Roommates

Chapter 16

Trey's sudden appearance caught Aurora off guard as his hands gripped her hips and he lifted her off the ground with a playful shout. "Gotcha!"

Aurora's shriek pierced the air, a mixture of surprise and alarm. "Trey! You scared me!"

As Trey gently set her back on her feet with a mischievous grin spread across his face at the sight of her pale complexion. "Speaking of which, I have a surprise for you," he announced, his tone teasing yet filled with anticipation.

Aurora eyed him warily, her skepticism evident in her response. "I don't think I like your surprises," she quipped, her lips twitching with a hint of amusement.

Undeterred, Trey extended a plump lilac envelope towards her, his expression hopeful. "You might like this," he offered, a glimmer of excitement dancing in his eyes.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she said, regaining the red in her cheeks. She flustered to grab the gift. "You're very sweet."

"I'm also spicy," he joked.

"Noted." She opened the flap, revealing a yellow card, packed full. She gripped the paper and pulled it out. She read the cover of the letter out loud, "Get well soon...?"

Trey nodded. "If you're crazy enough to work here, you need some serious help."

Aurora opened the card, revealing a thick stack of folded papers, receipts, and several gift cards. "Trey, this is too much."

He took a step back so she couldn't hand it back to him. "It is a couple of fast food places and restaurants, and all of the papers are places around town where you can hang out and meet people. As great as everyone at work is, you probably don't like us as much as we like you. All of the libraries in town are included in there. Do you like to read?"

Aurora thumbed through the stack of cards and papers. "I do," she said. "I listen to audiobooks a lot."

"That makes two of us." His current obsession is a sci-fi thriller set in the middle of nowhere, where some guy built an off-grid laboratory. It was Trey's dream to escape into the forest and never look back. "How about sometime next week, I take you to one of these places so you can get a feel for town?"

"You couldn't begin to know how much I would appreciate that," Aurora sighed. Her heart was full. It could burst. "Trey, you really are sweet. Thank you."

He smiled. "Consider it a peace offering for scaring you earlier. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jumpy or something. That's the worst weakness to have around a place like this. In this city, you can't show fear. That's rule number one."

"Got it." She playfully saluted him and he extended his arm to her.

"I'm a hugger. That's rule number two: always hug the bear," he said, embracing her. She melted into the fabric of his jacket and hints of artificial purple chemicals invaded her nostrils. "You'll get used to things around here," he assured.

She smiled to herself, holding him tighter. "Thank you."

"Are you ready for dinner?" He looked across the sales floor to the deli where their coworkers were beginning to set up the Christmas Eve feast. Crock pots of mashed potatoes steamed as they set the tables. "M'lady?"

Aurora followed Trey to the deli and found herself drooling over the meal. Perfectly browned ham sat in an aluminum pan while vegetables decorated the bottom. Engorging herself with the smells of freshly cooked food, she began to float towards the line of workers. Everyone was starving, but nobody could be more hungry than Aurora. She had not had a warm meal in God knows how long. It was calling her name relentlessly.