by Cindy Wilder
“You couldn't have fit much in one bag, Carrie. You're going to be here for three months.”
“I'll wash once a week,” I answered. “How was work?”
I could see Kyle watching us from the corner of my eye.
“It was good. I'm looking into buying a few companies. I've been spending time researching them. How was your day? Do you like your room?”
“It was good,” I said. “I was hoping you would pick me up at the airport. I haven't seen you in two years. My room's okay, I guess. All of my stuff was missing and someone else's stuff was in it.”
He gave me his stern look, and it took all I had not to laugh. My father wasn't used to being challenged.
“I had him put your stuff downstairs. You're sixteen now. I figured you would have a laptop, phone, and tablet to keep you busy. You didn't need any of that old stuff.”
“That's what Kyle told me you said. There's one problem, dad. You had him put my stuff down there two years ago.”
Just as he opened his mouth to say something back that I was sure I wasn't going to like, the front door opened. I could hear a woman chattering away.
“My mom's home. This should be fun,” Kyle said, as he looked over at me with a smile.
A tall, thin, pretty woman walked into the room. She was dressed to kill. I couldn't believe she had on a designer dress and insanely tall heels. She pulled out the chair next to my dad's and fell down into it, as she continued blabbing away into her phone. I heard my dad clear his throat as he looked her in the eye. She rolled her eyes and let out a huff like a child, as she hung up her phone and set it down on the table.
“You must be Carrie,” she said.
“You must be Laura,” I replied. “It's nice to meet you.”
“Did you like your new room?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,” I said. “It was.”
“Amazing was the word she used earlier,” Kyle said with a laugh.
I kicked him hard under the table and heard him groan.
“Yes,” I said. “Amazing.”
Rosie walked out with a glass of wine and set it down in front of Laura. I watched Laura look up with a dirty look on her face, as she took a drink of her wine.
“Rosie,” I said. “Aren't you going to sit with us?”
I heard Laura gasp.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. “Too much wine?”
Rosie gave me the look. It was a look to let me know I was pushing my limits. She knew it wouldn't take my father long to get upset with my attitude.
“I'm fine,” Laura said. “I thought you asked if the housekeeper was going to have dinner with us.”
“I asked Rosie if she was having dinner with us,” I said. “I wasn't aware that there was anything wrong with that question. Apparently there is.”
“I'm fine,” Rosie said. “I'll see you in a bit, Carrie. I made your favorite cheesecake for dessert.”
Rosie hurried to the kitchen before I could say anything else.
“Kyle's going into the service in two months. The two of you will have to share his car until he leaves. You can have it to yourself the third month. He won't be able to take it with him right away,” Laura said.
“That's okay,” I said. “I don't need his car. Thank you though.”
“Is it not good enough for you?” he asked in a cocky tone. “I'm sure it's not as fancy as yours.”
If he only knew. His car was a million times nicer than mine, I thought. At least he had one. I didn't even have a license. Who the hell did he think he was? He obviously knew nothing about my life, but he was judging me.
“It's exactly like hers,” Laura said. “Don't start, Kyle. Make her feel at home here.”
“What's exactly like mine?” I snapped. “What do you mean make me feel at home? This is my home. It has been since the day I was born, which is way longer than.”
“Carrie,” Rosie called out from the kitchen. “Can you please come here for a minute?”
I pushed my chair back with a huff and stood.
“Why did you even bring me here?” I mumbled on the way out.
I walked into the kitchen and stopped. Rosie shook her head and pointed to one of the chairs. I sat down and put my head in my arms.
“Calm down, child,” she said.
“No,” I said from under my arms. “Who does she think she is? What the heck is she talking about a car? Why don't you eat with them?”
There were a million things running through my head and she was the only one I could talk to.
“It's okay,” she said.
“No,” I snapped, as my head shot up. “I don't belong here. I'm not one of them, and I never will be. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. I'd leave in a second. If I took off for the summer, neither of my wonderful parents would notice. Don't get me started on that shithead out there.”
