by Natalie Dean
“I got an attempted assault on camera and recorded. I saw the injuries of another girl he attacked. The guy is an animal.”
“Ah, so I take it you’re not gonna do what Dad asked?”
“No. I’m doing the opposite.”
“He’s not gonna like that.”
“I’m aware.”
Silas cracked a small grin. “First Samuel, then you. It’s interesting all these changes are happening. Makes ya wonder, doesn’t it?”
“What is it supposed to make me wonder, exactly?”
“If we’re going about this all wrong. I mean, our cousins aren’t as well off as us, but they’re a heck of a lot happier, I would say. And they’ve all found true love, it seems. Meanwhile, we’re all single despite being what most people would call attractive.”
“Are you saying you’re a romantic, Silas?” Solomon asked, deflecting from himself. Because his younger brother’s words hit home.
Uncle and Aunt Miller’s branch of the family did seem to be happier, even with some of the tough stuff they were handed. Like their second oldest having some really serious PTSD and their youngest being exiled from the family but then coming back. He wasn’t quite sure on that, but they seemed mostly hunky-dory now.
“Nah, never much saw the point in it. But I’m thinking maybe you do.”
“I… you calling me out, Silas?”
“Nah, you know how I am. I always like to ask ‘what if.’ Anyways, I’m going to enjoy the rest of my ride with my girl. It sounds like you might have a lot to think about.”
Solomon shook his head and closed the window as his brother rode off onto one of the paths at the back of the house. Old trails that they used to ride all the time but that were barely used lately.
Figures one of the twins would fill his head with even more stuff to puzzle over. They’d always been some oddballs.
Oddballs who had a habit of being annoyingly right.
But the blatant truth was that he had feelings for Frenchie, feelings that he couldn’t act on while he was in a position of power over her. And holding the means to her hotel suite, her place of living, was definitely a position of power. Not to mention being in charge of the lawyers representing her case.
So he could only be her friend—not that that was a bad thing—until everything was taken care of. In the meantime, he would continue to help her flourish and learn more about what the ‘real world’ was like.
And who knew, maybe life would do the impossible. Maybe he could help Frenchie turn things around. Then maybe, just maybe, she’d end up letting him into her life for good.
20
Frenchie
Frenchie had forgotten what it was like to go to bed every night cold and hungry with an ache so deep in her bones that it might never come out.
She had forgotten what it was like to wake up on the ground with only her blanket and hoody, wishing for something soft to rest against.
She had forgotten just how exhausting it was to constantly be searching for resources, and the boredom that came with being too hungry and tired to entertain herself.
She had forgotten everything that she’d spent years numbing herself to, but now she was looking all of that in the face again.
It was the week before Thanksgiving and somehow, the lawyers had managed to strike a deal with the animal that hurt Tawny. It was incredible timing, only about a month and a half after he was arrested, and Frenchie had been under the impression that it would take much, much longer.
So it was a relief to be out from under the bad guy’s shadow, but much less of a relief because they didn’t need the suite anymore. There was no need for Solomon to keep looking out for them.
That left a bittersweet taste in her mouth. Frenchie liked being independent, she liked not relying on anybody but herself, but she also didn’t want her path to diverge from his. They were like two comets shooting in opposite directions who only managed to line up for a little while.
But even if it had only been a short few months, she cherished them dearly. Also, not to forget that he’d given her the resources to take several big steps she’d been struggling with.
She’d gone to three interviews and gotten a part-time job at a big box store. It wasn’t the most amazing pay, but it was a dollar above minimum wage, and she got at least twenty hours a week. When Solomon had heard, he’d taken her shopping to buy plenty of new outfits for the job. She’d fought him a bit on it before realizing that he liked giving her things and she shouldn’t spoil his fun. Spending money on frivolous things was still so stressful to her.
She still had her gym membership, so she wasn’t worried about freezing to death in the night. She had a job, and she’d managed to get herself a library card! The new library was truly massive, and they even had 3D printers there, which was absolutely wild. Strangely enough, one of the librarians recognized her so they got to talking, and the next thing Frenchie knew, she was signing up for a GED program.
So yeah, things were looking on the up and up.
…except for that whole being homeless thing again.
What if she had gotten soft? She had gained almost enough weight to feel like her real self again, but she still wanted to add on much more muscle. She’d even managed to get to the local cosmetology school and get her hair touched up. The person had wanted to practice their ombre technique, so currently she had red to orange to yellow hair like fire. She loved it, and it made her feel a bit more like herself.
“I’m gonna miss this place,” Tawny said, running her thumb across her teeth. It was a habit she’d started up ever since Solomon took her to get her teeth fixed that had been chipped in the attack. Frenchie didn’t even want to think about how much that must have cost, considering the repairs were pretty much seamless. “If you woulda told me I went from being beaten nearly to death to living in the lap of luxury, I woulda told you that you were insane.”
“This isn’t the lap of luxury, Tawny.”
