by Vi Lily
“Can you open the back without hurting yourself?” he asks. Coming from anyone else, it would sound like sarcasm, but I know Alex is seriously concerned about me.
“Yeah,” I tell him and then I carefully move between the two front seats and open the door from the backseat. I couldn’t have done that in the Navigator; the old style SUVs are definitely roomier.
I scoot backwards while he lays the unconscious — God, please don’t let him be dead — dog on the seat next to me, then drags the tire in and throws it over the backseat.
My heart clenches as I take in Ogre’s condition. The poor baby… my heart clenches as I see the snow stuck to his brown fur in little white balls and I immediately take my coat off to cover him. I’m shocked when I see Alex doing the same thing.
“He’s alive,” Alex says as he tucks his jacket around the poor dog. “Barely though. We need to get him warm.”
Alex closes the door and I scoot closer to Ogre so that I can pull his limp head into my lap where I stroke his frozen ears.
When Alex gets back into the Ram, he immediately turns the heat to “high” and starts to drive off, putting his seatbelt on as he goes. I know he feels like I do — get the hell away from the old man as fast as possible.
There’s no denying it — we’re criminals. Stealing a dog. I wonder if it’s a felony… and then the desperate, sick side of me thinks, “Well, at least I’ll have a for-sure place to stay and three meals a day if we get caught.”
Of course, thanks to Alex, I already have that.
When we’re about a block away and no one appears to be chasing us, I relax slightly. I see Alex watching me in the rearview mirror and if I thought it were possible, I’d say he was amused.
“No one’s chasing us,” he says, confirming my suspicions. “I don’t think we’re going to be wanted for mangy junkyard dog theft.”
I give him a small smile and turn my attention to Ogre. I stroke his dirty head, thinking he needs a bath as badly as I did just yesterday. “What’s wrong with him?”
While I can’t see his expression, I sense that he grimaces. “I don’t know — malnutrition, exposure, neglect?”
So, pretty much the same situation I was in yesterday. If it hadn’t been for Alex…
I shake myself out of my thoughts and look back at Ogre. He’s breathing, at least, but I wonder how much damage he suffered by being out in the cold, in the snow.
Alex seems to read my thoughts. “He was probably trying to find a warmer place to be, digging into the snow. He’d made a pretty good-sized hole before he passed out, or whatever.”
I wonder at that; I seem to remember reading something about snow caves saving the lives of people caught out in a snowstorm.
My eyes feel with tears. “Poor guy,” I whisper and I look back up to see Alex watching me again. “Do you think he’ll be alright?” I can’t tell for sure, but I think he winced.
“Let’s hope so.”
Chapter 3
O GRE WAKES UP after about an hour. He’s groggy, out of it, but still growly and snarly. But he never once snaps at me and so I keep petting him and talking softly to him.
“My poor Ogre,” I croon. “You’ll be okay, baby. You just need to get warm and then we’ll give you a bath and some yummy food and then you’ll be all better, ‘kay?”
“You know,” Alex says, sounding more growly than Ogre, “I bet that baby talk is as annoying to the dog as it is to me,” he grumbles. I ignore him, because I think I have him figured out.
He’s sitting next to me, watching some basketball game. When he carried Ogre into the house after cutting that horrible chain off him, he put the filthy, wet and very stinky dog on the big ottoman upholstered in cream-colored fabric. It’s ruined now, for sure, but Alex didn’t seem to care. He then pulled the ottoman over to the sofa next to where he’d placed me and got what looks like an expensive velour blanket and covered Ogre. He even lit a fire. The room is warm and cozy now.
Alex did as much to make Ogre comfortable as he does for me. We’re both mangy mutts in desperate need of help and Super Alex swooped in and saved both our days. I’m pretty sure he saved both our lives, so that makes him a hero in my eyes.
But he’s just as snappy as Ogre, growling everyone away before they get too close. I recognize it now as a defense mechanism — to avoid being hurt again. I know the mean old man is the one who hurt Ogre, but I wonder who damaged Alex.