“Language,” Rosie snapped. “You make me want to tan your hide. I can't believe she lets you talk like that.”
“Who does that punk think he is? He's leaving in two months. He has been judging me since the moment I knocked on the door. Yes, I said knocked on my own front door. It's not my fault that I haven't been here. Believe me, I would have run here if I could have gotten away from her. You're the only one that cares about me. Back to him. He has done nothing but talk about how lucky I am to have all the money and not have to live here. What the hell is he even talking about? I don't have a damn thing. Do you know why I only brought one suitcase? That's all I have. I brought everything. I left behind a couple of winter items. Do you see him? He has everything. My dad gives him everything. What do I have? I don't have a damn thing. They probably spend time together too. Maybe if I was a boy it would be different. I don't know. I just don't understand any of this. They are a happy family, and I'm not a part of it.”
“Do not mistake what you see out there for a happy family,” Rosie said with her hand on my shoulder. “That boy has things, but he can't wait to get out of here. Neither of them spends one moment with him. I have no idea where his father is. He's leaving for the service so he can get away from his mother. She is a nasty woman. I have no idea why your father is with her. All she does is put that boy down. Your dad works all the time. That hasn't changed. He does love you. I'm not sure why Kyle has more than you. You need to talk to your dad about that. It's not my place to say anything. Your dad would have you living here if he could. I eat in here. When she moved in, she wasn't fond of the idea of me eating with them. I told your dad not to worry about it. I had no intention of eating anywhere near her. Kyle's not a bad kid. He treats me good. He puts up an attitude, but that's not the real him. Don't judge him if you don't want him judging you. He just hears what those two out there say. We have three months together. Tell them you're going to your room. I'll bring you up some food. You need to calm down and stop fighting everything.”
Rosie put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.
“I want to soak up every moment I have with you, baby girl. I love you,” she said.
“I love you too,” I said.
I walked into the dining room and stopped. When I leaned down and hugged my dad, I felt him relax a little.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said. “I'm going to my room. I need some sleep. It was a long flight.”
“I want to talk to you,” he said. “I'll be up in a bit.”
“You know where to find me,” I said, as I turned and walked away. “I'll be in the guest room.”
Before he could say anything, I took off up the stairs. I was so glad the master bedroom wasn't on the same floor as mine. It was bad enough Kyle was one wall away. His lucky ass didn't have to be anywhere near them.
I fell down on my bed and covered my head with my pillow. Only a few minutes passed before Rosie walked in with food. She used to sneak food up to my room when my parents would argue. It was something that brought me comfort.
“I brought you two pieces of cheesecake,” she said, as she set the tray down o
n the dresser. “Kyle will show up in the kitchen for an extra piece once his mom goes to her room. You two aren't as different as you think. Relax in here tonight. I'll be working outside tomorrow. Do you want to join me?”
“Yes,” I said. “I do.”
“Be out there at nine,” she said.
She meant it. That was one thing I remembered about her. Be there on time. That was a big deal for her. She was very relaxed about most things. I was always respectful about what was important to her. She walked to the door and stopped.
“Please, talk to your father,” she said, as she pulled my door shut behind her.
I turned on the television and ate my spaghetti. It was even better than I remembered. Just as I was digging into my cheesecake, there was a knock at the door.
“What?” I yelled out.
The door opened. I was happy to see it was only Kyle. My dad wasn't fond of me eating in my room. He had caught me a few times in the past. I would watch him voice his opinion, but he never took it away from me. He would always grab a piece of whatever it was and leave the room.
“What the fuck,” he said, as he walked into the room.
I looked up at him, as I took a giant bite and smiled. He was so damn cute, even when he was mad.
“This is bullshit,” he said with his arms across his chest, as he stood at the bottom of my bed.
