Scarred for Life Page 6

  With that in mind, Nicole went on living her life. Or so she told herself, anyway. Dinner wasn't very interesting with no one to talk to and she worked while eating the leftovers, mostly to keep her mind off of the silence. It was pure rapture that Tyler was gone, but she found herself missing his cousin.

  She watched one movie, but didn't pay too much attention to it, focusing on the work that she brought home instead. Glancing up every now and then, she followed the film, but didn't think it was as entertaining when watching alone. Danny had so many jokes when they were watching movies before and that brought out the humor in Nicole, causing her to join in. Laughter had reigned over the now quiet house barely twenty-four hours ago.

  The following day was a repeat of the previous. She evaded Tyler in the firm. She also forgot to bring his belongings because she was too busy wondering if Danny had found shelter. She ended up staying late again because she got a new client. The new client required even more time than she was accustomed to.

  "I can't believe I let them give me this guy. Not that I had much choice in the matter," Nicole muttered to the still air. She rubbed her eyes, trying to stay focused. Glancing at the clock on her computer, she found out why she was having such trouble keeping her eyes open. Oh my. I've been here for more than twelve hours. Even I don't usually burn the candle this long, but then again, this guy needs it. I don't have a lot of time to get familiar with the company or the circumstances.

  That little pep talk kept her behind her desk for almost an hour more. Eventually, her eyes won out, though. Tearing away from her desk, she retreated from the office. Shivering as a chilling breeze cut through her when she exited the building, she hastily secured her pea coat closing it with the belt rather than using the buttons. Once she was in her car, she turned on the heat and headed home.

  Her mind drifted as she drove the lonely, winding journey home. Going through the city, she took the main streets, even though there were a plethora of lights. There weren't many vehicles out at the time. A stretch on the highway was a blur to her weary eyes, but she made it to her exit and took solace in the notion that her bed was only fifteen minutes away. A warm smile graced her features as she eased into a halt at a light. Out of the corner of her eyes, something caught her attention.

  Glancing to her left, Nicole blinked hard at the sight that greeted her. There was a body, lying prostrate on a bench. There was a knapsack under the body's head, acting as a rough pillow. A tarnished, trashy bike poked out from behind the bench. The guitar case gave away who the body was.

  "Danny? She's sleeping on the streets?" Nicole shook her head, but her eyes weren't lying. Before she realized it, Nicole turned her car and pulled up next to the bench. She rolled the window down. "Danny? Danny," she screamed. She never had to deal with discovering someone that she knew sleeping on the street.

  ***

  Dane groaned, turning her head to find out what was going on. It sounded like someone was calling another person. Grey eyes scanned the street for the commotion, but she didn't see anyone. It was just her, the cold, and a car she was sure wasn't there a few seconds ago.

  "Danny, get your ass over here. What're you doing sleeping outside like this?" Nicole hollered, sounding disquieted.

  "Nick?" Dane rubbed her eyes, trying to fully wake up. "I didn't have crazy dreams like this when I used to get high as hell. Being sober is weird," she mumbled.

  "Danny, get your ass in this car before I drag you in here." Nicole roared, putting the car in park. She released her seat belt and pushed the car door open and climbed out so she could yell at Dane face to face.

  "Nick, what're you causing such a ruckus about?" Dane sat up. Nicole stood before her with her hands on her hips and one hip cocked out to the side.

  "And you're out here with no coat on in those damned shorts. You must be out of your right mind. Get in the car right now before the cops come by and arrest you," Nicole huffed, pointing to her automobile.

  "Why should I get in the car with you?" Dane inquired. Why the hell does she care?

  "Because you're out here sleeping on the street. I will not let a friend sleep on a public bench and risk arrest, illness, or worse when I can offer her a perfectly good place to sleep.”

  "Friend? We just met a few days ago and we knew each other for a day. For all you know, I can be some psychotic killer or something."

