Damaged Goods

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Annabelle

When I got out of the shower a delicious smell hit my nose. I followed it down the stairs and found Ryan cooking something on the stove that looked like pancakes but smelled too good to be them.

“Hey, sit down I’m making us some of my famous banana chocolate chip pancakes.” He said sliding a pancake from the pan onto a plate. I found it weird that he was making us breakfast since we never ate breakfast together. I always get up way earlier than him and had cereal and fruit.

“Ryan you didn’t have to do this. I should have made you breakfast.” I said still standing there watching him.

“Just sit down Annabelle. The pancakes are a bribe.” He said with a sexy crooked smile.

“A bribe for what?” I knew there was a reason for him making breakfast but with those dimples pointed at me it didn’t matter.

“I wanna get to know you better. The pancakes are a bribe for you to let me.” He wanted to know me better? The instinct to grab my keys and run kicked in but I was sort of curious of what he wanted to know. I did owe him for coming to get me and the pancakes smelled so good. It was true I had a wall up so that no one would get near me but it was also true that no one ever really tried. So instead of feeding my instinct to run I sat down and fought the urge. He put a plate in front of me with two pancakes that smelled like heaven and made me want to drool. He gave me a knife and fork and sat down across from me.

“Let’s eat first then we’ll get to know each other better.” He didn’t just want to know me. He wanted me to know him too. I wanted to get up and run to my room. I started to have flashbacks of Mario but I was young then I’m sure this would be different. Ryan wasn’t trying to take my virginity and I didn’t have a best friend he could sleep with.

When we finished eating Ryan grabbed our plates to wash them but he had done enough so I took them from him and went to the sink. He followed me and grabbed a towel to dry the dishes out of the drawer. I tried to focus on the dishes but I couldn’t. I was nervous. The guys I slept with asked questions but that was only to get in my pants. They didn’t really care what I was saying they didn’t really want to get to know me.

“Why?” I asked more to myself than to Ryan.

“What?”

“Why do you want to get to know me?”

“We’ve been living together for two months now and we don’t know each other. I realize that we don’t have to, but I want to. I wanna know you and I want you to know me.” I passed him the last fork and rinsed off my hands. I needed to sit down for this so I went into the living room and sat on the recliner. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into but what could go wrong it wasn’t like he was trying to sleep with me. He just wanted to get to know his roommate. I’d answer his questions and tell him what he wanted to know as long as it wasn’t something to deep. There were also things I wondered about him too. Why he never took his shirt off? Most guys would have especially if they looked like him. Why suddenly move here for senior year? Does he have a girlfriend back home? Is that what he was running from? What kind of art did he actually do? Could he show me some of his work? There was a lot I didn’t know about him. Maybe he was hiding behind a wall too.

Ryan

We sat in the living room quietly. I was trying to decide how to start this. After all it was my not so brilliant idea.

“I guess I should go first since it was my idea. Lets both start off easy. I’ll ask you a question then you ask me one.” She nodded in agreement. “Okay let’s see. What is your favorite color?”

“Easy. Purple. What is yours?”
“Blue. What is your favorite animal?”
“Horses. What is yours?”
“Lions.” Okay this was boring I needed to step it up. “How long have you been living alone?”

“A While. Why did you move here?” She was being vague. I didn’t like that let’s see how she likes it.

“I wanted to see California. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” I saw her eyes get a little wider.

“I don’t want one. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No I don’t. So you’d rather just use guys for sex?” she looked uncomfortable but still answered.

“I’m a woman I have needs and I don’t want strings attached. Why don’t you ever walk around with your shirt off?” Whoa didn’t see that question coming. I guess it was noticeable since most guys that looked like me would walk around with their shirt off living with a girl that looked like Annabelle. I’m not going to lie, my breast cancer took a big blow at my confidence but I knew I was still good looking.

“I just don’t like being cold.” That was shit for an excuse but it was all I had. “Why don’t you ever walk around with your shirt off?” I asked looking at her dead serious. She looked so surprised I couldn’t keep my laughter in and started laughing. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips to the side but I could see the smile she was hiding. Then I heard the most beautiful sound in the world. Her laugh. I wouldn’t have heard it if I wasn’t paying attention. It was a bunch of soft giggles put together and after every one she took in a breath. I could listen to it forever. I wanted to ask her more questions but I wanted to say something else to make her laugh.

“You want to watch a movie?” I asked. I was going to pick a comedy if she did and a good one too.

“That sounds like fun, but I don’t really have a lot of movies. I’m always too busy to watch TV.”

“I have a Roku it lets you stream from the internet to your TV. I have a Netflix account we can watch movies there or if you want to see something newer I have a Vudu account too.”

“I’m not exactly sure what you just said but it sounds like a plan. Why don’t you get it setup and pick some movies out for us. I have to go pick up my card from the club and I’ll stop at the store and get us some snacks. Is there anything you like specifically?” She asked standing up and grabbing her keys.

“I like to watch to watch movies with mysterious girls named Annabelle so make sure you come back soon.” I said. Half joking half serious.

“I’ll think about it.” She said smiling but I knew it was a serious thought for her. She left and all I could do was sit there and think how this didn’t go as planned. I wanted to know her but I couldn’t just sit there and ask her questions and expect her to answer them. If I wanted her to be an open book I needed to get close to her. I needed to become her friend and learn things little by little. Then maybe she would open up to me. I needed her to trust me and I get the feeling the only person she ever trusts is herself.