There’s a fake fireplace in the other corner, making the inside of the shed feel like a cabin in the woods.
“A she shed. Nice.” I nod my head in admiration.
“I like to call it my tree house minus the tree. This is where I go when I need to just get away from everything. The only one who knows about this is Amy.”
“So why show me?” I lift an eyebrow in question.
“Because I feel like you need something like this considering what you might be going through.” She taps her skull to indicate she’s talking about my mental health.
“Thanks, but I’m good.” I walk over to where she stands, then lean down and tap my temple in response.
I swear I see a small shudder before she shrugs and scoffs, “whatever you say.”
I look around, realizing this is probably the closest I’ll come to being in her “room” at her own house. I walk over to the desk with the sketches and notice it’s a bunch of pictures showing the back of a family holding hands.
“These are really good. Do you draw a lot?”
She walks over and stands next to me, picking up the drawing on top of the pile.
“It’s just something I do to…vent, I guess.”
Something catches my eye, and before I can stop myself, I reach over and brush her hair off her shoulder.
She looks me in the eyes as my fingers find what they’ve been looking for.
“What’s this?” My fingertips lightly run across a small butterfly tattoo behind her ear.
Her breath hitches before she speaks. “Anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?”
I smile at this and pull my hand back. “My bad. You just seem like you have a lot of layers to you, and I got a little curious.”
“Ditto.” She smiles and we end up just hanging out here and talking about everything but our lives for the next couple hours.
Chapter 12
Canon
It’s been a couple weeks since I went on the house tour with Demi.
When I’m not at work or hanging with Ian, I’m usually chilling in the family room with both her and Amy. Of course, Amy does most of the talking and I just sit there listening, trying to ignore the charged energy I’m starting to feel when Demi is around.
I’ve learned a few things these past couple weeks.
Amy isn’t that bad. In fact, she’s starting to grow on me.
Connor is still a spoiled entitled brat, but he’s definitely got something going on with him.
Kane really seems like he wants to get to know me, but he’s been slammed with work, so we haven’t had a chance to actually talk. Not that I’m complaining really.
Demi is starting to enter my thoughts at random times of the day. Not what I signed up or planned for.
I turn the hot shower water off and step out, wrapping my towel around my waist. Just as I’m putting toothpaste on my toothbrush, my phone rings where it sits on the counter.
“Wassup, Sal?” I place my phone on speaker while my manager speaks.
“Hey, bud,” I roll my eyes at him calling me this, “for some reason our payroll system went down and didn’t process your pay with the bank. You able to come down here so I can give you a check?”
“Yea, that’s cool,” I say, placing the toothbrush in my mouth. “I’ll be there in like an hour.”