I could see his muscles bulging out of the sleeve of his black t-shirt. He was only two years older than me, but he was built like a grown man.
“What is?” I asked innocently.
I knew it would only piss him off more.
“You got to sit and eat it your room while I had to sit and endure their stressful silence and patronizing comments.”
“Jealous,” I said, as I pushed my plate to the side of my bed.
“You are such a spoiled brat. This just proves it even more.”
“No it doesn't,” I snapped. “You don't know me. The only reason I'm up here, is so that Rosie doesn't have to hear me speak disrespectfully to your bitch of a mom.”
That should do it, I thought. I knew guys never liked when you talked bad about their moms. He would leave my room and not come back.
“Oh,” he said. “Like your dad's any better. He hasn't seen his precious daughter in two years. What does he do? He stays at the office and has a driver pick her up.”
Nope, I thought. That didn't get rid of the sexy pest. I got up on my knees and moved down to the edge of my bed.
“I'm not his precious daughter,” I snapped. “I'm not sure why he even wanted me here. The only reason I came was to see Rosie. He won't spend a moment of the three months with me. You'll see. I'm used to that. He's never spent more than an hour with me at a time. He doesn't care.”
“I don't get it,” he said. “If he doesn't care, then why is he always flying off to fight your bitch of a mom in court?”
“What?” I asked.
“Never mind,” he said. “If you're not spoiled, then explain why my car's not good enough for you. It's a damn Mustang. What did you expect? What do you drive?”
“You know what's so funny about you?” I asked, as I stood up on my bed and looked him directly in the eyes. “If I wanted to use your car, you'd probably bitch about it just as much as you are now. I bet there's no pleasing you.”
“Oh, I can be pleased,” he said with a smirk. “I bet you have a bright red Corvette.”
“You are such a jerk,” I said.
He reached over and grabbed my plate with my cheesecake on it.
“Put my damn cake down. It's my favorite. I've waited two long years for that cheesecake. I don't want to talk about your stupid car anymore. If I need to go anywhere, I'll have Rosie take me.”
“Oh, so you're too good to even drive yourself,” he said. “Does your mom bow down to you too?”
“Shut up,” I yelled.
“Look,” he said. “I'm not trying to be a dick.”
“Really,” I said. “So it just comes naturally for you.”
I saw his jaw tighten. Yep, I was hitting a nerve. I was actually having fun messing with him. That was when he crossed the line. He took a large scoop of my cheesecake and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Oh no, you didn't just do that you shithead,” I snapped. “Give me that cheesecake.”
He laughed and took a second bite. Then he let out a moan that stopped me in my tracks. I had never heard anything so good in all my life.
“Spoiled brat,” he said, as I reached for the plate.
He reached forward and pushed me down on my bed. Then he put yet another giant bite of my food into his big mouth.
“How can you say that?” I asked. “Look around your room and then look around mine. You have everything you could possibly want, but you stand here judging me. I just don't get it.”
“Oh please,” he said, as he scraped the plate and finished off the last bite. “I hear my mom and your dad argue constantly about how much money he gives you. It's the only thing I ever hear them talk about.”
“It's nice to know he at least talks about me. That's all he does for me,” I said. “You said it yourself. I've been gone for two years and he hasn't even said welcome home or hugged me once.”
“Whatever,” he said, as he put the plate back down on my bed. “I can't wait to get the fuck out of here.”
“You have no idea how good you've got it,” I said. “I'd trade places with you in a second. At least you only have two months. I have two more years before I'm free.”
He shook his head and turned toward the door.
“Thanks for the cheesecake. It's my favorite. The chocolate chip cookies are my second favorite,” he said, as he left the room.
I threw my pillow at the door. Why did he have to be so cute? He was such a jerk. A tall, muscular, cute jerk.
I leaned back in my bed watching television. My dad never came to talk to me. He must have been busy with his annoying wife. I fell asleep with the television on.