  "Would a psychotic killer fight a potential victim so hard? And, yes, I do consider us friends. You supported me through a tough time and helped me to see that I made the right decision. A friend does that. You helped me throughout the day, now let me help you." Eyes flashed with heated strength that cautioned Dane about quarreling.

  "Don't need your help," Dane murmured in a childish tone.

  It was Nicole's help that put her on that bench in the first place. After having a total stranger show her kindness, she couldn't force herself on relatives and deal with their open resentment of her existence. She'd rather freeze to death than be forsaken by her damned family anymore. Staying with Nicole had brought back the dignity she lost. Dignity made it difficult to sponge off people that brazenly boasted of despising her and unabashedly told her that she'd never amount to anything ever.

  "Danny…" Nicole whispered the name with such patience before taking a step closer. Taking Dane's hand in her own, the younger woman tried to pull away, but Nicole refused. "I'm not offering because you need it. I'm offering because I can. I won't hold it over your head or anything, just like you didn't hold anything over my head when you helped me. My friend is in trouble and I'm trying to be a friend to her."

  Dane stared down at the redhead, utterly baffled by the creature before her. Friends were people that pretended to like her and then used her, but Dane couldn't see any dissemblance in Nicole's eyes. There was nothing that Dane could do for Nicole that would cause her to pretend. There was nothing about Dane for Nicole to use.

  "Hey, is there a problem here?" a voice asked, causing both women to jump. They turned to see a police officer standing by his cruiser.

  "No, sir, there's no problem. I was just picking up my friend and we're trying to figure out if her bike will fit in the car," Nicole lied smoothly, motioning to the bicycle to add credibility to her words.

  The officer glanced over to see the contraption. "I'm sure it'll fit in the backseat. You ladies should get off the street. It's late and sometimes there are people even around here looking for trouble."

  "Yes, sir, we'll do that. Right, Danny?" Nicole asked, turning her attention back to the taller woman. Green eyes implored, but it was the tiny smile that sealed the deal.

  "Yes, sir, we will," Dane answered with an exasperated sigh, moving away to grab her backpack and guitar case.

  The officer remained, watching as they laid the bicycle in the backseat. They discovered he was quite right about the bike. It was a tight fit and they had to be mindful of the tan, leather interior. Both offered a polite wave to the officer as they drove off.

  "Thank you for giving me a chance, Danny," Nicole said.

  Dane shook her head, almost admitting that it was the damn smile that she was giving a chance. "Well, I'd rather stay with you than Dipshit any day. You're so much easier to get along with."

  Nicole laughed. "I'm a step above Tyler. That's good to know."

  Dane smile ghosted across Dane’s lips as she decided against telling Nicole that she was a step above plenty of people. Briefly, she considered she might actually be able to trust Nicole, but expeditiously dismissed that thought. There was no way that she'd hand out something as precious and priceless as trust to a woman that she only met for a day, even if the woman had kind eyes and an enchanting smile. She'd see what Nicole was about, though. After all, it was either go with Nicole or sleep on park benches, tunnels, or abandoned buildings. Dignity and curiosity made the former much more attractive than the latter.

  CHAPTER 4

  "Danny, I hope you don't feel like I tricked you or that you felt obligated to come with
me because of that police officer," Nicole said to her passenger as she pulled into the driveway of her home. The house was as dark as the night.

  Dane laughed. "Nick, calm down. I came with you because I wanted to, not because I felt pressured." I came with you because you're fascinating.

  "I'm sorry. I just need to make sure."

  Dane nodded because she didn't know what else to do. The ladies exited the vehicle and collected Dane's belongings from the backseat. Dane carefully yanked her bicycle out, making sure not to damage the sedan's interior. Nicole grabbed Dane's bags for her.

  "I can get those.”

  "I'm sure you can, but you have the bike and they're not heavy."

  "I was just planning to throw it on the porch, if you don't mind."

  "I don't mind you putting it there. Are you all right with that? I mean, if it rains or something, the bike could be ruined."

