Strong (Kindred #1) (17 page)

Shit, I’m in trouble.

A whole lot of trouble.

“Hey.” she smiles, kissing me on the cheek.

“How’s your day been?” I ask as she sits down.

“Tiring, Mum and Dad are really against me moving out. It’s been exhausting trying to find somewhere and explain to them why it’s important I do this. They don’t want me living alone after the surgery and I don’t want to live with them.”

“I might have a solution.”

I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about showing her what I’ve got in my pocket, but one of us has to think long term and with everything going on in her head right now, it’s not going to be her. I did the responsible and sensible thing and took the time to look around and find somewhere for both of us to rent. I take the piece of paper out of my pocket and hand it to her. Her eyebrows shoot up and she scowls at me.

“What’s this?”

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like the details of a two bedroom flat to rent, Carter, that’s what it looks like.”

“Well you would be right.”

“Why are you showing me details of a two bedroom flat?”

“Well, because we both need somewhere to stay, right? Well I found somewhere.”

“You did, huh?”

“I did, I found us somewhere to rent.”

“As in, together?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“What’s the problem here?” I ask her. “You need somewhere to live, you’re going to need looking after and you won’t stay with your parents. You just said it’s been exhausting, that they’re worried about you living alone when… Well when everything… You know,” I rub my face, a little uncomfortable. “ I found us somewhere we can rent. Two rooms, a nice kitchen and everything we could need. It’s nice Carmen and you agreed I could look, so I looked. I think it’s in our budget, so why is it a problem?”

“Our budget? I didn’t realise there was an ‘our budget’?” she smirks at me.

“Well, there is now. It makes no sense to rent two places, I can’t look after you properly from a different place can I?”

“You’re really serious about this?”

“Completely.”

“You’re going to move here, leave everything behind to look after someone you’ve known less than a week?”

“Yes.”

“I still don’t think you’re real, Carter.” she sighs, looking at the piece of paper in her hand again.

“I’m real, believe me. Just wait till you’re coming home to a home cooked meal and a bath every night, you’ll think this is a good idea then.” I smirk.

“Then let’s go look at this place.”

“We’re not having coffee?”

“No, we’re going to look at the place you seem to think is so perfect for us.”

“You’re going to love it, you know.” I tell her.

“Will I now?”

“Yes, it’s the perfect place for us, plenty of room, light, close to everything we need to be close to.”

“You’ve thought all this through, haven’t you?” she laughs, linking her arm with mine as we walk to her car.

“Absolutely.”

“So… What do you think?” I ask her after five straight minutes of silence.

“It’s… It’s perfect, Carter.”

“Really?”

“Yes, absolutely perfect. How did you find it?”

“Okay, don’t be mad.”

“Carter…”

“I asked Doug.”

“You asked Doug.”

She looks mad.

Damn.

“Yes, he helped Megan and Harry find the house and this is Sophie’s old flat… They rent it out, this is how I found it. He isn’t going to tell anyone Carmen, he thinks it’s just for me right now.”

“You’re sure he isn’t going to tell anyone?”

“I’m certain.”

“Okay…”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty much perfect. And if you’re sure we can afford it.”

“We’re getting a really good deal… Doug says we’re practically family.”

“I’m beginning to realise why Josie and Megan find him so attractive,” she grins. “Apart from the obvious.”

“The obvious?”

“The fact he is, absolutely gorgeous.”

“Okay, moving on,” I glare at her, walking towards the lounge again. “We can move in whenever we’re ready… It’s vacant. We just need to go and see Doug to sort everything out.”

“So we could be in here before I have my surgery?”

“Yes, if you want to be.”

She looks around and then meets my eyes again and suddenly looks like she’s about to break and before I know what’s happening, she’s sitting on the floor sobbing, her knees pulled to her chest. I sink down onto the floor and just sit there, then I rest one hand on her back and try and soothe her, running my hand up and down her spine until the tears slow down and she turns to look at me.

“How did all this happen? How did I get diagnosed with cancer, come home and meet you? Then, suddenly I have people who want to help me? How did it happen, Carter?”

“I can’t answer those questions, why does anything happen? But I think fate brought us together, fate got your best friends and my brother together because it knew you were going to need a tall, dark, handsome American to look after you.” I joke, hoping she’ll laugh.

She does.

“You’re exactly what I need.”

“So… Are we doing this?”

“We’re doing this.”

“Good,” I grin. “Because I kind of already paid Doug the deposit.” I tell her sheepishly.

She sighs and wipes her eyes.

“Of course you did,” she rolls her eyes. “What if I’d said no?”

“Then I’d go back to Doug and tell him, I needed even more of a good rate because I was going to be living here alone.”

“You sort everything out, don’t you Carter?”

“I try, I’m a born trier.”

“Okay. Well, we’re going to need everything. Like, beds, sofa, everything.”

