Page 96 of Tapped By My Roommate
“You could ask Cary.”
Keith gave me a look as we continued walking. “I could, but he’s got school and baseball. Taking care of the house is my responsibility.”
When we entered the garage, he went to a work bench and set his beer down. Then he waved toward an old car. “Fixing it up for Audrey. I don’t know though. You think your sister would be willing to be seen in this thing?”
It was a Chevy Impala, a boat of a car, and an ugly shade of yellow. “Does it run?”
“Yeah. I had to replace a few parts, but she’s pretty reliable now. Just ugly as sin.”
I laughed. “Yeah, Audrey might notloveit, but it’s a car. I sure as hell wouldn’t say no if I were her.”
Part of me was surprised that Keith was doing this for Audrey. Maybe I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did.
“So, your car conked out on you. What can I do to help?”
I braced myself. “I was hoping you’d take a look at it and help me decide what to do.”
“What to do?”
I chewed my lip, debating exactly what I wanted to ask of him. It was possible I’d judged him a little harshly in the past, but he was closer with Audrey and Cary than me, obviously. They’d been living with him for four years while I’d been avoiding him most of that time.
“Well, I need to decide if it’s worth fixing,” I said. “I don’t want to pour money into it if it’s going to end up back in the shop soon.”
Keith nodded. “Understandable.”
“And, uh, I was thinking maybe…I, uh, might have to fix it myself, even if it is worth it. Because I don’t have that kind of money, and—”
Keith burst out laughing. “Son, you’re a lot of things, but mechanically inclined isn’t one of them.”
My face heated. “Believe me, I know. You don’t have to be an asshole about it.”
He shook his head. “I just call it like I see it.”
“You don’t have to fix cars and plumbing to be a real man,” I snapped. “Everyone has different strengths.”
“And yours is pouring drinks, huh?”
“Forget it,” I said, turning for the door. “I don’t know what I thought I’d accomplish by coming here.”
“Hold up, Rhett.”
“I don’t want to argue with you,” I said, without looking back. “I thought you could help, but—”
Keith caught me before I made it far, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “I’ll help you fix your damn car. Just settle the hell down.”
I took a deep breath and concentrated on not lashing out before turning back toward him. “You will?”
“Yeah. I’ll even let you drive that monstrosity of a car in there until we finish, but you’ve got to cut me a break, kid. I don’t know where you got this nonsense, but I’ve never said you weren’t a real man.”
I stared at him uneasily. “You laughed at me when I couldn’t fix the plumbing.”
“Only because you were so determined to prove you didn’t need me around here,” he said. “I was your mom’s boyfriend, and you were the man of the house. You didn’t want to make room for me.”
I didn’t remember it that way, exactly, but I couldn’t deny there was some truth to it.
“You were so…unfriendly,” I said.
“Ditto.”
