In the Lyrics Read online

  “Yeah, I guess we do. You wanna help with these bags? I’m beat.”

  “Sure thing, man.” He bends and picks up my black duffle bag. As he slings the nylon strap over his shoulder he says, “We might want to hurry in there before she gets to the shower first and uses all the hot water.”

  Hensley in the shower would be a sight for sore eyes.

  Shaking my head, I nod in his direction as he leads the way up the concrete steps to my new home.

  THE LOUD SOUND of someone pounding on the bathroom door reminds me why I still live at home. Having roommates isn’t something I would like. Yet here I am showering in someone else’s shower. Can’t a girl have some privacy?

  “Dusty, I’ll be right out!” I holler, annoyed that I’ve only been in here a few minutes. He knows I like to take long, hot showers.

  “It’s Colby, and I have to pee. Can you hurry up?”

  “Yeah…umm…give me five.” The sound of my voice stuttering is unmistakable. I just pray that he didn’t hear it. A shower, a few solid minutes of alone time to think is all I need.

  A few minutes later I turn off the shower and slide the curtain over just enough so I can lean forward and reach my towel.

  “Holy shit, Dusty!” I screech as my hand touches a man’s flesh.

  “Shit. It’s not Dusty. It’s me.” He doesn’t have to say his name; I know who “me” is.

  Colby looks in the mirror with horror in his eyes, like his presence in the steamy bathroom and his closeness to my naked body scare him. My hands dart to cover up my lady parts. Even though they are hidden behind the shower curtain, I still feel exposed. He wiggles his ass as he stands in front of the toilet, attempting to stop the flow as he’s emptying his bladder in front of me.

  “Sorry,” he belts out. “I honestly thought I could sneak in and piss without you knowing.” He frowns as his hands fumble with the soap dispenser on the counter. “Really, this is…well, this is weird. I would never intrude on a lady in the shower; I just had to pee, and Dusty was in his bathroom. It was either in here or outside. And I doubt the residents below us would vote for that option. Please don’t think I’m some sicko.” He rushes as he washes his hands and then dries them on my towel lying next to the sink. Swallowing, I fight the urge to laugh. I mean, it was rude of him to barge in here, and yes, he did startle me, but it’s not like he just committed a crime or anything.

  “Apology accepted. Now if you’ll please go, I’m naked and freezing if you couldn’t tell. Wait,” I stop him from leaving. Taking his hand off the wooden door he turns back around to face me. “Could you at least hand me my towel?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As soon as he walks out of the bathroom, I rush out of the tiled shower and lock the door. I’ve never had a reason to before. Dusty has a half-bath in the master bedroom, so he’s never needed to come in while I was in here. I should have realized it wasn’t Dusty in the first place. Stupid girl. Although his demeanor was funny, like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, I’ll have to remember Dusty and I aren’t alone here anymore.

  Drying off, I wrap the towel around my chest, careful to hold it at its ends. We don’t need it falling down as I’m walking down the hallway and mistakenly flashing Colby for what could possibly be the second time tonight. Rounding the corner, I open Dusty’s bedroom door and step in. He is sitting with his laptop on his lap and a grin on his face.

  “What’s so funny?”

  The coyness in the air is tangible. “Oh, nothing.”

  Walking over to the queen bed Dusty is resting on, I sit down and wait for him to tell me what he’s laughing at. I know him like the back of my hand, and I know he won’t be able to keep whatever has him laughing to himself for long.

  A few seconds pass before he speaks up, just like I knew he would. “Want to see what Brittani posted on her Facebook wall?”

  “Not really. Is there a reason why I need to see it?” Who knows what that little priss has done or said this time. I wouldn’t put anything past her bimbo ass.

  “You don’t need to…but I think you’d want to, considering Colby is going to be living here. He might want to see it too.” Without hesitation, Dusty jumps off the bed and lays his computer down on his flannel comforter before stepping out into the hallway. Scared that he might bring Colby back with him, I get up and throw on a pair of Dusty’s sweatpants. I slide on my sports bra and plain white T-shirt from the bottom drawer of his dresser.

