Page 7 of Redeemed

“Your roommate’s name is Athelia Harper,” Julie tells me as she nods to the empty bed on the right side of the room. “Looks like that one is yours.”

I drop my bag on the floor and lower myself onto the edge of the mattress. The room is fairly large, and it looks like we have our own bathroom, which is nice.

“Do you want to grab a bite to eat with me and Ben?” Julie asks. “I know you and I already had dinner, but road trips always make me hungry.”

“I think I’ll stay here, but thank you.”

Now that I’m finally in my dorm, the overwhelm is setting in. The only time I ever left Cornerstone was to do grocery shopping, and even then, Ruth and I were in and out as quickly as possible. I don’t think I’m up for seeing more of the world quite yet.

“Sure thing, hon.”

There’s a knock on the partially open door, and then a man steps inside. A few plastic shopping bags dangle from his hands, and he grins at the sight of us.

“You must be Haven?” he asks. “I’m Ben.”

“Hi,” I say quietly.

“I got you some clothes. Not much, just enough to get you through the next few days until Julie can take you shopping. I hope they’re the right size. Julie said you were probably either a small or a medium?”

My brows pull down, and I glance at Julie questioningly.Small? Medium? What does that mean?

“Clothing in stores comes in different sizes,” she explains. “It helps people find things that will fit their body type.”

“Oh. That… makes sense. So I won’t have to sew my clothes?”

“Not unless you want to,” Julie says, smiling as she takes the bags from Ben. “Thanks, baby. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Sure.” Running a hand through his short brown hair, he looks between us. He must be able to sense my unease because he takes a step back, his smile softening. “I’ll let you settle in. See you around, Haven.”

I give him a wave, and after dropping a kiss to the top of Julie’s head, Ben leaves. Julie sets all the bags on my desk.

“Looks like he got you some of the basics. Soap, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush… It’s a good start.”

My body remains frozen on the bed even as my gaze is fixed on her. She pulls out a set of sheets and a blanket, a few shirts, and some undergarments and socks. Realizing that Ben grabbed all those for me, including the more intimate items, makes me blush.

“This key card is how you’ll get in and out of your dorm hall. The doors are open today since everyone was moving in, but starting tonight at midnight, they’ll lock automatically.”

Forcing the embarrassment from my mind, I nod in acknowledgment of what Julie just said.

“I recommend keeping it on a lanyard—” She holds up what looks like a thick, navy blue ribbon. “—or in a wallet, which…” She frowns at the pile of stuff on the desk. “We’ll have to get you one of those.”

A wallet.Isaiah has one of those. When I asked for one, he said it wasn’t necessary. He gives me cash whenever I need to go grocery shopping, and I always keep it in a pocket in my dress.

I shake my head.Gave.Hegaveme cash. Not anymore. As long as this plan works, he’ll never give me anything ever again.

“The key card is also what you’ll use to pay for your meals. It works on a credits-based system. You have enough to get three meals at the cafeteria a day. It works at a couple on-campus restaurants as well.”

“So… don’t lose it?”

“That’s right. If you do, you can go to the office to get a new one, but it’s a bit of a hassle. Best to just keep track of this one.”

I nod. “I’m good at not losing things.”

For some reason, that makes Julie laugh. “Good. Now, I looked over your roommate’s application myself. On paper, she seems great. Incredibly smart, volunteered at an animal shelter in high school, and is on track to become a teacher. I’m sure she’s nice, so if you have questions, just ask her.”

“All right.” I really hope Julie isn’t expecting me to remember all this on the first go around. My brain feels like it’s about to burst.

She stops sorting through everything to look at me. “How you feeling?”

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