Roomies Read online

  Roomies

  Lynn Stevens

  ROOMIES Copyright © 2018 Lynn Stevens

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Published by Lynn Stevens

  www.lstevensbooks.com

  Interior design by Polgarus Book Studio

  Cover design by Southampton Digital

  Copyright 2018 by Lynn Stevens

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-7321538-2-0

  For Bean

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Excerpt: Just One Summer

  Also by Lynn Stevens

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Lena and Ryder’s latest argument greeted me as I climbed the stairs to the second floor apartments. They didn’t fight very often, but with their impending wedding, my cousin and her fiancé didn’t hold back their tempers or opinions. Of course, Lena liked it. She had to tell me how the make-up sex was worth his stubborn attitude. Information I didn’t want or need to know. Wisely, I kept my mouth shut. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have a place to live. Or worse, I’d still be in Des Moines. I shook the thought out of my head. Des Moines was in the past and the people, including my mother, could stay there.

  They’d quieted down by the time I reached the top of the steps. The shouting had toned into loud whispers. I smiled. Lena and Ryder were perfect for each other. I put my key in the door, pushing it opened. My heart froze. The door had opened without unlocking it. I couldn’t move. A shadow darted from the living room toward the back bedroom, my room. My legs unfroze. I stepped away slowly, hoping not to make a single sound until I rapped on Lena’s door. My back pressed against the white wood. I knocked again. The door gave way and I fell back into my cousin’s fiancé.

  “Val?” Ryder asked.

  I pointed toward the open door across the hall. My stomach churned, threatening to clear the gallon of decaf I’d sucked down in the last hour. This wasn’t happening. Chicago was supposed to be my safe haven. Nobody knew I was here. Nobody was supposed to find me. I closed my eyes and prayed it was a robber, not somebody worse. I turned to move into Lena’s apartment, to push Ryder back in and away from the danger, but strong hands squeezed my upper arms. Ryder moved me out of the way like I was a rag doll. Just the mere touch of his fingers made me want to curl up in a ball. I couldn’t keep living like this.

  Ryder pushed by me in his bare-chested glory, his sculpted muscles cut with scars from his days as a Marine. I’d never seen a guy with a prosthetic leg move with so much grace. He rushed into my apartment. Well, not mine, not really. It was Ryder’s and his USMC buddy Josh’s place. Since Ryder spent most of his time at Lena’s and Josh was deployed, they’d let me move in until Josh returned in a couple of months. I hoped to be out of their way by then.

  Why didn’t he just call 911? Why didn’t I?

  I ran after him. Nightmares of Des Moines invaded by mind, but I shoved them back into their compartment. Ryder could get hurt. I’d never forgive myself if that happened. Not that I had ever been able to forgive myself for much of anything. Lena deserved happiness, and I would make sure she had it even if I couldn’t.

  It was still dark inside the apartment when a loud “oomph” sounded in the hallway. I flipped on the light, illuminating Ryder on top of the would-be robber. As I stared at the unfamiliar face, all I could think was thank God it wasn’t Sam.

  “Jesus, Ryder, I know you missed me, but tackling hugs aren’t necessary,” the robber said.

  “Josh?” Ryder sat up, still straddling the guy’s lap.

  It would’ve been funny had the circumstances been any different. Or even slightly different. Suddenly I longed for the home invader and not the roommate’s return. I’d have to move. There was no way I could stay here.

  I glanced down the hall where my door stood wide open with the light illuminating the dirty khaki duffle on the bed.

  “Where’s my stuff, man? I get home and reach into my dresser only to pull out some black lace panties.” Josh cocked an eyebrow at Ryder. “Something you need to tell me?”

  Ryder smacked Josh’s shoulder, bringing a grimace to his face.

  “Oh, shit. Don’t tell me you got shot? Again?” Ryder shook his head and rose to his feet, offering Josh a hand up.

  “Yeah, well, this time it’s not life threatening.” Josh reached over and touched his shoulder.

  Shot? I shuddered.

  It was the first good look I had of him. There weren’t any pictures in the apartment, so I never would’ve known this guy except from Lena’s description. She said he looked more like a kid playing solider than a real one. I didn’t see that. The desert sun leathered Josh’s long chiseled face. Tight muscles welded his tall frame together. Put a cowboy hat on him and most women would drop their panties for a guy like Josh. But I could see what Lena meant. He wasn’t the masculine tough guy Ryder was, but he was gorgeous in his own way.

  “So, you gonna tell me what’s going on?” Josh glanced at Ryder before settling his gaze on me.

  Lena picked that moment to barrel into the room with a baseball bat high above her head. She stopped as soon as she saw Ryder leaning against the half-wall of the steps beside Josh. The bat fell from her hands.

  “You’re home?”

  “Yep.” Josh nodded toward me. “Who’s the hot chick?”

  I raised my eyebrows but didn’t say a word. What could I say? I thought I had three more months. Bile burned as it rose up my throat like lava. Even if I wanted to talk, I couldn’t. More than words would spew from my mouth.

  Lena piped up. “This is my cousin Valerie. She’s been staying here for the last few months.”

  Josh turned to Ryder. “So, not your panties then?”

