Anyone But Her

by Everhart, Allie

  I don't even know how to respond to him, so I don't.

  "Well?" he says. "Did he or didn't he? Because if he did, I know someone who'd rent the place. A guy at work was just saying how he was—"

  "Just shut the fuck up!" I storm over to him, stopping at the property line. "What the fuck is wrong with you? A man dies and you can't even show the slightest bit of respect?"

  He shrugs. "What do I care? I never liked him. His cranky ass always getting on me for not mowing my lawn when he tells me to. Like it's any of his goddamn business."

  I shake my head. "You're fucking unbelievable." I storm back to the house and hear my dad's voice again.

  "Guess this means you'll have to move out!" he yells. "No more freeloading, you little piece of shit!"

  I fling open the front door and run into the ambulance guys taking Albert out on a stretcher.

  "You'll call his family?" the one guy says to me.

  "Yes," I say, confirming it. We already discussed that I'd be the one to call Albert's son and daughter. I dread making the calls but I felt it was my duty to do so. It's what Albert would have wanted.

  As the ambulance leaves I call Sandra, Albert's daughter. When she answers, I tell her what happened as gently as possible. I've never had to do this before so I don't know the right words to use or the right way to say it but I do the best I can.

  "Thank you for calling," she says with not even a hint of emotion. It doesn't surprise me. I've never met his daughter but I've never liked her. She doesn't even call her dad on his birthday or Christmas. Albert's son, Jacob, calls now and then but he has some executive job that has him traveling overseas all the time so he's never around.

  "I'll let Jacob know," Sandra says. "He's in Japan this month so I'll be the one taking care of the arrangements."

  "When can you be here?" I ask.

  "I'll have to check my schedule. I don't need to be there in person to make the arrangements. A few phone calls should be all that's needed."

  She doesn't sound the least bit sad. In fact, she almost sounds relieved, like she's been waiting for him to die.

  "You'll need to vacate the house so I can get it professionally cleaned and have a handyman fix whatever damage there is."

  "Um, okay. How long will that take?"

  "A week. Maybe two."

  "I could help with whatever work needs to be done."

  "I'd prefer if a professional did it."

  "Okay, well, I could supervise them if you want."

  "You don't seem to understand. You need to vacate the house."

  "Yeah, I'll just go to a hotel. You'll call me when it's done?"

  She sighs. "How much clearer do I need to be?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "You're not staying there, Luke. You need to pack your things and get out of there. The house is mine now and I plan to rent it out until I can sell it."

  She's kicking me out? I'm so freaking mad but what can I do? If the house is really hers and she wants me gone, I can't stay. But I'm not ready to go. Leaving here means leaving Albert and I'm not ready to say goodbye.

  "Let me rent it," I say, "until it sells."

  "Do you have references? A good credit score? A history of renting for at least five years?"

  "No, but I don't need those things. I've lived here for two years. I've known your dad since I was a kid. You can trust me to take care of the house and pay the rent."

  "I don't trust anyone, especially someone as young as you. And given the degenerates next door who raised you I have reason to believe you only befriended my father so you could steal from him. Live off his income. Get him to buy you things."

  Now I'm fuming mad and can't hide it. "I never once stole from your dad. If anything, you're the—"

  I was about to say 'thief' because I'm almost positive she stole my money back when I was fifteen and hiding my money in Albert's guest room closet. When I was at golf camp that summer Sandra stayed with Albert on her way to Arizona and when I got back from camp the money was gone. I knew it was her who did it. Who else would? Albert wouldn't steal from me and she was the only other person in the house that week.

  "I'm the what?" she asks in a snide tone.

  "Nothing. Just forget it. When do I need to be out?"

  "You can have until the end of Sunday. Leave your key under the mat so it's there for the handyman."

  "Fine. I'll be out by Sunday." I hang up, because one second more and I would've gone off on her.

  I toss my phone on the table. I'm so angry I could punch a hole through the wall but if I did Sandra would sue me for damages and I'd have even more problems.

  Now that she's kicking me out I need to find a place to live. Where the hell am I going to go? I can't live with my parents. For one, we can't stand each other, and two, they kicked me out and told me I could never come back.

  I have some money saved up but not much. And what little I have needs to pay for my golf coach. The guy's really good so he's expensive. Albert insisted I use him but since I couldn't afford his fee, Albert was helping me pay for the guy. Without Albert's help I won't be able to keep my coach. I'll have to find someone else or get a job and save some money, which means my future career as a pro golfer will be on hold, or may never happen.

  I was so close. I've been playing well in tournaments. Getting noticed by the sports media. Having sponsors show interest in me for when I go pro. But now? All that might be over.

  Why am I even thinking about that right now? I should be thinking about Albert and what a great person he was and how he changed my life.

  Sitting down at the table I close my eyes and take some deep breaths.

  "I don't know what to do, Albert," I say as though he's still here. Even though he's not, I feel like he is. "Where do I go? Do I leave San Diego? It's my home but I can't afford to live here. My coach is here but I can't pay him on my own. Do I quit golfing? Do something else?"

  I get up and pace back and forth across the kitchen. "I need help, Albert. I wish you were still here."

