Page 31 of Caged
"No one can force you to talk. I'm here if you need someone to listen, but I'd rather just hang out and talk about life and what's going on. I'll share some of my life, you share some of yours. In time, our conversations might get more serious, but talking about some of this stuff takes trust, and I sure as hell don't expect you to trust me that way in an hour."
"This was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Danny admitted.
"So you'll come back?"
Danny laughed. "Yeah."
"Good. Next time you can tell me about the painting you're doing and I'll tell you about my weekend and what I did."
"Sounds good." Danny stood, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Thanks for making this easy."
"You wouldn't come back if I didn't." Gary stood and smiled. "Come on, I'll walk you out and you can introduce me to Marshall if you want."
Danny nodded and headed out the door. He took a deep breath, glad things hadn't gotten too intense. He could handle this. He was slowly seeing that the things he worried about most turned out to be easier than he thought. People seemed to understand he couldn't be pushed. As he walked into the lobby to find Marshall waiting for him, he was thankful that he'd ended up with people who could understand.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"They all know I'm here, right?" Danny asked as Marshall lit the tiki torches around the backyard.
"Yep, they all know I have a new roommate. They're excited to meet you. You've met Rani already, but I think you'll like the others. They're good people. Remember I told you I went through some shit after my aunt died and ended up dropping out of college? Well, it was these guys who helped me pick up the pieces, find a good job, and refocus my life. If they hadn't stepped in, I'd probably be arrested for hacking by now because I was getting very close to taking a couple jobs doing that right before Jeremy called me." Marshall was excited to introduce Danny to the team. He couldn't really tell him what the team did. He was leaving it at computer programing and keeping it simple. Still, he hoped the team would help Danny relax a little, and give him a few more people to call friends. He walked over and placed his hands on Danny's shoulders. "Just breathe. You have no reason to be nervous. They're going to love you. This is the best group of people I've ever known. No one is judgmental. They're going to get to know you, ask what you like to do, maybe even kick your ass a time or two playing video games. You'll have a good time."
"Won't they want to know about—"
"They already know all they need to from the news. They won't even bring it up unless you do." He hoped he was right. He couldn't see anyone in the group pushing for information or trying to make Danny talk about his past.
"So what do I do?"
"You have fun. You help me bring food out when the time is right. You laugh and smile. If it gets too much, you grab a book or the laptop and go to your room to escape. Other than me checking on you, no one will bother you there." Marshall smiled. "You're worrying about nothing."
"I do that a lot."
"It just takes getting used to new things and new people. I predict by the time the group leaves tonight you'll consider them all friends. Remember, we all have stuff in our past we don't like. You're not the only one. Focus on the here and now. Just enjoy yourself and get to know these guys. They're a big part of my life, and as long as we're roommates, you'll have them around from time to time." The doorbell rang, and Marshall gave Danny a supportive smile before turning and going to open the door.
"Hey!" Jessica grinned as she stood alone on the porch. "This house is so cute. I love it. The second I pulled up I imagined it in the spring with a ton of flowers around the porch." She held up a cake pan. "My famous better than sex chocolate cake."
"You know the way to my heart." Marshall grinned, taking the cake. "This is all for me, right?"
She slapped his arm. "No way did I go to all the work to make it not to get a bite."
"Come on in." He gestured to the living room. "You're the first to arrive."
"Men are always running late." She winked as she moved into the room and looked around. "Very nice, though it could use a woman's touch."
"And I am guessing you're that woman?" Marshall teased.
"Maybe." She looked up as Danny stepped into the room. "Ah, and you must be the new roommate, Danny." She walked over and paused right in front of him. "I'm a hugger, but I won't if you don't like them."
Danny blushed. "It's okay." He opened his arms to her and they hugged quickly.
"Danny, this is Jessica. She's the brave one who dares to be the only female at work surrounded by a bunch of crazy men."
"You're not that hard to put up with." She grinned. "So how are you two getting along?" She asked Danny. "Tell me all of Marshall's secrets. Does he snore loudly, scratch his balls as he lounges on the couch, eat some weird mixture of food?"
Marshall rolled his eyes.
Danny laughed. "Isn't it against the roommate rules to give away such information?"
Marshall grinned. "See, you can't get shit on me."
