“You’ve nothing to worry about any longer, Rebel. You’re free.”
“Nothing to worry about? I still don’t have any money, even though you said I’ll get paid for my job at the dining hall. I don’t even know if my car runs, and I have no place to live.”
“You can stay here.”
“Stay here? As what, Edge? Your lover?”
“For now.”
“As in, I can stay here until I get back on my feet?” I shook my head. He was so far out of touch with my reality, I wondered why I was even trying to explain my feelings to him.
“If you want to look at it that way. How many times do I have to repeat that I don’t care about the money?”
“What if I care about it?” Did he think I had no pride at all?
“I don’t know what else to say to get through to you, Rebel. You’ve no reason to worry about things between you and me.”
“Until you’re done ‘taking care of me.’ What happens then?”
“I don’t know. We’ll figure something out.”
We’ll figure something out? It may be that simple for him, but I’d already lost almost four months of my life, more if I was honest.
From the time my mother overdosed until now, I’d been going through the motions. I’d put one foot in front of the other, but I wasn’t really living. Had I ever done more with my life than exist paycheck to paycheck in a crappy job? The most money I’d ever made was as a bartender. Edge was suggesting that we go away for a month or two, come back and then, again, figure something out. My life would never be so carefree or simple.
It was pointless to even try to discuss this with him. It was obvious he didn’t understand, and that meant he couldn’t relate to the kind of life I lived and likely never would.. I had to get out of here. “Where are Susan’s keys?”
“Your car?”
“Yes. My car. Where are my car keys?”
“I have them. Why?”
“Can you please give them to me?” I stood and held my hand out. “Just give me my fucking keys, and you’ll never have to see me again.”
“What about your job with Tee-Tee?”
“You’re concerned about that now? Last night, you had me taking ‘a month or two’ off like it was nothing.”
“We certainly would’ve discussed it with her.”
I closed my eyes and counted to five. It didn’t help. When I opened them again, the expression on Edge’s face almost made me give in. He looked sad. Really sad. Devastated sad.
“Look, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know where to begin to repay you for your kindness and generosity. But…you and I are nothing alike. We have nothing in common, and I have no clue how to make my way in your world. What’s more, I don’t want to. I’m my own person, Edge. I’m independent. I rely on myself and no one else. Like I said, I don’t know how to repay you, but I will. Somehow, I’ll repay every penny you spent on me.”
“I don’t want you to repay me.”
I shook my head. He wasn’t even listening to me. Once again, he was focused solely on money. This was about so much more than that. “I need to go. I can’t stay here, Edge. If I have to, I’ll walk, but I’d much rather you just give me the keys to my car.”
He stood, walked into the kitchen, opened a drawer, and pulled them out. “Here.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed them, picked up a box, and took it out to my car. When I turned to go back inside for the other, Edge was behind me with it in his arms. He set it in my trunk and slowly walked over and opened the garage door.
“Rebel?”
I had my hand on the car door. “What?”
“Do you have your mobile with you?”