  My phone rings. I pick it up and see that it's Cal calling. I'm not in the mood to talk so I almost don't answer but have this strong feeling I should.

  "Hey, Cal," I say.

  "Hey, man, how's it going?"

  "Not great. Could I call you back later?"

  "Why? What's going on? Did something happen?"

  I sit down at the table. "Albert died."

  "Holy shit. Sorry, man. When did it happen?"

  "They think he died last night. I found him this morning in his bed. He wasn't breathing. I called an ambulance but he was already gone."

  "This happened this morning? Why didn't you call me?"

  "I haven't had a chance. I had to answer questions from the ambulance guys, then talk to Albert's daughter. Honestly, I'm still in shock. I can't believe this happened. He was old but he wasn't in bad health."

  "Do they know what caused it?"

  "No. They'll probably just say old age or his heart. He did have some heart issues so maybe that's what it was. His heart just gave out."

  "I'm really sorry, man. What can I do to help? Why don't I drive there? If I start driving now I'll be there by tonight."

  "You don't have to do that."

  "You shouldn't be alone right now. Albert was like a dad to you. It's like losing your father."

  "Yeah. It is." My voice trails off.

  "Speaking of dads, have you seen your parents since this happened?"

  "My dad came outside when he saw the ambulance. He didn't even care that Albert died. He actually seemed happy about it. The two of them never got along, but still, he could've showed some respect."

  "I'm sorry, Luke. I really am."

  "Thanks. And hey, you don't have to come out here. I'll be fine."

  "Albert died. You're not fine. I need a few minutes to pack a bag and then I'll hit the road."

  "Cal, I appreciate the gesture but you should stay in Phoenix. I don't have a place for us to stay. I have to
be out of here in a few days."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The house. I can't stay here. I have to be out by Sunday."

  "What are you talking about? You live there. Of course you can stay there."

  "It's not Albert's house anymore. It's his daughter's. And she doesn't want me living here."

  "She told you that?"

  "Yeah, when I called to tell her about Albert."

  "She seriously kicked you out?"

  "She wants to rent the place out until she sells it and apparently I don't meet her standards for a tenant so she wants me out by Sunday."

  "That's fucked up."

  "Like I said, it's her house now. She can do what she wants."

  "Have you ever met this woman?"

  "No. She hardly ever came to see Albert and when she did, I wasn't here."

  "Have you talked to his son? He's gotta own half the house, right? Maybe he'd let you stay."

  "I doubt it. He's just like his sister. They'll both want to make money off the house. They'll try to rent it for as much as they can, which is more than I can afford."

  "So what are you going to do? Where are you going to live?"

  "I haven't figured that out yet."

  "Well, I'm still coming out there. If anything, I can help you move whatever stuff you have. Let me just pack a bag and I'll hit the road."

  "What about school?"

  "It's done. Finals were last week. Taylor's school isn't out for another week. We're going to pick her up next weekend."

  Taylor. I still think about her. More than I should. We haven't talked for weeks but not because I didn't want to. She asked me to stop calling, and at first I didn't listen because I didn't think it's what she really wanted. But then she stopped answering my calls.

  I miss talking to her. After spring break we talked every night and sometimes during the day. I was really getting to know her, and like her even more, but then she stopped talking to me. She sent me a text saying she didn't want to continue something that could never go anywhere.

  "You still there?" Cal asks.

  "Yeah. Sorry. I'm a little out of it right now."

  "No problem. I totally get it. I'm gonna let you go so I can get on the road. I'll text when I'm almost there."

  "Thanks, Cal. You're a good friend."

  "You too, man. See ya soon."

  We hang up and my mind goes to Taylor again. I'm tempted to call her and tell her what happened but decide not to. The next time Cal talks to her, he can tell her about Albert.

  Taylor asked me to leave her alone and maybe she's right. Cal is one of the few friends I have and he's one of those friends who's there when times are tough. It's hard to find a friend like that and I don't want to risk losing him by dating his sister. But I still wish that I could. My feelings for her haven't changed. If anything, they've gotten stronger.

  The rest of the day I spend packing and searching online for apartments but there's nothing around here I could afford. This city is just too expensive. If I had more time I might be able to find something but a few days isn't enough. Couldn't Sandra at least give me a week? I just lost Albert. I need time to grieve before getting kicked out on the street.

  Cal arrives just after seven. We go out for dinner and as we're waiting for our food to arrive, he says, "So I talked to my parents."

  "About what?"

  "You."

  "What about me?"

  "I told them what happened and how you don't have a place to live. They wanted to help."

  "Help how?"

  "They want you to live with us this summer, or however long it takes for you to get enough money to find a place of your own. I know Phoenix isn't home but it'd just be temporary. You could always come back here, or maybe you'd decide to stay. It's a lot cheaper to live there than here."

  "Your parents really said I could live there?"

  "Yeah. You could have the guest house out back. It doesn't have a kitchen so you'd have to come to the main house for meals but it's got everything else you need. And you'd have privacy. So what do you think?"

