Page 2 of Room for Three

“Hey.”

“This is your home now,” he chides, eyebrows furling together. “No need to knock.”

Someone chuckles from behind him. “Way to scare her on the first day, dumbass. Come in, Savvy.”

Cole flinches slightly and then softens, offering me a quick smile. “Yes. Come in. We’ve been waiting on you. I was going to pick you up, but you never texted back.”

Another flash of warmth heats my skin. “Leah took my phone this morning. I was on her plan. I’ll, uh, have to get a new one now.”

Travis Brooks, the playful one, pushes past Cole to greet me with a cheesy grin. “Come here, kid. I know you’re not too cool to hug me.”

He wraps his muscular arms around me, pulling me tight to his chest. It’s the safest I’ve felt in a long time. I relax in his hold, fighting off more tears. This has been an emotional day.

“You smell like barbecue sauce,” I say when he finally releases me. “Did you bathe in it?”

Travis pulls his T-shirt away from his chest to look down at it. Sure enough, there’s a splatter of sauce on the material. Cole grunts in his usual disproval. It’s always amazed me these two were roommates because they’re incredibly different.

“While he changes his shirt, I’ll show you to your room,” Cole says, all business as he takes the trash bag from me. “Travis. Do it in the bathroom.”

Travis grumbles something under his breath, but I don’t hear what he says. I follow Cole as he leads me through the living room. There’s a stack of folded blankets on one end of the sofa and a pillow resting on top. Guilt sluices through me. I’m invading their home and taking up one of their rooms.

Cole takes the stairs two at a time. I hurry to keep up with him. Then, he walks into the room on the left. It’s a decently sized room with a queen bed butted against a wall. On the other side of the room is a cluttered desk and chair. The dresser between them has been cleaned off and each drawer slightly opened to reveal their empty insides.

“Excuse Travis’s desk,” Cole says, gesturing at the stacks of papers, pens, and other random crap that’s been piled up there. “I told him to clean up in here.”

“Itisclean,” Travis mutters from behind us. “I got rid of all my Dr. Pepper cans.”

He shoves past his friend as he pulls on a clean T-shirt. I get a glimpse of his tanned, sculpted back only briefly. Another flash of embarrassment shoots through me.

Living with two grown men is going to be awkward.

“I help Jerry with the books,” Travis states, pulling out the desk chair and sitting. “So, I’ll need to pop in here from time to time to invoice and do payroll.”

“Which is why I’ve established some rules,” Cole says in a gruff tone. “If the door is closed, there will be no entry. If it’s open, it means you’re dressed, and he can enter your space.”

“It’s your room,” I chime in, gesturing at Travis. “You can come in whenever you want.”

Cole shakes his head sharply. “No. Only if the door is open.”

“Then I’ll just leave it open all the time,” I say, shrugging. “I don’t want to put you guys out or anything. I feel bad you have to take me in.”

“We don’t have to,” Travis says as he swivels in the chair. “We want to. You’re our buddy’s kid, Savvy.”

“Close it when you dress and sleep, please,” Cole says as he thumps the door. “Do it for me.”

I nod because this is their house. Their rules.

“Does the bus to the fancy school come on this side of town?” Travis asks. “Want me to give you a ride in the morning?”

“Not on the motorcycle.” Cole strides into the room so he can give Travis his fiercest glare. “Ever.”

I catch Travis rolling his eyes and I fight a grin. Cole has more rules than Dad ever did. The smile falls as pain stabs me in the chest.

“I’m transferring to Brown High School. Enzo said he’d call the principal there to get things ready. I’ll have to go to the office first thing in the morning.”

I don’t point out the obvious that I can’t afford tuition at the prep school, hence my moving to the local public school.

“Reid’s kid, Brayden, goes there,” Cole says. “I bet he’d give you a ride. It might be nice to make a friend who lives three units down and goes to your school.”

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