“I know, exciting isn’t it? And I told Doug, he can take that small ass refrigerator out, if I’m living here, we’re getting a proper one.”

“Whatever,” she laughs standing up. “Get up, we have to go tell my parents.”

“Errr, we?”

“Yes, you found this place so you can be there when I tell them. Something tells me, if I’m living with you, they’ll be okay with me moving out.” she holds her hand out for me.

“Okay then.” I take it and stand.

“I really do mean it, Carter. Thank you.”

F
our days later, the flat’s ours and we’re moving in. Admittedly, all we have right now is two blow up beds, pillows and duvets, but it’s ours and that in itself is exciting. After asking my permission, Carter told his parents what the plan is. They’re all due to leave in couple of weeks and since Carter won’t be needing the room at the hotel anymore we can’t not tell them. Soon after Carter told them, his Mum, Hilary, phoned me to invite me out to lunch the following day, and I accepted. When I walked into the busy restaurant she’d chosen, she stood and when I reached her, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me like my Mum would. I was overwhelmed with emotion and when we both pulled back, our cheeks were wet.

We spent three hours together talking, she told me one of her best friends had been diagnosed last year, that she understood it was so different for me being so young, but that she can remember how her friend felt. She told me she’d be there for me too, whenever I needed to talk and that there was always a place for me at her house when I wanted to visit. I was taken aback by her kindness and her acceptance that Carter wouldn’t be going back with them.

“Carmen, I can see how much he cares for you, sweetheart. If he’s happy, we’re happy. It’s all we want for him, for all our children.”

“But he’s only just met me and we’re not in a relationship, we’re friends.” I told her.

“Right now, yes. But I see a beautiful love blossoming from you both, it will happen when the time is right and not a second before.”

I’m lost in thought when I hear Carter making a noise in one of the bedrooms. I walk towards them and find him dumping shoes onto the floor.

“Are you having this room?” I ask him, walking into the smaller of the two rooms.

“Errr, yeah?” he looks up and frowns. “Did you want it? I thought you’d want the room with the en-suite?”

“Carter Manning, are you for real?” I sigh, walking over and pressing my hand to his forehead. “You’re giving me the better room?”

“I don’t plan on spending a lot of time in here.” he smiles, then realises what he said and frowns. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Where are you planning to be then?”

“Well, follow me.” he takes my hand and walks me down the hall to the lounge.

“I plan to be in here, sitting on the big ass sofa, in front of the huge flat screen TV I plan on buying. It’s nearest to the fridge, which will be stocked with beer.” he grins at me.

“You have it all planned, don’t you?”

“Pretty much. So you know, we really need to go and get furniture.”

“You mean, we need to go buy a big arse sofa and huge flatscreen TV don’t you?”

“And a refrigerator. My beer is warm.”

“We can’t have that now can we?”

An hour later, Carter is sitting back on a sofa in the middle of the shop trying to work out if it’s big enough for what he wants. He sits this way and that, he lays back and then sits up again, then he takes off his shoes and lays completely on top of it. I try my best not to laugh, but it really is funny to watch.

“Come here.”

“What? No thank you, it’s your dream sofa, not mine.”

“Will you please come here, we need to make sure we both fit on it.”

“Carter, it’s huge, we’ll both fit, trust me.”

He stands up and marches himself over to me, picks me up and carries me back to the sofa, depositing me on it then sitting down and pulling me so I’m under his arm, my head resting on his chest.

“Pull your legs up.”

“I feel like an idiot.” I huff, kicking off my boots and doing as he says.

“You’ll feel more of an idiot if we have to sit on it with your legs hanging off because it’s the wrong sized sofa.”

“Carter, I fit. I’m getting up.” he holds on tight and chuckles.

“Does it feel comfy?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like the cushions? Are they comfy enough?”

I get up and put my boots back on. Standing, I glare down at him, he doesn’t even try to stop the shit eating grin spreading across his face as he looks up at me.

“Yes, the cushions are fine. Get up you silly arse!”

“I like the chocolate brown, do you like it in chocolate brown?” he asks me, putting his shoes back on.

“Yeah, kind of reminds me of your eyes.”

I slap my hand over my mouth but it’s too late,

I’ve already said it.

“Does it now?” he grins at me.

“Order the sofa Carter.” I huff, walking over to where there are decorative cushions and throws.

Carter orders the giant L shaped sofa while I fill the basket with pretty blankets and girly cushions. When he comes over and looks into the basket he frowns, picking out a particularly pretty turquoise flowery one.

“What is this?”

“A cushion.”

“But why do we need it? And why do we need this white thing?” he asks, poking the blanket that I have in there.

“I like cushions and trust me, when you’re watching whatever it is you’re going to be watching and it’s cold, you’ll thank me for getting the fleecy white blanket.”