  "Are you kidding? This is awesome. Tell your parents thank you and that I'll do whatever they need to earn my keep. Lawn work. Cleaning the pool. Whatever they want." I pick up my phone. "Actually, I should call them myself and thank them." I search for his dad's number.

  "They're not home. They went to a movie. I talked to them before I got to your house. And as for doing shit, you don't have to do chores around the house. As long as you don't trash the guest house my mom will be happy."

  "I'd never do that. I'll keep it spotless. I promise."

  "As for my dad, he just wants you to keep working on your golf game. He really thinks you can go pro this year."

  "He told you that?"

  "Yeah, and he can hook you up with a coach."

  "I don't think I can afford the kind of coach he'd pick out for me."

  "You could if you did some commercials."

  "Nobody will hire me for that."

  "You're a rising star, asshole." He says it jokingly and smiles. "Of course they'll hire you. Didn't you already get an offer from that sporting goods store?"

  "WaveField, but that was only if I went pro. You know the rules. As an amateur I can't make money off anything related to golf."

  "Maybe they could still use you. You could be shown doing something else, like working out at the gym."

  "I guess. I'll talk to Garret about it. He might be open to it. He really wants to work with me."

  "Because he knows you're going to make it big. Companies love rising stars. And if you get in with them now, they're more likely to give you a sponsorship when you go pro. My dad said you should find a business that won't just support you financially but will also give you the type of promotion that'll help get your name out there."

  "Yeah, I remember him telling me that when I was at your house."

  "He really wants you to do well. He said you have a lot of potential."

  "I think it's great he's so supportive of my golf career but I don't really understand it. He should be helping you, not me."

  "He does. But he likes you and knows you didn't grow up with support from your parents so I think he wants to make up for that. He's one of those dads that acts like a dad to everyone, not just his own kids. He treats Birdie like a daughter. She even takes trips with us. Anyway, you can move in as soon as you're ready. I can take some of your stuff in my car if you need me to."

  "I don't have much. It should all fit in mine." I take a deep breath and relax back in my chair. "I feel like I can finally breathe again. I was thinking I'd be living out of my car. I can't thank you enough for doing this."

  "You okay leaving San Diego?"

  "I'll miss it but I think it's time to move on. And you're right. Phoenix is a lot cheaper. I might just stay there after the summer. In my own place," I clarify. "Tell your parents I'll be out by the end of the summer. I don't want to overstay my welcome."

  "Don't worry about it. You'll be out in the guest house. They won't even notice you're there. So when should I tell them you'll be at the house?"

  "After the funeral. Sandra already has it set up for Wednesday. I'll leave after that."

  "But you have to be out on Sunday. Where are you going to stay?"

  "I'll find a cheap motel. Or maybe I could put a tent in the back yard. Then again, Sandra would probably charge me for it."

  "What a bitch."

  "I'd rather not talk about her. Let's talk about you. What have you been doing since you got home from college?"

  "Golfing. What else is there to do?" We both laugh. "I'll be golfing all summer. My dad has me working with two coaches now, one for skills, one for conditioning. I won't have much free time." He smiles. "But we can still take time to meet girls. Some new ones just joined the country club. Fuckin' hot. They're always hanging out by the pool."

  I'm not interested. When I think of girls all I can think of is Taylor. I can't get her out of my head.

>   "You said you'd be gone next weekend?" I ask, remembering he said something about going to see Taylor.

  "Yeah, we're picking Taylor up at college."

  "Is she going anywhere? For the summer?"

  "No, she'll be at home. She'll be golfing, like me, and working with her coach. My dad found her some new guy. He's really expensive but supposed to be really good."

  "Then why aren't you using him?"

  "He specializes in women's golf. He's been training women golfers for thirty years." He takes a drink of his water. "You should come with us."

  "Where?"

  "To pick up Taylor. While we're there we're going golfing. You liked that course we played by her college. You'd get to play it again."

  "Thanks but I think I'll stay behind. You'll have a lot going on getting her moved out of the dorms."

  "That'll take a couple hours, max. You're going. You shouldn't be sitting around the house by yourself after losing Albert."

  "You sure your parents will be okay with it?"

  "I told you we always take friends on trips, and out of all my friends they like you the best. They'd love it if you tagged along."

  "Then I guess I'll go."

  I'm going to see Taylor. And all summer I'll be living at her house, or near her house. The guest house is in the back yard, just behind the pool. I'll see her when I go in the house to eat or hang out with Cal.

  I wonder how she'll react when she finds out. Will she pretend to be mad but be secretly happy? Or will she be annoyed that I'm there? Maybe she's moved on. It's entirely possible she has a boyfriend by now. Cal hasn't mentioned her dating anyone but we really don't talk about her that much.

  She wanted me to stay away from her but now I can't. Now I'll see her every day. I'm happy about that but also a little worried. I'm worried I won't be able to hide how I feel about her, and if I can't hide it, her family will find out.

  Maybe living there isn't the best idea but I don't have anywhere else to go. I'll just have to hide my feelings for Taylor. Easier said than done.

  Chapter Ten

  Taylor

  "How's it going?" Lilly asks as I haul my duffle bag up the stairs. I just got home from college. It was a long car ride home and I'm tired and feel like I need a shower.