  I open the nightstand on my side of his bed and pull out my brush. As I’m running it through my wet hair, the door opens, and in steps Dusty with Colby close behind. Colby’s eyes glance around the room as he takes another step towards the edge of the bed.

  “Wow, this is a big bedroom.”

  “Yeah, I know. If you wanna trade, we can, but your rent will go up,” Dusty teases.

  “Does she come with the room?” My eyes widen as he and Dusty burst out in laughter. I don’t know what was funny about that. It was a rather obnoxious question if you ask me.

  Interrupting them, I grab ahold of the laptop and am rendered speechless as my eyes take in the words on the screen. Looking up, I see Dusty leaning against his dresser. His arms are folded over his chest. All I can do is shake my head. It’s Colby who should be worried, not me.

  Without saying a word, I get up and hand him the computer. He looks lost and oblivious to the fact that our town’s slut has already claimed him. “New boy in town bitches!” I read out loud with disgust oozing out of my mouth, lacing my words. “You might want to steer clear of Barbie. Well, unless she’s your type. If that’s the case, I’d say she’s a sure thing.” Turning on my heels, I walk out of the bedroom. Feeling aggravated, I march towards the front door. I need fresh air.

  THE SOUND OF footsteps on the pavement tells me someone is coming up behind me. The noise grabs my attention away from my roaming thoughts. We live in a safe, small town, don’t get me wrong, but there are psychos all over the world. Turning my head to the side, I see my best friend wearing nothing but a pair of jeans tucked in his boots and I feel a sense of relief wash over me.

  Playing with a small pebble, I smile. “Well, hey there, country bumpkin’.” He strolls closer and sits beside me on the curb out front of the apartment complex. Dusty is never quiet; something has to be wrong. “Are you okay?” I probe, looking for a reason for his lowness.

  “Are you okay?”

  The funny part is I don’t even have to tell him I’m not. He knows, and he always knows where to find me. “I’m fine,” I lie.

  “You’re lying is what you’re doing. Now ‘fess up, what’s got you walking out of the room in such a hurry?”

  Feeling stupid, the truth is I did feel a hint of jealousy. Brittani is beautiful. I’m not gonna lie. And although she is a raging bitch most of the time, she has everything I don’t. Money, blonde hair, and a pack of friends following her around like her shit don’t stink, including Logan. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Dusty, but he’s all I have, other than Logan. They make up my inner circle, and to have to share Logan’s friendship with Queen B sucks. I know it’s my fault for pushing everyone away, but at least I know I have those two on my side, regardless if Logan is Mr. Popularity too.

  For once I wish I could just be like Brittani and not have to worry about how the hell I am going to get out of this town. She could leave and never look back; her family has the resources, and mine doesn’t. The only way I’m going to make it out of here is by having no connections to keep me tied here. Sometimes the realization of my dreams of fleeing and my dreams of being a normal college student weigh heavily on my shoulders.

  “You like him?”

  “I don’t know him, Dusty. Come on now. How dumb does that sound?” My tone sounds bitchier than it should. Dusty hasn’t done anything wrong, but…I don’t know, maybe I am being a bit harsh.

  “It doesn’t have to make sense, ya know. Everything doesn’t come with a rhyme or reason. You know that, Hensley You j
ust don’t want to believe it. I don’t know why you can’t see how amazing you are.” He raises his hand and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “Just because you’re attracted to someone doesn’t mean the end of the world is coming. It means you’re normal, human. Wait, you are human, right?” His hands grip around my belly, pulling me closer to his body, and then he starts tickling me. Laughter erupts from my mouth. “Okay, you’re ticklish, you’re human. But really, Hensley, you have got to let someone in, other than me. Maybe Colby is the one to break through the hellishly tall wall you’ve built around your heart.”

  Maybe he’s right. After all Colby is attractive and nice; I guess I can cut him some slack. I mean, we did just meet today, and I’ve been acting like Cruella Deville.

  Standing up, Dusty wipes the palms of his hands on his jeans and then holds one out to me. “Come on, sweets. We don’t want to leave our new roommate waiting. Let’s go set some ground rules.”