When I woke up, the sun was shining through the window. It was eight-fifty. Oh shit, I thought. How did I sleep so long? The bed was pretty comfortable. I jumped out of bed, threw on a pair of shorts and t-shirt, and ran to the bathroom. Once my teeth were brushed, I tied my hair up into a messy ponytail and ran back to my room. I grabbed a pair of flip-flops and took off for the kitchen. With an ice-cold water in one hand, I grabbed a banana and ate it while running for the door. I made it outside at exactly nine.
Rosie was ready and waiting with all of her tools, gloves, and buckets. She had enough for both of us. We got to work. Playing in the dirt was relaxing and fun. That woman could work. I was exhausted by eleven, and she was still going strong. When my tools were back with hers, I fell onto the grass. My clothes and face were covered in dirt. I closed my eyes and let the sun beat down on me. When I heard a laugh, I opened the corner of one eye to see Kyle standing above me. He had on a pair of jogging shorts and a tight-as-hell t-shirt. I could see his abs move as he laughed. That punk thought it was funny. The craziest part was that I had signed up for the torture I had just endured. He was still standing there laughing. I thought for a second. Then as quickly as I could, I grabbed his foot and pulled. He hit the ground with a thud. When he didn't say a word, I sat up and looked at him. His eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.
“Oh shit,” I whispered. “He's so damn big and muscular. I never thought it would hurt him.”
I moved a little closer. His chest was moving, so I knew he was breathing. Maybe I just knocked the wind out of him, I thought. After a few more moments, he still hadn't moved. I was starting to get freaked out. My dad would kill me if I hurt him. I moved a little closer and nudged his arm.
“Kyle,” I whispered.
I didn't want to alert Rosie of what I had done.
“Kyle,” I said again. “Are you okay?”
Nothing.
“Kyle,” I said with a shaky voice. “Wake up.”
He still hadn't responded. I was really s
tarting to freak out. What the hell was I going to do? How was I going to explain pulling his feet right out from under him? I began to shake his body. I put my hands in my lap and took a deep breath. He was a jerk that ate my cheesecake, but he wasn't really that bad. I felt my hands shaking and felt the tears trying to break free.
“Kyle,” I said, as I leaned over his face.
Our faces were only inches apart.
“Fuck, Kyle,” I said, as a tear fell from eye onto his face. “Wake up, please.”
Suddenly, I was flat on my back with him straddling me. It was so fast that I didn't even know what happened. His hands went to my sides and started to tickle me.
“You big jerk,” I yelled. “Cut it out. You're going to make me embarrass myself if you don't stop. I can't believe you. I really thought I hurt you. That wasn't funny.”
He stopped for a moment and looked down at me. The look in his eyes was intense. I don't know what it was, but I felt my thighs clench together. He leaned forward.
“You care,” he whispered into my ear.
If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was hard against my belly. I knew there was no way he would feel like that around me. I hadn't been with a guy yet. There was one guy that tried to get to me to have sex with him, but I wanted to wait until I was eighteen. My dad would kill me if he found out I did anything like that in high school.
“That's so sweet,” he whispered.
I felt his breath cross my ear, and my whole body shivered.
“No I don't,” I mumbled. “I just didn't want to get in trouble for killing my stepbrother.”
He shook his head and laughed, as his fingers dug into my sides again. I was squirming around but couldn't get free of him. There was no way I was going to let him embarrass me. I needed to get him off of me. I reached over, grabbed the full, freezing water bottle that was next to me, lifted my arm, and poured it over his head. He yelled out and jumped off of me so fast. I got to my feet and burst into laughter.
“You think that shit's funny?” he asked.
When I stood up, I saw the look in his eyes and knew something was coming. I was leaning down trying to catch my breath. He leaned down with his hands on his knees. I didn't expect it when he jumped forward, threw me over his shoulder, and took off running. My hands were slapping at his back, and I was yelping. He was moving fast.