Now that Ogre is awake, I have to assume he’s hungry. Alex dropped the bag of food we’d taken to him, so I’m going to have to find something else. I remember the burned bacon in the trash and start to scoot to the edge of the sofa so I can push myself up.
“What do you need?” Alex asks as he stands. Ogre growls at him and Alex makes a hissing “ssst” sound that immediately hushes the dog. Alex then shocks me by murmuring “good boy” as he reaches down to scratch him behind the ears.
I force myself to look away from his big hand gently petting the dog and I catch his eyes on me. One eyebrow is raised in question.
“Oh, uh, I was gonna get Ogre the bacon that Steve threw away.”
Alex scowls again. “The hell you are.” That seems to be becoming his favorite saying with me. “Damned if I’ll let you dig through a trash can.”
There he goes with the “let me” crap again…
Anger rises up in me then before I can stop it. “It won’t be the first time, and probably not the last!” I spit out, matching his scowl. I push myself up and ignore the twinge. I know I’ve surprised us both by standing up to him. Literally and figuratively.
“Standing up to Alex literally” doesn’t mean a whole lot. I mean, the guy towers over me. I know some chicks like that, those big, tall guys. Not me. I’m on the fun-size side and I don’t like having to look up to everyone. It seriously sucks. And with Alex, looking up to him means a freaking crick in my neck.
“You’re too damned tall,” I growl at him irrationally.
“You’re too damned short,” he shoots back.
“Yeah?” I cross my arms over my chest, seriously wondering who the hell has invaded my body and managed to grow me a set of balls. Big ones too. “Well you’re too freaking bossy!”
He smirks. “And you’re stubborn as hell.”
My eyes bug. “Me? Me stubborn? Take a look in the mirror, Mr. My Way Or The Highway!”
“My way is what’s keeping you from injuring yourself more!” His voice rises to almost yelling level and I involuntarily take a step back, realizing I’m an idiot to throw stones at Goliath.
I think I’ve just crossed an invisible boundary.
Ogre growls low and long then, different than before. This is a warning. We both turn to look at him.
“It’s okay, boy,” Alex tells the dog. “I won’t hurt your girl.” He glances back at me with a frown.
“She just needs a good spanking,” he mutters.
Whattt?
Before I can sputter out a protest at that — the “Oh no he did-ent, here, hold my earrings,” girl warning — Alex picks me up again, carries me to the kitchen and sets me on a stool.
He goes to the fridge, opens the freezer drawer and pulls out what looks like a package of steaks. After putting it in the microwave — and I don’t even mention the fact that the Styrofoam tray is going to melt because I’m seriously too angry to even talk right now without yelling — he then starts digging in the pantry.
It’s weirdly domestic to be in a kitchen with a guy while making food, even if it is just food for a junkyard dog. I still want to say something about the meat package that’s going to eventually turn to goo, but I’m going to be stubbornly silent, just because I’m pissed. Childish, yeah, I know.
But seriously, who does this guy think he is?
My lips are in a straight line as I fight not to give him a piece — or a giant chunk — of my mind. I keep telling myself that he’s just trying to help, that yeah, he’s bossy, but he is looking out for me, protecting me… even from m
yself, I guess.
I have a feeling those words are going to become my mantra in Life With Alex.
My thoughts startle me. I can’t believe I’m actually thinking of a life with him. I mean, this is just a temporary situation and we’re just friends. Sort of. I’m not sure if friends threaten to spank each other.
I need to get my mind off these stupid fantasies.
It would be nice to have a friend, though. I haven’t in forever, not since the disappearance and the need to lay low. But then again, the “friends” I had in my former over-privileged life weren’t really friends. They were more like competitors on the same team. We “snob-nobbed.”
If Suzanne bought a Marc Jacobs handbag, then Evie had to run out and get a Gadino. Roger got the eight-thousand-dollar Nikes, so Juan Pablo had to get the top Adidas at ten thousand. My grandfather bought me a three-carat emerald choker, so Kaila had to get a two-carat diamond necklace.