  Ryder smirked, and I fell through the floor. I knew the exact pair he’d found. Lena practically forced me to buy them a few weeks ago after she dragged me to a lingerie store in the mall. She had it in her head that sexy undies equaled feeling sexy. I’d never bothered removing the tag. There wasn’t a point. Sexy was the last thing I ever felt.

  “Why’re you home so early?” Lena asked as she gave me an apologetic glance. “Don’t you have another three months on your tour?”

  Josh pointed to his injured shoulder. “Got shot.”

  “Again,” Ryder added.

  “Not my fault you weren’t there to take the bullet for me.” Josh swayed a little before leaning against the wall. His face never lost that carefree expression, but something wasn’t right.

  Memories reared their ugly head even more when his left hand began to shake. This I knew, this shake, this pain. I didn’t know where he’d gotten shot before, but this time was worse than he was letting on. He shoved his hand in the pocket of his camo pants and grinned lazily.

  Josh rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. His gaze shifted toward me, slowly drifting from my feet until he met my stare. I shuddered at the intensity rolling off him and glanced away. “So, Ryder, I guess you’re living with Lena now and my stuff’s upstairs.”

  Ryder nodded, his eyes narrowed at his friend. “Yeah, you’d always
wanted that room anyway.”

  “True.” Josh nodded and closed his eyes as a yawn rolled from his lips. “Sorry to ruin the party, but I’m going to hit the sack. It’s been a long day, and I’m beat.” Josh pointed toward the clock that read eleven. “Mind if we catch up tomorrow?”

  “Nah, man.” Ryder slapped Josh on this right shoulder this time. “Just tell me what time breakfast is and I’ll be over.”

  Josh laughed and moved toward the steps. “Make your own damned breakfast, Ryder. You’re taking me out to lunch tomorrow.”

  Lena grabbed his arm as he went by to stop him. She rose to her tippy-toes to kiss his cheek. “I’m glad you’re home, Josh.”

  He smiled and glanced my way one more time before climbing the steps in silence, each foot heavier than the last until he’d reached the top. Once he was out of sight, the iron grip on my mouth loosened.

  “Lena,” I whispered, swallowing the panic. She turned to face me. “What am I going to do? I can’t stay here now that Josh is back, and I don’t have enough money yet to find a place I can afford –”

  “Relax, Val. It’ll be fine. We’ll work it out in the morning, okay?” Her perfect chestnut hair fell over half her face. I’d always admired my older cousin. Thank God for social media bringing us together. If it wasn’t for that, I don’t know where I’d have gone when things fell apart in Iowa.

  I nodded, reluctant to let it go. How could I sleep in the same apartment with a man who I’d never met until tonight? Hell, I could barely sleep when it was empty? Insomnia was my best friend these days.

  “Go to bed. You lock your door every night. Josh won’t hurt you, Val.” She gripped both of my shoulders. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

  I locked the door behind Ryder and Lena. Then I checked twice. My fingers quaked. I was in an apartment with a strange man. A loud rumble rolled down the steps. Great, a strange man who sounded like a bear. I hurried down the hall to the bathroom, barely getting the door locked before unceremoniously freeing my stomach of the decaf. I wiped my mouth and flushed. My belly growled in anger. This wasn’t happening. I should’ve had three more months. Why was he back early? Yeah, he got shot, but that sounded like par for the course with this guy. That sucked. I knew what unwanted pain was like, but I’d never been shot. Thank God. I needed to clear my head. The shower called my name. After brushing my teeth, I let the water wash away my fear.

  Obviously, I needed to find a new place to live, one I could afford on a barista’s salary, and fast. That wasn’t going to be easy with no credit and little cash. Even I knew I was a risk. And a roommate was out of the question.

  My last night in Des Moines flashed in my mind as it often did. I rubbed my hands over my neck, wishing I could wash away the feeling of his hands around my throat. There wasn’t any visible sign of what he’d done to me. Bruises faded, but there were plenty of other scars. My lower back and upper thighs were littered with them.

  Even I couldn’t explain why I’d stayed for as long as I did. And now I was free. Mostly. Sometimes the grip still overpowered me from more than five hundred miles away. Sometimes I could pretend it didn’t exist. And sometimes I cowered in the corner as if he was here in Chicago with me.

  Freedom. I’ve tasted it and wasn’t about to give it up. I finished the shower and slipped into my room, locking that door too. Lena and Ryder may trust Josh, but I didn’t. I didn’t trust anyone.

  I fired up my antique laptop, logging on to the nearest Wi-Fi. People really needed to learn to protect their connections. It didn’t take a genius to piggyback on free Wi-Fi.

  Less than an hour late, I realized how truly screwed I was. Café Bristol was three blocks from Lena’s building, which was why I applied there in the first place. All of the other apartments within walking distance required double what I had saved up for a deposit and were out of my price range anyway. And references. I had none. I didn’t have a car so anything outside of the area was out of the question. Top it off with no skill set in an economy where people with Master’s degrees couldn’t find work showed how totally screwed I was. It wasn’t like I could move then find a new job within three blocks of a new apartment. I was lucky Artie hired me at the café despite a complete lack of experience.

