Page 31 of Home With You

"Fine," I say, turning back to him. "I'll give it to Gladys."

"Who's Gladys?"

"A friend. She's old and has a really bad cough. She needs it more than I do."

He stares at me, looking frustrated. "Would you at least keep some of it for yourself? A sleeping bag? Blanket?"

"You have two in there, so yeah. I'll take one. I stay with Gladys so we'll share the tent. If it were just me, I'd give it back but Gladys really needs the shelter."

"So do you," he says, his eyes on mine.

I glance down. "You should go. It's getting late."

"It's only eight. And I don't want to go. Why don't we have some coffee? They're open for another hour."

"I don't want to go in there. I just told the girl who works there not to tell you where I am, so if she sees us together she'll ask questions."

"Why'd you tell her that? Why didn't you want me to find you?"

I roll my eyes. "You really have to ask?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Why is he making me say this? It was bad enough having him see me take food out of the trash and now he wants to talk about it?

"You saw me," I say, looking away. "I didn't want you to."

"Raine, if I'd known, if you'd told me, I would've helped. I would've got you whatever you needed. I would've—"

"I don't want your help. And I never asked for it so you shouldn't have done all this. I don't know what you're expecting but—"

"I'm not expecting anything. I didn't do this to get something in return. I did it because you needed it. You needed a place to sleep that wasn't ripped into shreds. And you needed food. What did you even do for food today?"

"There's a guy I know. He gave me a sandwich."

"What guy?" he asks, concern in his tone.

"It doesn't matter. It's none of your business."

"He didn't..." he pauses, "make you do anything to get it, did he?"

I huff. "What are you trying to say? That I give out my body in exchange for food?" I shake my head and walk away. "Good to know that's what you think of me."

He rushes over, stopping in front of me. "I never said that. But I know sometimes people do what they have to in order to survive."

"I'm not one of those people. I get along fine on my own. Now would you please leave me alone?"

"Why don't we try out the tent first?"

"Try out the tent?" I say, raising my brows. "I thought you said you didn't expect anything in return."

He sighs. "I was going to sit in there with you, not whatever you thought I meant. What's the deal with you? Why do you assume the worst?"

"Because the worst is what keeps happening to me. I live in an alley. Eat out of the garbage. Luck isn't exactly on my side."

"Or maybe it is. You met me." He smiles. "You gotta admit that's luck coming your way."

"If you call luck some guy who won't leave me alone."

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