Not a single one of the dozens of “friends” I had back then would have taken me in like Alex did.
He pulled out a can of beef broth and a bag of rice. I can see what he’s planning, so I get up to help. Of course, he snarls at me over that.
“Go sit down,” he orders, but I ignore him as I move around the island.
“Let me help.” I open the microwave and take the steaks out. Thankfully, the tray hasn’t totally melted yet. I’d hate to feed Ogre meat that’s been contaminated with fluorocarbons or whatever.
Alex takes the package out of my hand and I huff in exasperation. “Okay, fine, you cut the steaks into little chunks and I’ll make the rice. I can handle that much.”
He eyes me for a second, then reluctantly nods as he moves to a cabinet and pulls out a pan and a lid. I measure out some rice and use the broth instead of water as Alex starts cutting the meat, tossing the chunks into the rice broth as he goes. Once he’s done, I put the lid on it and turn the burner to high.
“Can you cook?” he asks as we both stand there staring at the rice through the glass lid. What do they say about a “watched pot never boils?” Guess we both forgot that lesson.
He moves to the fridge again and hands me a soda. I sip at it for a second. “Making rice for a dog isn’t exactly ‘cooking’.” I shrug. “But yeah, I can somewhat. It’s been a long time, though, since we couldn’t afford…” I let my voice trail off, embarrassed at what I was going to admit.
Alex, of course, doesn’t let it go. “Couldn’t afford what?” he asks as he heads to the freezer and pulls out some frozen burritos. I smile to myself; it’s only been two hours since breakfast. He definitely is a “growing boy.” He tosses them in the microwave and stabs at the display with his big finger.
I know he isn’t going to let me get away with not answering, so I sigh heavily. He might as well know the whole story, since he already knows quite a bit.
“After our parents disappeared, my brother and I were fine financially for a while. But then Devon got on drugs and made some really bad choices.” I shrug as I lean my hip against the counter.
“Like every addict does. Anyway, he blew through all the money we had and it wasn’t long before we had no electricity, no gas, no water even. Of course, that meant no money for food.”
His dark blue eyes watch me, but he doesn’t say anything. I can almost hear him thinking though.
“Devon started selling the drugs,” I continue, “but he never used any of the money to make life better for us. I guess he just used it to buy more drugs for himself and his friends whenever he’d have a ‘party’,” I air quote.
I take another sip of soda and stare at the beautiful decorative tile on the floor. That’s pretty much all I want to admit at the moment and I hope Alex doesn’t ask me any questions.
“So how were you able to stay in that mansion?”
I sigh to myself. Of course he couldn’t leave it alone. “Mom and Dad bought it outright.”
“And school?”
Ugh, the dude is going to dig at the sore, obviously. The rice finally starts to boil, so I turn it down and move back to my seat at the island.
“They had paid for all four years’ tuition for both me and my brother up front. Devon graduated a couple years ago.”
I glance at him and can see him thinking about my explanation. I know that he’s probably figuring that’s why my school uniform is in such bad shape. And why almost all my shoes are too small.
Thankfully, he doesn’t comment.
Honestly, I have no idea why I’m so embarrassed by my circumstances. I mean, it’s not like I asked for this to happen. I didn’t even do anything to cause it. I’m completely innocent in this case. I guess it’s just the way I was brought up with the super-rich and all the pretentiousness, the keeping up with the Joneses attitude.
Admitting you need help is considered the worst sin ever.
The microwave dings signaling the burritos are ready and he turns to pull them out. “You know, those would taste a lot better if you’d fry them in a little butter first,” I suggest. “That way, they’re more like chimichangas.”
Alex looks at me like I’m speaking another language and I laugh and carefully scoot off the barstool again. “Here, let me,” I say as I take the plate from him and move toward the stove. I open the cabinet that he’d taken the pan from and find a small skillet, but before I can even move to the fridge, he’s already handing me a stick of butter.
