18. Shane
Shane
“Shane! You’re freaking me out! I don’t think I like surprises!” she squeals as I hold my hands over her eyes and guide her into the building.
“I’m gonna pick you up. Keep your eyes closed, or I swear to God.”
She chuckles as I lift her, wrapping her legs around me and letting her cling to me and bury her face in my neck as I walk us up the stairs. When we get to the top, I move to the first door on the right and put her down.
“Now can I open them?”
“No! Not yet. One more minute,” I bark, unlocking the door and swinging it open before guiding her a few steps forward until she’s inside. “Okay. Now you can open them.”
When she does, a crease forms between her brows as she scans the empty room. “I don’t understand.”
“Surprise! It’s yours!”
She takes a step forward, looking around.
A unit came open in the apartment down the road from the shop, so I jumped.
She’s been talking about wanting a place of her own for forever, but the only places she could afford on her own are dumps.
So I pulled a few strings to get her this place.
It’s nothing super fancy, and it’s small, but it’s safe and clean.
The living room and kitchen are one open space with a small island separating the two. There’s a door off the kitchen that leads to a small bedroom and bathroom. Everything’s a little outdated, but it’s Ravens Ridge, so most everything is.
My mother would shit.
That actually makes me like it a little more.
She still doesn’t say a word, walking across the room, her boots clomping against the vinyl flooring that looks like white oak hardwood. When she reaches the island, she runs her hands over the light-colored laminate countertop and lifts her head to look at the light fixture above it.
“I—” She shakes her head, spinning to face me. “How? Why? I don’t understand. You got me an apartment?”
I nod. “How? The landlord just so happens to be my boss and club president. He let me know when it came open and is willing to give you one hell of a deal on it.” I move toward her.
“Why? Because you work your ass off and you deserve it. So, yeah. I got you an apartment. If you like it, that is. I wanted you to see it first of course.”
“I don’t have enough for a down payment yet. I’ve been saving, but it’s not enough for this, I’m sure.”
“Already taken care of.”
Her shoulders slump. “Shane. I can’t let you do that.”
I wrap my arms around her waist. “Call it payment for all the nights I plan on staying here with you.”
She rests her hands on my shoulders and takes in the place again before swallowing. “It’s perfect.”
“So, you want it?”
Her eyes meet mine, and she nods, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Yeah. I want it.”
“Come on. I’ll show you the bedroom.” I take her hand and pull her toward the door off the kitchen. “There’s no washer and dryer hookup, but there’s a laundry room downstairs.”
“It’s incredible.” She turns around in the bedroom, her eyes glistening. “Thank you.”
Grabbing her face, I bring her mouth to mine. She leans into it, parting her lips so I can push my tongue into her mouth which still tastes like the cherry popsicle she ate before I blindfolded her. She jumps, and I catch her as she locks her ankles around my waist, groaning into my mouth.
“I’m gonna have to repay you for this, Michaels.”
“Oh yeah?” I quirk a brow.
She rolls her eyes and smacks my chest. “Not like that!”
I run my fingers across the inside of her thigh, brushing the edge of her lace panties. “Are you sure because that’s my favorite—”
Before I can get the rest of the words out, she slaps a hand over my mouth and says, “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. I love you, but I will kick your ass.”
I grin against her hand.
Chuckling, I put her feet back on the ground and take her hand, pulling her back to the kitchen. “Alright. We can call it even and you can suck me later just cause.”
She whacks my arm.
“Ow!”
“That did not hurt. Don’t be a baby.”
I crack the window above the sink.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
Pulling my cigarettes from my pocket, I flick a brow.
“Shane! Colette will have your ass for smoking in here!”
I light one and pull it from my lips before holding it out to her. “Nah. Colette loves me. Plus, I guarantee you Jon smoked in all these units while he was working on them.”
She takes it from me, and climbs onto the counter, swinging her legs up to put her feet in the sink before patting the counter on the other side. I hop up and put my feet in too. She smiles, takes a drag and hands it back, blowing smoke out the window.
“Have you talked to your sister?”
I shake my head. Ash is home for the summer and is officially dating my best friend. Not only that, he stood on the fucking bar and announced it to everyone, like a lovesick puppy.
It was disturbing.
I don’t like it, but I was informed I don’t have a say in it. But I’ll tell you this right now, if he hurts her, they’re all going to wish they’d listened to me because I’m gonna burn the whole fucking town to the ground.
“You can’t be mad forever. She forgave you when she found out we were dating.”
