The Arrangement

Settling In

When I arrived back at The Point, Daniel was already there. It had taken me a while, because I called Nate to tell him about the arrangement.

"Unfortunately I'll have to come to your place and I can't spend the night."

"What about the beach?"

"Maybe, I don't know it depends on Daniel. If he brings girls around then I'll invite you."

"So that's it? You do this until September and then you're in charge. Will you get a big raise?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. Besides, we'll be in charge, Daniel and I together."

I had actually thought that Nate would be disappointed, but he took the news fine.

After I spoke to Nate, I called David back.

He answered. "Oh my God, Paige, I heard!"

"Already!"

"Dan told me."

"What'd he say?"

"He was pissed because our father had no faith and yours did. He's determined to prove him wrong."

"How am I going to survive with him?" I pleaded desperate for advice.

"He's not bad. He isn't the same guy, he was at seventeen."

Daniel wasn't lying, he and David were close.

"When did you two become so close?"

"We're brothers. We always loved each other, but we got closer after I came out. Danny was really supportive. Listen, it'll be alright. I'm here for you, but I have to go. No rest for the weary."

David was finishing up his surgical residency. So when he had to go, it was probably to scrub for surgery.

When I entered Hershey came running to me. "Hey baby," I cooed.

She was definitely going to be the best part of this arrangement.

Daniel was on a bar stool in the kitchen with his laptop. "Hey," he said, without glancing at me. "So I'm baby now?" He added in an amused voice.

"I was talking to your dog!" He was still smirking. "Do I get my old room?"

Unfortunately, I was the guest which gave him the upper hand.

"Uh huh." He responded to me but hadn't taken his eyes off his screen.

"Oh... kay. Thanks." Why was I annoyed, because he was ignoring me?

On my third trip in and up the stairs, he finally noticed.

"Did you leave anything at home?" He stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm almost done," I said panting slightly.

"Let me help."

He followed me to my car and he pulled the last suitcase out of the back of my SUV. I grabbed my pillow and then my car was empty.

"We do have pillows, you know."

"I like my own."

"Right. You always did."

I had always brought my own pillow whenever I stayed. I smiled because he remembered. What the hell did it matter that he remembered?

He carried my suitcase up the stairs and when he placed it in my room, he shook his head. What was his problem? So I have a lot of clothes.

"I'll be unpacking," I said, as he turned to walk away.

Hershey, who had followed him up, didn't leave. Instead, she jumped up onto my bed and watched as I worked.

I talked to her and she tilted her head as she listened. Our conversation consisted of my musings about what I'd gotten myself into. Thinking over the morning, I didn't ask David why he told his brother about Nate. Did he often talk about me?

I loved David and would marry him in a heartbeat if he liked women. Unfortunately for me, he didn't and I had known it since high school. It was just me and Daniel who he confided in for a long time. Truthfully when David was around, we got along ─ mostly. We were like siblings ourselves, but all that changed our senior year.