  Dane chuckled. "You haven't seen this bike in the daylight. It's very much ruined already. Nothing Mother Nature throws at it can make it any worse at this point and I know for damn sure no one's going to steal it."

  "Surely it's not that bad."

  Dane gave Nicole a glance, accompanied by an amused half smirk. After securing her bike on her shoulder, she stepped over and relieved Nicole of her guitar case. The lawyer held onto the knapsack and glared at Dane when a copper hand reached for it. The hand was retracted and Nicole smiled. Dane dumped her bike by the stairs while Nicole opened the door. They entered the house and placed their cargo by the den.

  "How about I make us some tea or hot chocolate and we talk about this?" Nicole sounded unsure about what "this" was, but extremely aware that they needed to discuss it.

  Dane nodded and followed Nicole into the kitchen. The redhead turned on a couple of lights, bathing the house in warm illumination. Dane stayed back while Nicole grabbed the teakettle, filling it with water.

  "Would you prefer tea or hot chocolate?" Nicole asked, setting the kettle on the stove.

  "Whichever you're having is fine with me." Dane shrugged.

  Nicole smiled. "Chocolate it is."

  A hint of a smile crossed Dane's face as she scratched the end of her nose. There was a minor bounce to her step as Nicole took out mugs from the cabinet. The spring in her step was adorable. Dane quickly shook that musing away, not wanting to travel down that road.

  "I guess we should work out how long you want me here," Dane opened up, taking her mind off of other things.

  "You can stay for as long as you need to. It's quite fine," Nicole answered earnestly.

  A copper hand traversed raven hair. "You're just going to open your home to a homeless bum.

  "First of all, I invited you to stay, so yes, I will open my house up to you. Second of all, you're my friend, so I won't have you belittling yourself because that means you're belittling my friend."

  Dane laughed despite herself. Something about Nicole's smile drew the sound out of her. "Fine, I won't belittle your friend. Look, I just don't want to take advantage of you. I'm not looking to become a leech or anything like that."

  Nicole was silent. Her brow furrowed. Dane wasn't sure what to make of it, so she kept talking.

  "I'll stay for a few days and then I'll get out of your hair," Dane promised.

  "Where would you go if you only stayed for a few days?"

  "…Uh…" Grey eyes wandered the ceiling for a quick answer that never came.

  "I would end up finding you on another bench, I take it. Danny, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like or need. I don't want to worry about you sleeping under a bridge or something of the kind. Sure, the season is changing, but it's still cold at night and I don't want to worry about you freezing to death in a park or something."

  An unfamiliar sensation raced through Dane, causing her hand to go through her hair in her typical nervous fashion. The idea of Nicole being concerned for her made her chest tighten. She deplored troubling the hospitable woman. She sighed.

  "I guess I can stay a while," Dane muttered, unsure of what else to say. She wasn't sure how long "a while" meant, even as it came out of her mouth. Her mind never made it beyond a few days as far as forethought went.

  "I don't mind that. I want you to stay. It'll be nice to not worry about you. I’ll know just where you are," Nicole remarked, an amused smile adorning her face.

  Dane chuckled. "It's good for me to know where I am, too. So, I suppose you should start setting some house rules or something like that?" She generally lodged with people who had a million and one rules they wanted her to follow. It was a method of trying to run her off, but it never worked. She left on her own, never remaining any place for more than a couple of days.

  "I didn't think about that. You and I are adults and we should be able to get along without me having to tell you how to behave civilly, correct?"

  "Well, what you view as civil and what I view as civil could be considered two different things. Look, Nick, I get the idea that you're not used to setting boundaries, which might've gotten you into trouble with that dipshit cousin of mine. I bet you're not used to having a roommate, either. Now, instead of unintentionally taking you down a twisted road of terror, how about we figure out what we both think is civil?" Dane wasn't in the mood to wear out her welcome immediately, so she wanted to try to be on good behavior. In order to do that, she needed to know what "good behavior" consisted of in her host's eyes.