I groan. That went about as badly as it could. We weren’t trying to avoid her, but Nik and I have kind of been in our own little bubble I guess. We’d talked about how we were going to tell Ash about us, but then time got away from me and my sister showed up at Nik’s and found me in her bed.
Luckily, Ash can’t hold a grudge.
“That’s not the same. She’s my little sister, and Gabe’s a dipshit.”
She laughs, resting her elbows on her knees, and grabs my free hand. “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think you’re half as bad as they say you are.”
“Fuck,” I say, blowing smoke. “Don’t go around saying that shit. I have a reputation to uphold.”
She winks, plucking the cigarette back as someone knocks on the door. When I hop down to answer it, she says, “Your secret’s safe with me.”
When I open the door, there’s an older woman standing on the other side. She’s small with red-rimmed glasses, a vibrant-colored outfit on, and her gray hair pulled back.
“You can’t smoke in here.” Her brows are drawn, and she frowns.
“Who the fuck are you?”
She rears back. “Loretta Nichols. I live upstairs, and I know you’re smoking in here. I can smell it from my window.”
My lip curls. “Listen, lady, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ll call Mr. Abbott.”
“Okay. You do that.” I laugh, closing the door in her face and turning back to Nik.
Her mouth hangs open. “See! I knew we were going to be in trouble!”
“Nah. I’ve heard Jon talk about that lady; she bitches about everything.”
Over the next week, I help Nik move her stuff into the apartment.
I’ve never seen someone shove their shit into boxes quite so fast. By the first day her room was completely packed up, and we spent the rest of the week just putting stuff away.
Colette had some old furniture in a storage unit that she said Nik could use.
It’ll be paper plates and solo cups for a few weeks until she can get everything she needs, but it’s livable, and she seems really happy.
It’s like getting out of that room at her mom’s finally freed her.
“Do we have to go?” I groan as Nik shoves the last of our shit into a duffle bag.
You’d think with a perfectly good apartment, you wouldn’t want to sleep outside, but what the hell do I know.
“Yes. It’ll be fun. You get to hang out with your friends, and I get to hang out with mine. Have you ever even been camping?”
“No, but that’s because it sounds like it sucks.”
“Well, I’ll show you how fun it can be when we get in that tent together.” She reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss me.
“Better yet, we could just stay here, and I’ll show you how much fun it can be to not leave the house.”
I grab the back of her head and pull her to me, kissing her hard this time.
“That does sound like a good time.” She pats my chest before turning away. “Maybe we could try it when we get back from camping.”
“Fine, but if he puts his hands on my sister, I’ll break his fucking nose,” I mutter, grabbing the bag off the ground and throwing it over my shoulder.
“Shane! He’s her boyfriend. He’s going to put his hands on her. You’re gonna have to chill.”
I roll my eyes, stalking out of the apartment.
The campgrounds aren’t nearly far enough away. When we finally make it to the site, I’d give just about anything to stay in the car just a little longer, but I get out anyway. Nik’s excited, and I know I should try to make the best of this shit.
The guys start setting up while the girls talk about whatever it is they talk about without us.
“It’s not hard. Have you never put a tent up?” JT laughs as he helps me put the fucking demon contraption together.
“Oh, he’s pitched a tent before alright.” Nik busts into a fit of laughter, smacking her hand down on her lawn chair.
I whip my head in her direction to glare.
“Nik, ew!” my sister squeals while Gabe laughs right along with her.
I hate all of them.
“Oh, wipe that dirty look off your face. We all know you’re broody. You don’t have to prove it,” Gabe shouts, making my sister laugh and making my blood boil.
“Fuck off!” Starting toward him, I ask, “Do you want me to beat your ass?”
JT stops me with a hand to my chest, saying, “Hey, chill out. He’s just fucking with you.”
The daggers I’m glaring at Gabe don’t subside even as I take a step back.
“Shut the fuck up,” I mumble, going back to the stupid tent.
It’s a miracle, but eventually I get the tent up, bitching to myself under my breath the whole time.
I’m aware I’m on edge, but I don’t want to be here, and I definitely don’t want to watch him with his arm draped around my sister.
Scratch that, now he has his mouth on her neck, and I really don’t want to watch that shit.
As I walk by him to sit next to Nik, I swat his head away from her. “Keep your tongue off my sister or you’ll be eating through a tube, motherfucker.”
“God, you’re a ray of sunshine, you know that?” He laughs, sitting up straight and removing his hand from her back.