Page 5 of Keel

Frankie watched the street, searching for Forest’s car. The man wouldn’t leave her alone. She’d finally escaped a week ago and was using her grandmother’s condo after begging her for help.

Penny was her grandmother on her father’s side. The woman had never liked her. It was probably because her father hadn’t liked her, either. If Penny heard about what happened with Forest, she would surely kick her out.

Now she was headed over to the condo with Keel. What if he knew her grandmother? She knew nothing about the people who lived in the condo. She’d shown up two days ago after sleeping at a shelter and then sleeping at the bus station.

When she’d called Penny, she’d been desperate. Luckily, her grandmother had felt charitable in the moment. It probably had more to do with impressing her friends than with wanting to help out of the goodness of her heart.

She moved to block the keypad for the door lock and punched in the code. She glanced back, noticing Keel had been looking away. He hadn’t even tried to see the code. That was a good change from Forest.

“Let me put this up.”

“Sure. We’ll drive over to the store.”

“Thank you.”

She put the sandwich into a storage container and then placed it in the refrigerator. She placed the pastry in a container, taking a moment to sniff the delicious scent. Tonight, she would eat the whole thing.

When Forest realized how much she loved chocolate, he’d started punishing her for eating the treat. No matter how small a piece, or whatever the occasion, if she ate chocolate, she would face his wrath.

When Keel had given her the treat, she’d wondered if he was setting her up for something terrible. It was hard not to see harm in every interaction, but she wanted to believe that Keel really wanted to help her. He’d helped her twice now. Maybe he was a good person.

No men were as nice as Keel. She had to watch her back, because maybe he wasn’t that nice, either.

She glanced over and saw Keel standing in the doorway. He hadn’t even stepped into her place. Instead, he watched the parking lot, then glanced over at her every so often. He was different, nice.

She grabbed another hat, one that didn’t have egg on it, and met him at the doorway.

“I’m ready now.”

He nodded and then stepped out. “I just need to grab my keys. I won’t take more than a minute.” He glanced out at the lot. “I don’t think you should stand out here. I don’t trust that guy. I swear you’re safe with me.”

The implications of his words hit hard. He was right. Forest knew where she was. She should probably run, but she had nowhere else to go, and she was tired of living in shelters.

She nodded. “Forest is a dick, but I don’t think you are.”

He threw his head back, laughter spilling from his lips. “I know a few people who would beg to differ. But no, I’m generally not a dick.”

Frankie believed him for some reason. Her history with men told her that none of them were trustworthy. The guys she dated in high school, college, and then Forest after getting her degree had proven they couldn’t be trusted. This man was different, though. There was something about him that made her feel good about herself, which hadn’t happened in a long time.

She stepped into his unit, taking in how clean it was. There wasn’t any dust on any surfaces. How long had he owned the place, and where did he usually live? She had questions, but living with Forest for the last three years had taught her never to ask questions.

Keel changed clothes, swiping on deodorant. He would take a shower later. For now, he wanted to get Frankie to the store before she changed her mind.

He stepped out of the bedroom, glad she was still there. Her eyes found his, and he saw panic in her depths. He grabbed his wallet and keys and then smiled, trying to look as harmless as he could with his six-five height and wide shoulders.

With his facial hair and ugly mug, he wasn’t someone who looked harmless. People saw him and ran, at least they did at work.

“You ready?” Keel said, trying hard to keep everything light.

“Sure.”

The drive to the grocery store took less than ten minutes, mostly in silence. Frankie seemed to want to shrink herself. She still had on baggy clothes so he couldn’t see how skinny she was, but she desperately needed food.

He got a cart and started with the fruits and vegetables. “Do you like broccoli?”

She shook her head. “Not really. Honestly, I’ll eat vegetables, but I don’t like them.”

“I’ll pick up what I need and add some in for when you come to dinner.” They were on the aisle with cheese, and he saw her eyeing some Brie, so he grabbed it. He picked up more than he would need for the next few days. The food she grabbed was functional, no treats. He picked up extra crackers so she could eat the Brie.