Danny's POV
I explained a little bit of my past to Joshua on the way to Walmart, spilling the beans about my actual age and the reason for me being here. I also told him that I was expecting an old friend to come visit, but that I'd have him get a room above Mac's while he was here. I didn't want to impose any more than I already was.
He was actually pretty cool about it. He didn't seem too surprised, but considering how we met each other, I wouldn't really expect him to be. He's a fairly chill person. Probably because he smokes enough pot to keep an elephant stoned.
While I was explaining everything, I received several texts from Sammy asking me to reconsider my decision and one from Zeke just asking if I was okay and telling me to call when I'm ready to talk. He knows that I like to step a little bit into myself when emotions are running high.
We're now wandering around Walmart, purchasing items that were destroyed by Creed- mostly toiletries and stuff. My hair required a certain amount of care, products, and tools or it tended to try to take over and do its own thing.
Ding
Cal: Zeke told me what happened. Where are you? Are you okay?
Danny: at Walmart. I'm fine.
Cal: Are you with Joshua?
Danny: Yes.
Cal: Can I come see you?
I'm just so tired. I'd really just like to go hide somewhere and destress. There's this weird thing between me and Cal and I don't feel like I can deal with that at the moment. I also don't know if it's a good idea to run to him when I'm in the middle of a crisis.
"Is this everything, Danika?" Joshua asks looking through the contents of my cart.
"Yeah, that's it I think..."
"Alright, then," he says and starts pushing the cart toward the check out area.
Danny: I just need to rest right now.
Cal: Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I miss you.
I miss you, too.
I hold back a sigh as I pay for my items. This is making a big dent in my savings. If I want to get enough money to get my own place any time soon I'm going to have to start working for Jack sooner rather than later. Which means I'll have to go on that delivery tomorrow.
Fucking Creed with his psychotic bullshit temper tantrums...
That's another thing to worry about. Creed is out there somewhere super fucking pissed off and I don't know if he's going to just drop all this and let me go or if I need to be watching my back. One thing is for sure: I can't ever go back to the basement of the gym again.
Cal...
I want to be close to him right now, but at the same time I know that if I go to him I'll start to depend on him again. I don't know if I trust him enough for that yet. I don't want to be any more vulnerable than I already am. I have to be strong on my own.
What Joshua said about the guys trying to control me too much was apparently true, given James's reaction today and the several texts from Sammy begging me to come stay at his place. Cal shared that in common with them and I wasn't sure about giving him the chance to control me when he was also obviously fully capable of hurting me.
This is so fucking hard.
Joshua loads my things into the car with the other things I brought from my apartment while I slide in. It's nice to have guys around. They do all the carrying and loading.
He gets in after returning the cart (like a decent fucking human being), and starts the car. "Back to my place?" He asks.
"Yeah, I'm kind of beat," I say.
"Alrighty, Princess," he says turning on the radio for me, sensing that words are not my thing at the moment.
"Put your arms around somebody else
Don't punish yourself, punish yourself
Truth is like blood underneath your fingernails
And you don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself
Looking too closely
Looking too closely
No no no no!
No no no no!
You don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself
You don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself
No no no no!"
We ride back to his place in companionable silence, both lost in our own thoughts. It's nice to be around someone that doesn't make you feel obligated to talk to them. Someone who just gives you space when you need it. There's not a lot of people like that.
"Hey, you can go in and lay down and I'll bring your stuff to your room if you want," Joshua says once we've pulled up.
"No, I can't make you carry everything yourself," I say. He's been doing most of it and it'll take less time if I help.
"I don't mind at all, but if you want to help, I'm not gonna stop you," he says climbing out.
I follow suit and begin grabbing bags from the back while he rushes to grab the heavier things before I can. I'm not complaining about that. In no time at all we have everything in the house, laying around his spare bedroom, waiting to be sorted and put away.
"Danika, I still have to go to the tracks tonight," he starts, "I already talked to Jack this morning and he understands if you don't want to come."
"I should probably stay here, clear my head and try to sort through all this stuff," I tell him.
"Whatever you want, Princess," he says, wrapping an arm around me and giving me a squeeze. "You look tired, do you want to rest for awhile before I need to go?"
"Yeah, actually, that sounds great. What movie do you recommend today?"
~~~
It's weird being in someone else's house when they're not there. Joshua left about an hour ago and I've sequestered myself to my new bedroom to put away my things while listening to music. I've sorted out what belongs in the bedroom and what belongs in the bathroom and now I just need to find a place for everything and wash the clothes that were already dirty or got soiled by Creed's massive tantrum.
My new room is nice. It has a twin sized bed and a decent sized dresser and a small closet. There's even one of those bedside table things with a lamp on it so I can read in bed at night and a chair in the corner. Joshua said he put it together for "just in case" but that no one had ever stayed in it before.
The other times I've been here I just slept in his room while he took the couch because he said it was easier that way. He didn't want to have to change the bedding in the spare room.
I bring a load of clothes to his utility room to put into the washer. It's a relief that I don't need to pay to do my laundry anymore or haul it down the road and back with me. It must be really nice to have your own house. I know that he's paid for it by racing and working for Jack. It makes me wonder if maybe I'll be able to afford an actual house some day if I work for Jack.
After I load my clothes I head back to my room to grab my bathroom items. It feels weird putting them away alongside Joshua's things. I've had my own place these past few months and now sharing a bathroom with someone seems... intimate.
Once I finish with that I go back to my room once more to put away the few clean clothes I have. I pull Basher out of my bag and set him on the side table by my bed before laying down and staring at him while I drift off to sleep thinking about the delivery I'll be making tomorrow.
What am I getting into?
YOU ARE READING
Free Bird
Romance"I feel eyes all over me from every angle, but I know that at least one pair of them belongs to the tatted giant in the kitchen. Why not give him a show? He can look all he wants but he can never touch. This is one cookie that won't ever give him th...
