Page 14 of Only The Strong

He slowly closes the key lid and I take this time to collect myself. There is so much I didn't expect about Callum, and every day he does something else to surprise me. “That was beautiful.”

He lets out a soft laugh, flashing a smirk. “Thanks. I wrote it.”

“What?” I stare at him shocked. “When did you learn to play?”

He leans his elbows on the key lid and looks at me over his shoulder. “I started taking lessons when I was a kid, every week until I graduated high school. My parents wanted me to go to college and do something with it, but I chose to work and prospect for the club instead. I wrote that song for my final recital.”

I lean against the piano, resting my head in my hand facing him. “Is that why you haven't played since high school?”

He keeps staring ahead at the blank wall at the end of the piano. “Yeah. My parents said I was wasting my talents to become a criminal; that I was disgracing the Moran name. We don't really talk anymore.” My heart breaks for Callum, how could parents abandon their child? You spend nine months, ten really, preparing for a child, eighteen years preparing them for the life that they choose, and are supposed to spend the rest of your life loving them; how could you just give up on them? Callum isn't a bad guy, he saved me from a handsy guy at the bar, and volunteered to watch out for me from my creepy stalker, he may be a criminal, the jury is still out on that one, but he isn't a bad guy. I've met bad people and Callum isn't one of them, and as far as I'm concerned, The Devil’s Outlaws aren't either.

13

REESE

The next daywe came back to Merrill Hill and I decided to get some work done from my laptop. The day goes by quickly, with me sitting on the couch and binging Netflix while I work. I periodically look out of the window but every time I see a guy about my age, twenty-three, sitting in his dark gray Chevy pickup watching my apartment and looking down at his lap; every time he catches me looking he smiles and waves and every time I feel embarrassed to be caught looking. By the time dinner rolls around and I start to pile my meatball sliders onto my plate I realize that I haven't seen the guy eat the entire day. I start to load up a plate for him as well and then decide to invite him in to eat since he’s been stuck in his pickup all day. I slide my slippers on at my front door and walk out to his car in the parking lot. He watches me walk to his driver's side window in confusion and rolls it down when I get close enough.

“Is everything okay, Reese?” He’s cute with dark brown hair hanging into his sea green eyes. His tan skin and sunken cheekbones make me instantly envious. With his black hoodie up over his head and his tablet in his hand, he looks like a hot techie guy.

I shake my head, tearing my eyes away from his odd-colored eyes; they're gorgeous, but they haven't got anything on Callum’s slate blue eyes. “Yeah everything is fine, I was just wondering if you wanted to come in and have dinner?” He looks at me skeptically, with one eyebrow raised. “It's just dinner, I haven't seen you eat anything all day.” He pauses, biting his lip. Then he places his tablet in the passenger seat and turns the ignition of the pickup off, rolling up his window before opening the door. We walk back to my apartment in silence and he quietly shuts the door behind him, following me into the kitchen. I pick up my plate and hand him an empty one. “Help yourself, although I slightly burned the rolls. I forgot to set a timer.”

He laughs while loading his plate. “Anything is better than that shit Wyatt was going to bring me.” He comes to sit next to me at the table and pulls his hood down to sit around his neck. “My name is Mason by the way.” He holds out his hand to me and I shake it.

We start to eat, but the silence is starting to get awkward. “Thank you for watching over me.”

Mason shovels food into his mouth, talking between bites. “Yeah, no problem, Princess.” I roll my eyes at his nickname and take a bite out of my slider. He laughs and takes a drink from the energy drink he brought in. “Sorry, we all just started calling you The Princess of The Devil’s Outlaws since we were guarding you like knights.”

Overcome with guilt, I look down at my food. “I’m sorry you all are going to these extremes for me.”

Mason places his hand over mine on the table. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, we all want to help. You’re not an inconvenience to us.”

I look into his eyes. “Why? You don't even know me.”

He rubs his hand over his shadow of stubble. “I guess because we didn’t like that someone was terrorizing an innocent woman.” I focus on my food again, not able to continue to stare into his earnest gaze. “I mean I always begged my mom for a little sister that I could protect, I guess I saw this as my opportunity to finally do that.” I look up at him again and his grin is goofy. I laugh and shake my head and his grin gets wider.

After we’ve finished dinner Mason helps me load the dishwasher and clean up the table. I walk him to the door, and after he walks out I stand in the doorway and lean against the frame. “Dinner is usually done around seven and I always make enough for leftovers, so if you don’t mind my subpar cooking you’re welcome to join me again.”

He turns around, pulling his hood over his head. “Are you sure?”

I grin and nod my head. “Yeah, I enjoyed tonight.”

Mason grins his goofy grin. “Well in that case I have to be honest with you.” He starts walking backward, his face still towards me. I stare at him and wait for him to continue. “Subpar is a compliment to your cooking.” He laughs so loud it echoes through the common area.

I glare at him though he can't see it in the dim light of my porch light. “You’re uninvited!” I shout at him.

He rights his body but turns his head so he can look at me over his shoulder. “I’ll see you Tuesday, Princess! I’ll bring the beer!” He yells back.

14

REESE

A week has gone by smoothly, beingwatched by prospects outside of my office and Callum and I spending the weekend days together. April is almost here and we’ve started preparing for most of the students to sublease their apartments for the summer. I’ve started looking forward to the weekends and thinking of Callum as a friend. The conversations are easy and I feel more at ease with him around. On Friday I’m finishing up a move-out inspection form when the bell over the office door dings.

“Hello!” I greet the customer, finishing up the last few checkboxes. I look up from my desk just in time to see a tenant step up to my open door.

“Hi, Miss. Reese.” The young man shuffles from side to side in my doorway.

I smile, he’s always so nervous when he comes in here to talk to me. “Hi, Tyler. What can I do for you?”

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