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"Nice to meet you." He rubs his hair looking uncomfortable. “Listen. Do you have anywhere to stay? I can’t just leave you here."
I shake my head. "You can go." I hope he leaves me here and doesn’t ever come back. If I'm going to be homeless, I at least would prefer the dignity of him not seeing me like that.
But he doesn't go. He just frowns even deeper. "Do you have a place to stay for the night at least?"
I don't respond to that, but he seems to take my silence as a negative.
“Look, I own a rental property.” I'm drawn back to his face as he continues to speak. He looks uncomfortable with the words coming out of his mouth. “It's empty right now, I usually rent it out in the winter, and run one-off events year-round. Truth is that I can let you have it for the month at least to get yourself back on your feet.".
I shake my head, a quick clipped move. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll manage just fine."
"Every newly homeless person believes that at first. But then it gets really hard."
I cock my head. He seems like he’s talking from experience, but I don't ask. I watch as he shifts most of the clothes into one hand and reaches for me with the other.
And with that, he tucks his hand under my elbow and brings me up, allowing me to lean all my weight against his body. I’m too weak to resist. His spicy cologne fills my senses, and for some reason, the scent brings me comfort right now. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”
The ride to his home is quiet. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye periodically but he doesn’t say anything. And as for me, I’m too depressed about just how my life went to shit in a single night.
“So, this is it,” he says as we pull into a cute cottage at the edge of town. There’s a pond in the back of it, and trees opposite it. The next house seems to be about half a mile away.
After he turns off the ignition, he comes around to open the door for me, which I don’t expect. I never took him for a gentlemanly type.
But he even helps me out of the car and then lets me lean against him again as we walk in.
“Careful,” he says as I pick up my leg over the step. “The second step has got a loose floorboard. I’ve been meaning to fix it but haven’t had the time.”
I nod wanly, studying the place. It's a very charming cottage with a garden of rose bushes out front. And the inside is even homier, with a fireplace with little wooden decor placed on it, brown couches and yellow throw pillows that light up the room.
"This is your house?" I inquire because I would have never pegged a man like him to own such a cute home.
"One of my properties," he clarifies. "Mostly, I rent it out in December, but it’s usually empty for the rest of the year. You can use it till you get yourself back on your feet."
I blink at him. I don’t expect that amount of generosity from him. "No, I can’t take that from you."
He raises his eyebrows. "Is there anywhere else you can go?"
I think about it, then shake my head. I don't have many friends here who have extra space for me, and I would hate to be a burden. I could always move back in with my parents but I think I’d rather be homeless.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought," he says. "So, it's settled. You're staying here."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I blurt out, before realizing how rude it sounds. "I mean, I damaged your car. You should be pissed."
"Think of it as my one good deed for the year," he shrugs. "Besides, my dad always said never kick a dead horse when he's down. Or something to that effect."
A weird snort escapes me at the saying. He smirks in response.
"Yeah, the old man said some weird stuff." He gestures to my feet. "How's your ankle feeling?"
"I dunno," I respond. "It only really stings when I step on it hard."
"Alright. Well, you should probably take one of the rooms on this floor, then. I get the place cleaned every week so there should be fresh sheets on the bed. I don't think there's anything in the fridge but I can have someone deliver something to you tomorrow morning."
"Oh no." I don't want to be even more indebted to him than I already am. "It's fine."
"You can't eat air," he says. "They will be here at six AM. If the door is locked, they’ll knock and then leave it your doorstep.” His tone brooks no refusal, and I can't say no even if I try.
He shows me the rest of the first floor, being so nice the entire time that it's giving me whiplash. And it also makes it impossible not to notice how damn attractive he is.