  Green eyes glanced down as a chagrined blush stained Nicole's cheeks. "I don't think you're going to turn into Tyler, but I suppose you're right."

  "Hey, Nick, I didn't say that to make you feel stupid or anything," Dane said, putting her right hand on Nicole's slender shoulder. Nicole's body felt so warm compared to her own and it was as if the warmth flowed into her. She was tempted to yank her hand back, but remained as she was.

  ***

  The redhead timidly lifted her head and noticed grey eyes weren't regarding her in a demeaning manner like she expected. Tyler would've looked down on her if she showed her generous nature so openly. She believed everyone deserved a chance to prove if they were a dishonest parasite or not.

  Danny plainly said she didn't want to be a leech. No one had ever come right out and said they didn't want to take advantage of Nicole. Usually, it was quite apparent that people reveled in taking advantage of her, particularly at work, but also in friendships. She wondered if she could believe Danny, but Danny was her own person and she'd give the taller woman the opportunity to prove or disprove her vow.

  "You're right. We'll sit down and talk this thing through, so we know what to expect of each other," Nicole concurred.

  Danny nodded as she took a seat in the kitchen's nook while Nicole fixed cups of hot chocolate. Smokey eyes watched as Nicole added milk and an obscene amount of whipped cream. Nicole cautiously slid Dane's cup to her.

  "Thank you."

  Nicole graced her guest with a smile. "No problem. I wasn't too sure how much whipped cream to use. I like a lot, but I wasn't sure if you did."

  "This is fine. It's not everyday I get hot chocolate or whipped cream at all."

  "Then, I hope you enjoy it." Nicole took a sip. "So, what do you think the ground rules should be? I suppose I don't know you well enough to really set any boundaries, as you referred to them."

  Danny nodded. "Well, I can promise to respect your home better than any other place I have. I won't damage any of your property. I won't have strangers in your home, aside from me, anyway," she remarked, a tiny smile working its way onto her face.

  "That all sounds very promising. Now, will I have to worry about picking up after you?"

  "Don't think that'll be a problem. I'll be neat and tidy. Do my own laundry, wash my own dishes, I'll even buy my own groceries if necessary."

  "That last one won't be necessary. There's always plenty of food here. I'm glad that you offered, though. Your cousin never did." It hadn't occurred to her at the time, but Tyler never offered to chip in for food even though he ate there m
ost days. She couldn't believe how much of his behavior she had allowed to slip right by her. But, as she thought about it, that was what she did in most relationships.

  A cocky half smirk tugged at Dane's lips. "I think we've established, I'm not my cousin. If it's all the same to you, I'll try to touch as little as possible."

  "I don't want things to be like that, Danny. I don't want you to be a ghost in my home. I want you to be a guest. At the least, I want you to feel at home. Now, I would appreciate it if you showed my home the same respect that I do. I figure if you do that, we should be fine."

  "Sounds logical enough." Dane shrugged. "Don't see why I can't live up to that. I don't have any intentions of wrecking your shit or anything like that. I don't really hang out with anyone, so you don't have to worry about people coming in and out of your house. I'll just stay here until I can figure out what to do with my life."

  "I hope you figure something out, Danny. I can tell that you have much to offer."

  Dane ducked her head, hiding a blush. "Thank you."

  "Now, we'll have to get you set up in a room," Nicole stated, putting a finger to her chin and considered which guestroom she should allot to Danny.

  "I'm fine with where I was before. I don't want to get in your way or anything."

  "You wouldn't be in my way."

  "I still prefer the den."

  Nicole tried to argue Dane out of settling in the den. She pointed out everything wrong with the den: the broken light, the short couch, no bed, and it was basically a storage room for junk that she didn't have the heart to throw away. Dane stood firm in her decision. By the time they got up from the table, Nicole found that she had possibly just lost an argument for the first time in her life that wasn't to her parents or to Mina.