  Taking his hand, I pull myself up.

  “Listen, you think he’s hot, so what? Just be yourself and a little bit nicer to him than you’ve been today,” he pleads. I didn’t know my behavior was that obvious.

  “Okay, okay, but this Brittani shit is crazy. She will never be allowed over here. I swear, D. I don’t care if he’s paying rent, and they start dating or something. You know how much I hate her.”

  “That broad doesn’t have anything on you, baby girl. Come on.”

  The next hour passes without notice. It’s nearly midnight so I assume Colby is in his room unpacking and organizing his things, and then I hear the strumming of a guitar. I could spot that sound from anywhere. Trying to be discreet, I tiptoe into the hallway and make my way to his door, where the music is coming from. Putting my head against it, the sound abruptly stops. The door swings open and startles me, causing me to stagger backwards. I’m desperate to get back to Dusty’s room, but get caught looking like a deer in the headlights.

  “Hensley, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.” He looks concerned and a tad bit bemused.

  “Yeah, I’m totally fine. Ugh, I was actually coming to get you.” I fib. “Dusty wanted us to go ahead and have our ‘meeting’ so we could all get to bed.”

  “Sounds good, let me just throw on a shirt.”

  Holy shit, stop the clock. How did I not notice he wasn’t wearing one when he almost came barreling into me? His abs are the most defined I’ve ever seen in real life. My eyes take a mental picture of the scrumptious man in front of me. Crapola.

  “Umm, yeah, sounds good.” I quickly turn on my heels and head towards the living room. Dusty is watching TV, so I grab a blanket off the top of the recliner and snuggle up next to him. Colby walks in and assesses the seating arrangement then sits on the floor directly in front of us.

  “Dude, we can move over or you can have the recliner. You don’t have to sit on the floor.”

  “I’m good. So what’s this meeting about?” He seems curious.

  Dusty’s arm snakes around my waist as he begins to talk. “It’s nothing formal. Just wanted to welcome you…”

  I interrupt him, “Actually, this is more of an informational meeting. As you can see, I am here a lot. While I can’t stop you from bringing women around, there is one that is not invited. Ever.”

  He smirks, “Let me guess – Brittani?”

  My smile answers his question. “Whatever you two do or don’t do is your business, but she isn’t welcome here. And another thing, the sorbet is mine. Don’t touch it.” My side stings as Dusty’s fingers pinch my skin. “Please. I mean, please, don’t touch my ice cream or my groceries. You’ll know what items are mine because I write my name on them.”

  “Got it. Any other rules I should know about, Dusty?” I pay careful attention to how he doesn’t address me. Good. Maybe if he really does think I’m a bitch he will avoid me, and it will make this little living arrangement a hell of a lot easier. On second thought, he lives here now. I’m going to see his handsome face every day and hear his music. Maybe I should stay at my own house for the next few months.

  “Nope, man, she about summed it up.” He laughs. “But really dude, my only rule is to put the seat down. I loathe walking into the bathroom and the seat’s up. Call me a pussy. I don’t care. It’s gross.”

  I nudge Dusty in his side.

  He growls, “Ouch, brat.”

  “Thanks for throwing me under the bus, and then backing up and driving over me,” I snarl.

  Colby’s voice interrupts our banter. “Uh, guys? I’m still sitting here.”

  “Sorry, man. Told you she was feisty.” Dusty reaches over and grabs my face like my grandma used to do at Christmas. It’s annoying.

  “What do you mean, you told him I was feisty? When? And I’m not feisty!” I whine.

  “Hensley, sorry to break it to ya, Sunshine, but you’re totally feisty.” Colby laughs while pushing himself up off the floor. Rolling my eyes, I attempt to say fuck you without actually speaking the words. “And on that note, I’m going to bed. See ya both in the morning.”

  Mission accomplished.

  Dusty is silent as he sits beside me shaking his head.

  “What?”

  “You remind me of an eight-year-old little boy. Teasing the girl you have a crush on during recess.”

  Not funny. “Har-har! You’re hilarious.”

  I get up and walk down the hallway to Dusty’s room. He can watch TV by himself.

