Right Where You Left Me

bonus chapter - before nate came back.

nate

I huddle deeper into my coat, blowing steam into my hands in an attempt to thaw my freezing fingers. The winters are brutal and unkind to everyone, but especially to the homeless. I've been doing extra while helping Ollie out in hopes that he'll offer me a place to stay, even just for the duration of winter.

I check the time on my watch. Almost nine. "Fuck," I curse, and speed up. My hand wanders to the bag slung over my shoulder and I feel the stacks of cash inside. They motivate me to move faster.

By the time I turn onto the dark, shady and definitely creepy street where Ollie lives, it's dark. I see a bunch of people in blankets surrounding trash fire. I pass a group of teens smoking. I step up to Ollie's doorstep and knock twice on the door, then pause, then knock three times.

The door swings opens and Ollie is standing in front of me, his shoulder length black hair ruffled and slightly curly, his sweatpants riding low on his waist.

"Come in, kid," he says, grinning at my cold state, and I step inside.

The door locks behind me and I take in the room. Gabe, one of Ollie's friends, is chilling on the couch with his arm around a girl. Gabe's sister, Aliyah, has a vape in one hand and a joint in the other, laughing with a girl beside her as they take turns on each.

Across the room, Chase Ashford is attempting to bench press one of his buddies. Both of them are drunk as fuck and probably tripping on acid. A dangerous combination, I will admit. But when you have access to all the drugs in the world, why limit yourself to one?

I don't know what his deal is, really. He's the son of Catherine fucking Hale and he chooses to hang with a bunch of druggies? But he makes us lots of money and he's good company (despite his mutual hatred with Aliyah), so no one questions it. We just sign the NDAs and put the bottles and pills in his hand. For an expensive fee, of course. Chase willingly pays it.

I don't think I've ever seen him sober.

I haul the giant bag onto the creaky kitchen table and it makes a giant thumping sound, attracting everyone's attention. I grin and turn the bag upside down, watching as stacks of cash pour out of the bag. At once they all jump up and rush towards me, elbows pushing and hands reaching past me to get the cash. All it takes is Ollie and Gabe clearing their throats to get everyone to freeze and back away.

"You know the drill," Ollie says, and he begins dividing the cash. "Kid gets 20% since he earned it all. Gabe and I each get 30%. Everyone else gets the leftovers. Fight to the death for it. I don't give a shit."

Licking his lips, Gabe divided the cash, shoving his money into his back pockets and handing me my share. "Spend it wisely, kid," he advises me. I nod and grab a bottle from the counter. I don't bother with the little shot cup; I just take a burning hot swig. What I'm asking next requires liquid courage.

"Ollie," I call, and head over to the kitchen to talk to him. As I pass by the couch, I overhear Aliyah telling some random guy "I'll sleep with you if you give me 75% of the cash you copped from Nate." I grin at her female manipulator tactics and duck into the kitchen.

Ollie, upon greeting me, blows blueberry vape rings into my face and I grin, shaking my head and hopping onto the counter next to him.

"What's up?" he says.

I take a breath. "Can I stay over here for the night?"

He shrugs. "Sure."

I blink. That was easy. He probably just sees it as letting an acquaintance crash for the night. I watch as he heads back towards the living room, and my stupid ass follows him and decides to push my luck.