Page 14 of Room for Three

Unknown Number: This is my new number.

Unknown Number: It’s Savvy.

Unknown Number: Are you still mad at me?

Unknown Number: Can you be un-mad at me for five seconds to come pick me up from Smoke & Sugar? My shift is almost over, and I can’t get a hold of Travis.

Unknown Number: Never mind.

Before I can text her back, headlights flood the living room. A quick peek out the window and I recognize Travis’s truck. Tension bleeds from me when I see Savvy climb out of the passenger side.

She’s wearing black pants and a black shirt which must be a requirement of Smoke & Sugar because it doesn’t look like typical teenage attire.

Adultattire.

Savvy is an adult now.

Travis notices me spying on them and grins. I retreat from the windows, and busy myself with a pile of mail on the bar that wasn’t here earlier.

“Hey,” I say to them, casting a quick, benign look their way. “What’s up?”

Savvy glowers at me as she passes and tromps up the stairs. Travis stares after her and then sighs, shaking his head.

“What?” I grumble. “She still pissy from earlier?”

His eyebrows pinch together as he frowns. “I still see you’re being a douchebag. What crawled up your ass anyway? You’re not making this transition easy on any of us.”

He’s right.

I wish I knew how to fix it.

“Fuck,” I hiss. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a bad day.”

“Yesterday was bad, too. Maybe the bad isyou, not the day.”

I flip him off, earning a halfhearted grin.

“Look,” he says lowly. “Go easy on her. She needs us to be here for her in all ways.”

“I didn’t know she got a phone,” I mutter. “And after work, I was at the gun range.”

“I get it.” He holds up his palms. “It’s going to take some getting used to around here. But we’ll all be walking on eggshells unless you apologize. Get past whatever it is you’re struggling with.”

He leaves me to my thoughts and begins rummaging through the fridge. I take my exit, heading up the stairs two steps at a time. Savvy’s bedroom door is open which means she’s dressed.

I peek inside the room and find her tightly wrapped up in Travis’s tan blanket on his bed. From afar, she resembles a burrito, the top of her head, eyes, and nose the only part of her visible. She seems much younger and incredibly vulnerable which makes me feel even worse.

Slowly, I approach the bed and then take a seat on the edge. She watches me warily—as if she’s equally frustrated and confused. I hate that I’ve done this to us.

“I’ve been an asshole, Savvy, and I’m sorry.”

She’s silent for a beat and then softly says, “Yeah.”

“I’ll do better,” I promise and mean it. “How was your first day at school and work?”

“School was good. The job was hard, but I liked it.” Her eyes lock onto mine. “Did you have any idea how expensive Smoke & Sugar was?”

“It’s a steak place, so I imagine it’s pricy.”

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