“Oh, you’re right. That would be Solomon’s guest rooms. Those beds are commmfy.”
Tawny wasn’t wrong. The meetings with the lawyers had both run long, and Solomon had his staff feed them both times, resulting in naps by everyone the second time around. Frenchie had tried to resist, but Tawny had pulled her down onto one of the beds and then it was lights out.
“Do you think he’s going to rush in at the last minute and whisk you off like some sort of Prince Charming?”
“Prince Charmings aren’t real, Tawny, and hoping for things just ends up hurting you in the long run.”
“Geez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she groused. “Let’s just—”
A knock sounded at the door, nearly startling her out of her pants. Tawny mouthed a question asking who it could be, but Frenchie had no idea. Carefully, she went to the door and looked out the peephole. Surprisingly enough, it was Solomon.
Strange. When he hadn’t talked to them about renewing their time at the suite yet again, she assumed he was finally done being their host. Which was fine. He’d spent a ridiculous amount of money on them already. She had known that it was coming, and yet it still stung so hard.
“Uh, hey there,” she said uncertainly as she opened the door. “Wasn’t expecting you.”
“You think I’m gonna let you guys fend for yourself on move-out day? That would be rude.” Maybe, but it was incredibly awkward that he was there. “So, where are you guys off to?” He walked in, grabbing both her backpack and the one that Tawny had scrounged up. With her first paycheck, Frenchie had bought them both small coolers, some nicer jackets from the thrift shop, and duffle bags they could sling over their shoulders to carry along with their backpacks.
They’d need to find ways to hide both the coolers and duffles, because walking around with them definitely made them a target, but Frenchie was pretty good at burying things and remembering where they were left. She’d only lost one cache, and it was because a building was
being built over it while she had been on the road with a carnival.
And the containers were worth the extra struggle just so they didn’t have to leave everything behind. With everything that Solomon had been buying for them, or her new situation had allowed her to buy for herself, she had far too much to live out of only a backpack. It was nice, having multiple outfits and all of her toiletries in full portions rather than sample sizes she nicked a few extra of when they were being given out at the shelter.
“All right, I’ll take these to the truck then come back up for the rest.”
He hurried off, leaving Frenchie and Tawny standing there, looking after him.
“This is weird, right?” Tawny asked in a slow drawl. “Because this feels weird.”
“It’s definitely weird.”
“Glad it’s not just me then.”
They didn’t continue any further than that, because then Solomon was coming back up to grab the rest. Frenchie lingered as she went to close the door for the last time. She found herself getting emotional, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. The suite had come to mean a lot to her. It was where her life had changed, pretty much. Where she had found out that maybe, just maybe, she could be worth more to someone than her pound of flesh.
But that was the trouble with things mattering; they hurt when they eventually got taken away.
Pushing the melancholy down and forcing herself to be grateful she’d ever had the suite at all, Frenchie closed the door, the key card inside on the table for the housekeeper to clean up.
And that was it. An insane chapter of her life was closed, and she was onto new and important things.
If she kept working hard, she could probably afford a studio in a month or so. Security deposits were always the worst, and she knew with her lack of credit that she was going to have to pay first and last month’s rent as well. She was doing well at her job, and although it was too early to tell, she was pretty sure they’d keep her on for at least a few hours a week after the holidays.
“So, where am I taking you to?” Solomon asked, strangely cheerful as they all got into another one of his work vans. There was hardly enough room for her in the front and Tawny in the back, the van jack packed with various furniture items and bags. Clearly it had been in the middle of a job when he had borrowed the vehicle. He could have waited for whoever they were to finish.
“Tawny is going over to the factory area past the public market. I’m heading to the park.”
“Oh, the two of you didn’t manage to land shelter spots?”
“No, they’re usually at a premium during the winter, and the ones that aren’t are first come, first serve every night.”
“Huh. All right.”
…that was strange. Normally Solomon got all uncomfortable like whenever they were talking about her being on the streets, but he was acting like everything was normal. Was he just trying to be chill and massively overcompensating? If so, he needed to knock it off.
She looked out the window, deep in thought. She was so wrapped up in her complex feelings that she didn’t realize that something was amiss for a good handful of minutes.
“Uh, Solomon? Where are you going? This isn’t the way to the park or the factory area.”
“Oh, it isn’t? I must have taken a wrong turn. Hold on.”
Except he didn’t try to turn after that and seemed to know exactly where he was going.
Frenchie wasn’t stupid. She could tell that something was up but had no idea what. He hadn’t… planned a surprise party or something bizarre, right? Because on top of everything else, that would be far too much.
Strangely enough, she still didn’t get an answer as he pulled to the side on a random block in a neighborhood. It wasn’t high-class or even middle-class, but it wasn’t rundown either. The sidewalks were mostly intact, and she saw signs that the people around took pride in their houses, and the buildings weren’t dilapidated or falling apart.
