Page 68 of Definitely (Maybe) Dating
“I mostly lived with her. Until, you know . . .” Rebecca lifted a slim shoulder.
“That must have been hard when she passed.”
“Sometimes I wonder if she’d be disappointed in me,” she said, and Piper was humbled by how brave Rebecca was being, opening up about something so personal. If a teenager could do it, then why was it so hard for Piper?
Josh had said as much. He’d done so much for her, been open and vulnerable, even came through on his promises—no one had done that for her. All he asked in return was to get to know her. But she’d been so closed off, hiding the things she was embarrassed about and skipping over things she was scared to admit aloud. If a teenager could be open about such painful and personal things, then Piper didn’t have an excuse.
“From what you’ve told me, I think she’d be proud of you for taking care of yourself.”
“You think?” Rebecca was doing her best to keep the tears at bay, and it reminded Piper of how it felt to have no one. How a combination of bad decisions by the people in Rebecca’s life would shape the rest of her world. Every day, every decision, and every interaction would forever be impacted by these next few years.
It took a lot to rob someone of their ability to trust, but once broken, coming back was nearly impossible. All because Rebecca had been dealt a shitty hand.
“Are you in the market for a room to rent? I’ve been thinking of renting out the spare bedroom.”
Rebecca snorted. “Yeah, I’ll apply right after I win the lottery.”
“I’m looking for an assistant. It’s nothing glamorous. More like grunt work. You’d help with lighting, scouting locations, directing tipsy clients into the right position, babysitting any rugrats from photo bombing the shot, and sometimes reminding me to eat. Like I said, grunt work. But it pays well, and you’d learn a lot about composition and lighting.”
“I don’t really know a lot about cameras.”
“Neither did I when I started. But someone took me under his wing and taught me everything I know.” Piper went for real. “Look, I was going to look for a roommate anyway, it might as well be you. You already understand perspective, color palettes, and you think out of the box, which will help me. I was taught by a very traditional mentor, it would be nice to get a youthful perspective. Most importantly, I already know you and have seen what you can do. Even this photo you took of your new piece I imagine is amazing.”
“In Numbers We Hide.”
“In Numbers We Hide.It sounds amazing. In fact, I was thinking tomorrow morning we can go downtown and shoot some chalk art. You can use my digital camera. The place I want to take you to faces west, so the best time to shoot would be when the sun comes up.”
“You’re probably busy,” Rebecca said, but she held Piper’s gaze, wanting to watch Piper’s expression when she answered.
“I am.” She was insanely busy, booked up for the next two weeks. “I’m willing to wake up at four if you are.”
That hope in Rebecca’s eyes flickered. “Sure.”
“Is that a sure to the four AM or the roommate or both?”
Piper watched the onslaught of emotions cross the teen’s face. Hope, disbelief, all leading to the final expression: fear. Fear that the offer had strings, that if she said yes, she’d open herself up to even more hurt. Fear that the offer was real.
“What’s in it for you?”
“A roommate. Someone to help with the chores.” Piper stopped with the BS. “Honestly? Because I wish someone would have done that for me. I mean, in a way Skye did, but I’d been on the street almost two years before she scooped me up. I was nineteen when I finally passed my GED, twenty when I got my own place, and twenty-two when I started college. I never went to a school dance or kissed a boy.”
Piper had gone from sophomore year straight into adulthood. And that wasn’t any way to grow up.
Rebecca seemed to take it all in, carefully considering what other angles there might be. Piper kept her face carefully neutral.
“I’ll clean up after myself and help with the chores, and working as an assistant wouldn’t suck. Do I have to go to school?”
“That’s a nonstarter.” Piper wasn’t sure how she’d get Rebecca enrolled without her mom’s consent, but that was a problem for another day. Right now, it was about getting Rebecca off the street and giving her a safe place to land. To pay forward the kindness Skye had extended to Piper. “Do we have a deal?”
“Don’t you want to know why I took your camera first?”
No, she was more interested in why the girl brought it back. “If you want to tell me.”
Rebecca studied her fork, pushing her bite around the plate. “I wanted to take the picture for the showcase. That is, if I can still enter.”
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