  The worst thought popped into my head. I’d have to go home. And if I went home, they’d all be waiting for me to make good on the promise I made. A promise I never intended to keep.

  There had to be another answer somewhere. I just hoped Josh gave me enough time to find it.

  Chapter Two

  I stayed in my room the next morning even though I could smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen. The welcome mat had been yanked out from under my feet the night before, and I didn’t want to remind Josh I was still invading his space.

  God, this was awkward. I had to pee so bad, but that meant leaving my borrowed sanctuary. After about forty minutes, my bladder threatened to spill its contents on the comforter Lena’d let me borrow.

  I crept down the hall, slipping into the bathroom. When I came back into the hallway, Josh leaned against the wall in red basketball shorts and a plain white tee. It suited his tall frame, making him look more athletic than he did the night before. He held a coffee mug in each hand.

  “Thought maybe we should talk.” Josh’s voice deepened as his gaze drifted down to my toes before he glanced away.

  I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide what little cleavage I had. My tiny B-cups were flapping around without required support. The thin white tank I slept in didn’t help. I should’ve changed. Stupid, stupid, stupid Val. Story of my life. My ears burned.

  “You wanna meet me in …” Josh lookd at me again before heading toward the kitchen. “Whenever you’re ready,” he shouted down the hallway.

  It took me less than five minutes to put on jeans, t-shirt, and most importantly a bra. But I waited another ten before leaving my room. Even then, I slipped back into the bathroom to brush my teeth and tug my hair into a ponytail. Once I felt humanesque, I walked toward the front room.

  Josh stood in the kitchen, wiping down the spotless fake granite countertops. I wasn’t the messiest girl in the world, but these were eat-off-the-counter quality clean. Another discrepancy from what Lena had told me about Josh. He wasn’t the slob she made him out to be.

  “Hey,” he said when he spun around. “Have a seat.”

  The apartment didn’t have a formal dining room, just one large living room-dining room combo. The window between the galley kitchen and the main living space had wide counter perfect for two bachelors. I sat on one of the two mismatched barstools. The sparse decorating and lack of a table made it clear this was a bachelor pad. I noticed Lena’s touches here and there: a coat rack by the door, oriental throw pillows on the couch, and red placemats on the counter.

  “So,” Josh said, sliding a mug of coffee in front of me.

  I grimaced. This conversation wouldn’t go my way. I could feel it. He would tell me to get out, and I would end up in Lena’s spare room on the floor. Or worse, on my way back to Des Moines. I warmed my hands on the ceramic mug with the eagle, anchor, and globe etched in gold.

  “Not much of a talker, huh?” Josh leaned against the stove, eyeing me with what I assumed was either disgust or curiosity. I’d be thinking both about a freeloader living in my apartment, too. Curiosity about who I was and disgust that I couldn’t stand on my own two feet. Thoughts I had about myself, so there was no doubt Josh felt the same. “Well, Lena clued me in a bit this morning. You’re welcome to stay until you figure things out.”

  How much did Lena tell him? She didn’t know much though. My eyebrows pulled together as I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. Wait, he’s not kicking me out. Seriously?

  “You can speak, you know. I don’t bite.” He smiled and the entire kitchen lit up. “Unless I’m on a hot date, even then the circumstances have to be right.”

  I couldn’t help myself. A small laugh bubbled free.

  �
��Ah, so you can make some kind of noise.” Josh pushed off the stove and leaned toward me. “Whatever happened to you in Des Moines, it’s none of my business, but you’re safe here. For as long as you need to stay. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I squeaked. Clearing my throat, I took a sip of coffee. I smiled at the perfect black brew for a moment before glancing up at Josh. He raised his eyebrows. I lifted the cup in salute. “Chicory. Nice touch.”

  “Nice catch. Most people don’t get it unless they’ve been to New Orleans.” Josh grabbed a towel and started wiping the counter with his left arm. The grimace filled his face as he sucked back a painful moan. His mouth thinned into a tight line as he let his left arm fall and his right hand took over.

  Knowing he probably didn’t want to talk about what happened, I ignored the entire situation. It wasn’t hard. Ignoring bad things, pretending they just don’t exist in my world, that was easy. In fact, it was how I lived my life.

  Which was exactly how I ended up running from Des Moines to a cousin I hadn’t seen in fifteen years.

  Chapter Three

  Josh and I fell into an easy routine. It was scary how comfortable living with him was. Our schedules synced, and we barely saw one another. No need for conversation this way, and the rare times we were together, nothing felt forced. It was a casual quiet. After a few weeks, I’d scraped together enough money for a deposit on an apartment. Until I checked the listings. Nothing was left in my price range.

  Lena took me to lunch after she found me crying in my room.

  “I just can’t,” I said, not entirely sure what I was confessing. There was so much.

  “You’re going to be fine.” Lena squeezed my hand. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I’m here when you’re ready.”

  I squeezed her back and let go. Telling her would be easy. I just wasn’t ready to let her see how I failed. How I let someone control me. How I’d lost myself along the way. “I don’t want to be a burden. Josh hasn’t even asked me for rent—”