Page 47 of Always a Roommate
Leaving my school things in the truck, I edged toward the door, prepared for whatever was happening inside.
Rae’s scream pierced the air, and I ran in, following the sound of her voice to the bathroom, where I found her sprawled on the floor, soaking wet, with a soapy dog standing on her.
The dog just looked at me like I was the intruder, letting out his high-pitched yip.
Rae’s nice clothes were ruined, but it didn’t look like she cared. Her chest heaved with laughter, and red crept into her cheeks.
The shower curtain rod had been yanked down and now lay in the filthy tub. Soap suds stretched along the tile up the wall.
The place was a wreck, but all I could see was Rae. All I could hear were the peals of laughter. And that was when I knew.
I had to kiss her again.
19
RAE
I’d tried to give Cane a bath, but who was I kidding? I’d never had a dog before. The mangy mutt was stronger than I’d realized, and as soon as I’d soaped him up and the water hit him, he went nuts, clawing at the shower curtain until it fell.
The crash of the rod scared him, making him jump from the tub, slamming into my chest.
That was how Shane found me, and I couldn’t help laughing.
“Need some help?” His lips quirked, but I couldn’t tell if he was amused or annoyed that I’d practically wrecked the bathroom.
“I’ve got this.”
“Clearly.”
Shoving Cane off me, I moved to block him from running wet and soapy out into the house. He slipped through my fingers, but Shane was there.
He crouched down so he was eye to eye with the dog. “Sit,” he commanded.
The traitorous dog obeyed. I scowled at them both. “I said I had this handled.”
“Trevor’s dog, I take it?” When I gave him a confused look, he explained, “The kid mentioned you had his dog. Now I know what he meant.” He reached out and brushed soap from Cane’s nose. “Why do you have Trevor’s dog?”
I opened my mouth to tell him the whole story but then remembered the promise I’d made Trevor and shut it, guilt building in me. I had to tell Shane about his problems at home, didn’t I? A promise to a teenager didn’t matter when it came to keeping said teen safe.
But something held me back, so I only said, “I ran into him during the school day, and watching Cane was the only way to get him to school.”
“Cane?” Shane’s brow arched. I got the distinct impression he was laughing at me, but who wouldn’t be? I was ridiculous, sitting here on the bathroom floor sopping wet.
“Yeah, like hurricane. What he’s caused in my day.”
That made Shane smile. There was no guessing this time. Something inside me clenched. It was so rare to see his smiles directed at me, and all I could think about was that kiss. The one that shouldn’t have happened, the one that changed nothing. Well, not nothing. It erased all the progress we’d made in a possible friendship during the hurricane. Or if not a friendship, at least a truce.
Now, we were back to our awkward avoidances, and I wanted to know why.
Shane wasn’t looking at me anymore, instead focusing on Cane. “You need to rinse off.” His voice was commanding, deep.
For a moment, I thought the dog understood him, that Cane would obey every word. He cocked his head to the side, as if he was considering Shane and whether he was worthy of obedience.
And then, slowly at first, he began to shake, his lithe body picking up speed as soap suds and water sprayed Shane, covering his face, dotting his clothes.
I slapped a hand over my mouth to hide my laugh, but it was no use. Shane regarded me with a hard, disbelieving stare as he straightened, rising to his full height.
I tried to take on his earlier tone. “Do you need help, Shane, or do you have this?”