“What are we doing?” she asked, trying to keep her tone normal. In reality, she was a bit irritated. She wanted to get this whole saying goodbye thing over with so she could breathe again. Because, at the moment, it felt like her heart was squeezing painfully in her chest.
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind, but I needed to stop in and sign some forms for one of our workers. You should come with. I heard his cat had kittens.”
She wanted to say no, that she could wait, but a squeal sounded from the back. “Oh, kittens! WHERE?” And then Tawny was vaulting out of the side door like a track star.
Of course, Frenchie wasn’t going to sit alone in the van like some sort of spoilsport, so she followed after. But they only went a few steps before Solomon slowed to a stop, just facing a house.
“What?” she asked, looking it over. It was a nice place, that was for certain. Two floors with what looked like one of those older attics on top. Storm porch. Looked like there was plenty of room for whatever employee Solomon was visiting and his family. There was even a yard in the back.
“So, what do you think?”
“Huh? Uh, it’s nice.”
“Good, that makes things easier.” Before she could ask him what he meant, he kept on talking. “Because it’s yours.”
…what?
She stared at him, sure that she was having a stroke, but now he really seemed to be pulling out a roll of paper from under his arm. Since when had that even been there?
“This is the paperwork for this house to be entirely in your own name. I also have some track phones with minutes cards in the car. I took care of the utilities for the first few months, and you’re taken care of on taxes for this year.”
“I… I don’t understand.”
“I want you to be able to take care of yourself, and I understand that—while I liked providing for you through this stressful time lately—you’re an independent sort of person who likes to take care of herself. Also, this way, you are in control of your own housing, your own life, and what you do with them.”
“Oh, and Tawny, I managed to get you a part-time job at the local learning center with the caveat that you attend some lessons there. Mostly just cleaning and organization, but it’ll give you pocket money and help you catch up with the studies you’ve missed.”
The girl was staring at him with the same shocked expression that Frenchie was wearing, so she knew she wasn’t hallucinating everything the man was saying.
“But won’t they have to report me?”
“Texas has some different laws regarding emancipation than New York. And while your parents live in good old NY, by the time they got down here and contested it, you’d be eighteen and everything would be a moot point.”
“Oh. Wow. Huh. You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“I just want the two of you to get back on your feet and do all the things that I know you can do. This way, at least you have a fairer start.”
Frenchie didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to say, she didn’t even know what to think. So instead she just threw herself at him in a hug, crushing his form to hers with all the strength in her body.
She was so overwhelmed with the feeling of it all, the gratitude, and the relief that he wasn’t trying to get rid of her. No, he was just sneakily planning on completely turning her life around even more than she thought was possible.
What had she ever done to deserve such kindness? She wasn’t smart, or particularly talented, and yet someone like him was seemingly willing to move heaven and earth to set her up well.
She wasn’t thinking when her hands went to either side of his head, wanting to pull him down into a kiss, wanting him to feel how happy he made her. And not just because he got her nice things—incredible things—but because he cared enough to do so.
Her heart was so full, but that feeling cracked when he stiffened and pulled away, his large hands coming up to pull hers away from his face.
“What… what’s wrong?” she asked. Had she been imagining those intense look
s? Was she completely wrong about everything? Did he only see her as a charity case and nothing else?
He shook his head, looking like he was struggling with the right words himself. “It’s just… I… I did this because I care for you. And I don’t want you to feel like you owe me, okay. I’m still not like those people.”
Oh. He was remembering the first time in the suite together, where she had thought that he would only help Tawny if she gave herself to him. That moment still caused embarrassment to rush through her, but how else was she supposed to know back then that he was basically a Christmas miracle in human flesh?
“I know. And I know you never could be. I know it took me a while, but I don’t think that way anymore.”
The look of surprise, of absolute relief that washed over him was visible from even where she was standing. “Is that really true?”
“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t.”
“Well… in that case, if you were open to it, I… I’d like to court you. Like you’re supposed to court a lady.”
Oh, a lady now, was she? That was something she hadn’t been called before. “And what exactly does courting a lady entail?”
He blushed and goodness, that was a great look across his cheeks. “Well, mostly it starts with a date, no more contact than maybe holding hands. Good conversation. Good food. Maybe some fancy lighting. Flowers.”
She smiled from ear to ear, almost worried that her face might crack. “That sounds lovely to me,” she murmured, her heart swelling in her chest. But then, out of nowhere, a cry of frustration sounded from behind her.
“Aw, man!” Tawny said.
Frenchie whirled around, raising her eyebrows. “What?”
Tawny was squinting angrily. “There never were any kittens, were there?”
21
Solomon
It was a strange thing to realize that, at thirty-three years old, he’d never been on a date that he wanted to be on just because he liked a person. Sure, he had dated around more when he was younger, and then again in college, but it had almost always been for a goal. Either to try out new restaurants or political mergers or currying favor. He’d always been so obsessed with the business side of things that he’d forgotten that dating could just be for fun.