Page 30 of Home With You

Nobody answers, but they could be asleep. I reach for my backpack to get my knife, just in case I need it, but then remember my backpack is gone. Miles has it. I wish he'd left it here. I really need it.

"Is anyone there?" I ask, tapping the tent again.

There's no response and the only movement I see is from the wind blowing the tent's fabric around. I crouch down and slowly unzip the tent and peek inside. There's nobody there but it's full of stuff. Sleeping bags. Heavy blankets. Pillows.

"What the hell?" I say to myself as I climb inside. Why would someone leave all this here? It's brand new. If someone finds it, they'll steal it.

There's a lantern on the side of the tent. I flip it over and find the 'on' switch. It lights up the tent and I notice a plastic sack in the corner. I pick it up and look inside. It's full of food. Bread. Peanut butter. Grape jelly. Beef jerky. A can of nuts.

"Holy shit," I mutter, popping open the can of nuts and tossing some in my mouth. I'm not sure who they belong to but I'm starving and have to eat something before I pass out. The sandwich Levi gave me is in my pocket and I take it out and unwrap it. I devour it, worried that at any minute now the owner of the tent will come back and kick me out, or worse, hurt me for being here.

What am I going to do? My tent is gone, along with the only other blanket we had. Whoever moved into the alley must've thrown them out. They staked their claim and now Gladys and I have to find a new home. Maybe whoever this belongs to would let us stay here for a night or two to give us time to find a new place. Or maybe we could share the alley.

I doubt that would happen. People on the streets tend to be territorial. Like Levi. He'd kill you before giving you his street corner.

My sandwich is gone and now I'm thirsty. I don't even remember the last time I had something to drink. I look around the tent and notice a water bottle peeking out from under the sleeping bag. I grab it but it's empty. The girl in the coffee shop would give me water. And if she didn't, I could always drink out of the bathroom sink.

I'd love to stay in this tent all night and fall asleep under the warm blankets, on the soft cushion of a sleeping bag. But unfortunately, this isn't mine. I have to hurry and find a new place for Gladys and me to stay. Maybe Levi would let us stay with him for a night. He acts like I annoy him, but deep down I think he likes me, not in a romantic way, but like a kid sister.

I turn the lantern off and crawl out of the tent, zipping it shut. When I stand up and turn around, I see someone right in front of me. I rear back, fearing the worst, then get a better look and relax slightly, but my heart's still thundering in my chest.

8

Raine

"What are you doing here?" I demand, angry he showed up here, and even angrier that he looks so damn hot. Why does a guy like this have to come along now? When my life's a total mess? Not that my life has ever been great, but it will be someday. Why couldn't he show up then and not now?

"I wanted to see you." He holds up a case of bottled water. "And give you this."

"Miles, you can't be here." I go around him. "You have to leave. I don't know whose stuff this is but they'll be back any minute and—"

"It's yours," he says, setting the water down. "All of it's yours. I came by earlier and saw what was left of your tent and saw you only had that thin blanket so I went and got you some stuff."

My heart rate slows back to normal as my head tries to process what he's saying. "You did this?"

"I had to. It's supposed to be really cold tonight and I wouldn't sleep knowing you were out here staying in that ripped up tent with no blankets. No food. No water."

He feels sorry for me, and I hate it. I don't want him, or anyone else, feeling sorry for me. I got myself into this situation and I'll get myself out. I don't need anyone's help. I accepted help from Rob and it ended with me getting beat up, broke, and out on the streets.

I had everything, and then nothing, because I trusted someone who offered to help.

"I don't want it," I say, folding my arms across my chest.

"What do you mean you don't want it? You just want to freeze to death?"

"Give me my stuff back."

"I tossed it. That tent was worthless. It couldn't even stay together. And the blanket wasn't much better."

"It doesn't matter. It was mine and I want it back."

"I told you, I don't have it. I tossed it. And if you're worried I'm going to ask for something in return, I'm not. I did it to help you. That's it."

"I don't need your help. Or anyone else's. Just take your stuff and go."

"I'm not taking it. It's yours. If you don't want it, give it to someone else. But I don't know why you'd do that."

Glancing back at the tent, I chew on my lip, knowing I should keep it, at least for Gladys.

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