay.”