Once the burritos are frying, I check the rice. It still has another ten minutes, but the liquid has already been absorbed, so I add a little water. I turn back around and see Alex staring at me with such intensity that I feel myself blush.
Weird.
HE TOO
Chapter 1
A LEX HAD THE strangest sensation standing in the kitchen watching Ari at the stove. It was like… a rightness settled over him. Like she was where she was supposed to be.
Not in the kitchen, he snorted to himself. Barefoot and pregnant… He actually started at that thought, the idea of her being pregnant with his baby. He mentally shook his head over his ridiculous thoughts.
But it seemed right to have her there, in his house, doing mundane things like cooking or cleaning. It was weird and he didn’t want to think about it too much.
Once the burritos were crispy, he sprinkled some shredded cheddar on them and grabbed a jar of salsa, then put one on a plate for her, taking two himself. Ari’s eyes almost bugged when he set the plate in front of her on the island.
“I thought those were for you,” she said as she stared at the plate like he’d just handed her a bowl of slithering snakes with a side of roaches. Her beautiful light-green eyes were huge when she looked up at him.
“We just ate like two hours ago.”
Alex shrugged. “I’m hungry after trudging through the snow and you need as many calories as you can put between your lips.”
Almost involuntarily, his eyes traveled to those lips. They were a light pink, soft-looking. Kissable…
Again, he shook himself. His thoughts were ridiculous. He was not interested in Ari that way. In any way. She was just someone who needed help and he happened to be there. Anyone would have done the same.
He ignored the little voice telling him that he’d never done anything like that before to help someone. And no one else had helped the girl in the years that she’d been suffering. He also ignored the little pang he felt in his chest at the thought of her hurting in any way.
He was turning into a big pussy apparently.
Ogre’s growling drew his attention and he went to check on him. Steve had come downstairs and saw the dog. Of course, he’d gone over to say “hi” and Ogre started his snarling act. Alex knew that’s all it was, too — an act. The dog was as bad as he was with growling at anyone who got too close.
“He’s all bark, no bite,” Alex told his brother, who nodded and then leaned down to scratch the dog’s head. Ogre did snap then.
Alex almost laughed when Steve jerked his hand back. “Okay, maybe he’s
a little bite too,” he shrugged, then went back into the kitchen.
Ari was at the stove again and had taken the pan off the stove. She glanced at him as she pulled the lid off and steam rolled out.
“It needs to cool,” she said, stating the obvious. Alex grabbed the pan and a dish towel, then wrapped the pan in the cloth and put it in the freezer.
He then motioned to the island as he cocked an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes but moved back to her seat and started cutting the burrito, taking tiny bites. He moved around the island to sit beside her as he dug into his own burritos.
Steve came in then and laughed when he saw them eating. “Didn’t get enough at breakfast?” he asked as he pulled a beer out of the fridge. Alex glanced at the clock. It was ten thirty. He shrugged; maybe Steve was out of cocaine and needed something to numb himself.
“Alex is a pain when it comes to making me eat,” Ari grumbled as she stabbed another bite. Steve laughed again.
“Good. You need some meat on those cute little bones of yours.”
Alex’s eyes shot up to his brother. He didn’t like the jerk flirting with Ari and he’d already warned him to behave. Alex gave him a look, silently reminding him of that conversation.
Steve just winked at him.
Alex could practically feel the heat shooting off Ari at his brother’s comment. She blushed more than anyone he’d ever come across. None of the girls at school did; he always figured it was because they didn’t have a speck of innocence left in them.
But Ari did; it was practically written across her forehead. Innocent.
Alex wondered how innocent she’d be if her circumstances hadn’t gone the way they had. Would she be like the Raine’s of the world — stuck-up, self-centered and a total bitch? Probably. Even though her life had sucked royally for the past few years, he liked Ari just as she was and maybe it was one of those “blessings in disguise” his gramma had always talked about that she’d ended up in such a crappy situation.