  AFTER OUR IMPROMPTU meeting, I went back to my room to finish unpacking, and Dusty and Hensley went to theirs. It’s still a little strange to me that they sleep in the same bed, but who am I to judge? It’s apparent she doesn’t want anything to do with me. Why would she? I’m a complete stranger to her. But that doesn’t stop the nagging feeling in my gut that there could be, or there already is something else between us. I can feel it, although she is doing a damn good job at trying to push me away. I know her brashness is all a front. One day she’ll let me in. I just have to get to know her, and learn why she’s so guarded. And trust me, I will.

  Settling into bed, I am reminded that I’m not at home on the farm anymore. Long gone are the sounds of pots and pans being rummaged through in the kitchen as Pops tries to find his bottles of alcohol, the ones he hides in an attempt to act like he doesn’t drink. It’s a useless endeavor because we all know about his drinking habits. The peacefulness in my ten by ten bedroom is golden, but I can’t shake the sense that something awful is going to happen. I guess old feelings die hard. Reminding myself that I’m not in Texas and that I don’t have to be on edge all the time, I’m finally able to convince myself to fall asleep.

  THE SOUNDS OF clanging metal alert my eyes to open. As I jump up in bed, my left hand swings over towards my nightstand to grab my alarm clock, but it isn’t there. Rubbing my eyes, I glance around the room and realize where I am. I’m in my new room, and my alarm clock is safely packed away in a large duffle bag two feet away from me. Taking in my surroundings, I squint as I try to locate my cell phone to check the time. I’m not used to sleeping in, at least not at home. There is always an animal that needs feedin’ at the crack of dawn or a field that needs to be plowed. I guess the years of five a.m. mornings really took their toll on me as I peer at the time on my cell phone. Nine a.m. Damn, I did oversleep.

  The mouthwatering aroma of bacon frying jars my senses. My stomach tells my brain I’m starving and urges my legs to move from their spot under my blanket to the floor. Bending to grab a pair of pants, my morning wood gets in the way. Opting out of the thin black pants I had in mind, I walk over to my dresser and pull out a thicker, grey pair. Sliding them on, I know I can’t walk out of this room with a raging boner. Normally it goes down on its own – maybe knowing Hensley is lying in the next room unconsciously made it a little harder. Opening my bedroom door I quietly walk into the bathroom to take a leak, secretly praying that draining it will help it go down. Doubt it. A few minutes and thoughts of randomness later, I’m able to adjust my
self comfortably in my pants and walk down the small hallway to the kitchen.

  Much to my surprise, I see Hensley wearing jeans, a tank top, and boots, holding a spatula in one hand and a bowl of some sort of white mixture in the other. She must have noticed the smile that spread on my face when I saw her, because she starts to glare in my direction.

  “It’s a breakfast truce,” she mumbles while trying not to make eye contact with me.

  Taking a seat on one of the wooden bar stools in front of the small island on wheels, I grab one of the two empty cups sitting on the counter and fill it with orange juice from the pitcher sitting next to them. After gulping down my first cup, I pour another.

  “Thirsty much?” Her voice breaks the silence.

  Short and to the point I whisper, “Yes, ma’am,” with a small nod of my head. She made it bluntly clear yesterday she isn’t interested in getting to know me, and as much as I want to get to know her, I know there are some boundaries I won’t cross. Pushing or forcing her to talk to me is one of them. So I sit quietly enjoying my fresh juice.

  “Look, Colby, this…” she waves her only free hand around the small area around her in the air. “This is my way of apologizing for being a wench yesterday. I don’t know much about you or where you come from, but I do know that I was out of line. So I hope you enjoy your bacon-covered pancakes and can forgive me. After all, it doesn’t look like either one of us is going anywhere.” She rolls her eyes as she finishes her sentence. It irks me.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Her tan shoulders shrug. We both know it was a cheap jab, and I know exactly what it means. She’s hoping I’ll be intimidated and leave. Well, she is dead wrong. As much as I enjoy her little mood swings…not… and groveling behavior this morning, I’m not going anywhere for a while.