Page 1 of Room for Three

Savvy

I’ve escaped those people I was forced to live with.

Finally, I’m free.

Anxiety crawls through me, making my skin itch and stomach roil. If I were truly free, I’d be moving into a place of my own right now.

“Everything okay?” Enzo asks from the driver’s side, casting a worried look my way.

I force a smile, nodding. “Yep. Excited to see my dad’s friends.”

“I’m glad you’re staying with them until you can get on your feet. It sucks they weren’t able to let you come live with them sooner. We really tried, Savvy.”

Gnawing on my lip, I attempt not to cry. After my parents’ death in a car accident last year, Cole and Travis immediately offered to take me in, knowing Dad would’ve wanted that. Growing up, they were like my unofficial uncles. Unfortunately, the judge didn’t rule in their favor because they weren’t my relatives. Apparently, since the home they share is only two bedrooms, it wasn’t appropriate to bring a girl into. She ordered me to live with a foster family instead.

“You still have my number,” Enzo says, as though reading my thoughts. “You’re no longer a ward of the state, so I won’t be your social worker anymore, but I will be someone you can trust. A friend.”

I know he means well. If I would have told him about the way my foster family treated me, he’d have gotten me out of the Monahan’s massive prison mansion. But I didn’t want to rock the boat, and I knew turning eighteen was rapidly coming. I just had to hold out a little while longer.

“Thank you,” I say and mean it. “I’m happy to finally be moving there. Dad adored Cole and Travis. He would’ve wanted it this way.”

As we make our way down Wicked Hollow Street, I can’t help but feel unnerved. Will the guys still want me there? And for how long am I welcome? I’m still in high school, despite turning eighteen, so I can’t exactly work full time right now.

I need them.

I hate that I do.

God, I miss you Mom and Dad. I took you both for granted.

Moonlit Gables, the townhouse complex Travis and Cole live at, comes into view. It’s a lot different than the foster home I just left. The cars parked there aren’t BMWs or Porches. Travis has a motorcycle that barely runs and a rusty pickup truck he uses for work. Cole drives a Ford Explorer police vehicle. Other cars in the lot are nicer than the truck, but not by much.

It reminds me of home.

My real home.

“Want me to help you bring your stuff inside?” Enzo offers as he pulls off Wicked Hollow and into a parking spot next to the police car. “I’ll do whatever you need.”

I shake my head as I grab my backpack from the floorboard. “I can do this on my own. Thank you for everything.”

Because Enzo is a good guy, he smiles and honors my wishes. I climb out of his vehicle and pull my backpack on. Once I’ve grabbed the trash bag full of my clothes from the backseat, I wave goodbye to him.

Now what?

I wait for him to drive away before turning and heading for unit four on the corner. As I pass unit three, I notice an elderly woman with wiry gray hair watching me from her window. She doesn’t wave or smile. I hurry past her to the door of my new home.

Do I knock?

Do I walk in?

I hate feeling out of place in this world. It’s been that way since the death of my parents. All I want is to belong again. I’m not sure if this situation with Dad’s friends will be lasting or another step before I get to my final place I’ll call home. The uncertainty rushing through me makes me dizzy.

Breathe, girl.

Instead of breathing, I hum a jingle from an insurance company commercial. It’s a stupid habit, but it calms me. With my heart in my throat, I knock on the door. Male voices can be heard inside, and then the door swings open.

“Savannah.”

My cheeks burn hot with embarrassment. Cole Hayes, a local cop, fully dressed in his blue uniform, scowls at me as if I’ve done something wrong.

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