Deceived: Devon Brothers, #2, page 4
"That used to be such a nice area," he said, trying not to sound facetious.
"Used to," she said. "Not anymore and definitely not when my parents left. After they sold off the house they owned for over 30 years, and paid their own debts and moving fees, they weren't able to give me very much money. Which is why I didn't rent an apartment in town."
Sawyer nodded at that, shamed by all the things he took for granted. This town was considered fairly high-end, and he never thought about the outlying residential areas that were on the lower end of the demographics. Having gone to prep schools all his life he didn't have any friends that fell into those groups and so he wasn't really aware of what was going on there.
He'd obviously followed development in the area over the last several years on a financial level and had heard that name come up several times as prime real estate for business, but what about the residents that still lived there? Now he understood why her family left.
"So why didn't you go with your parents when they left?"
"They were retiring. They wanted to get a small place at a retirement village that didn't have any upkeep. And I was already 18 so they weren't responsible for me anymore and it's not like I wanted to live on a golf course the rest of my life in the Arizona heat. No, the decision to stay here was mine and they understood."
That surprised Sawyer just as much as this place she was currently living in.
"Your parents weren't concerned that you were on your own so young?"
"Apparently not if they agreed and left me here," she offered with a chuckle and a shrug. "Besides, Mr. Peterson lives just over the way and he helped me through all this and made sure he was nearby if I needed anybody. He's the one who gave me this shed. He used to use it for hunting gear or something."
"That was nice of him."
"It was. He didn't have to do anything if he didn't want to, but he saw that I was struggling and offered to help. I crashed on his couch for a few weeks until I was able to get the shed livable. He even made sure it was warm enough and that I had a good bed."
“And how do you know him?”
“He was a regular at the restaurant and knew my dad from somewhere, who knows? I think he was friends with my granddad once a while back.”
“And you knew him well enough to live with him? You trusted him that much?” Sawyer asked, genuinely curious.
“I didn’t have a choice. He was my only option at the time and really, I’m glad of it.”
Sawyer nodded at that statement but still couldn't believe the old man had left her sleeping in a shed. Why hadn't he let her just continue sleeping on his couch? There were so many questions spinning around his mind, but it was late, and the alcohol had definitely worn off by now. He needed to sleep.
"Well, now I'm in the same position you were in then," he said with a smirk. "I'm assuming I'm sleeping here?" he asked, patting the couch.
"You are more than welcome to sleep up in the loft if you want," she said. "I can sleep on the couch."
"No, that's okay, I'll sleep down here. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking you out of your own bed. I know how that is."
"Suit yourself. As I said, the bathroom is back there," she pointed out. "If you're hungry or thirsty feel free to raid the fridge."
"Thanks, I'll be fine. I'll just be happy to get my car going again in the morning," he said with a smirk.
She gave him a curt nod and headed for the stairs
"Do you need a t-shirt to sleep in? I can loan you something if you need it."
“No I'm good,” he said and watched as she climbed the stairs to the loft.
“I mean, I know they’re not cashmere, but I have a pair of sweats that would fit you. And they’re clean. I promise.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes.
“All right, I get it,” he said. “I know I sound like a judgmental prick.”
“Sound like?” she said with a chuckle. “You’ve been judging me since we left the restaurant.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Sawyer,” she said as she heaved a sigh and turned to sit on the stairs. “I drive a broken down fifteen-year-old car and I live in a shed. I could feel your disdain before we even got here.”
“How? All I did was ask about it.”
“You asked about it in a way that was very condescending.... why don’t I just do this or why don’t I just do that, like I’m an idiot and never said duh, why didn’t I think of that. If it were that easy, do you think I’d be here?”
Sawyer shrugged because he honestly didn’t know how to answer that.
“Honestly, I love it here. Everything I need is here. Why would I waste money that I worked hard to earn on things? I don’t need things,” she said.
“It’s not just the things,” he said, looking around the room. “I mean, where’s the investment?”
Avalynn stared at him for a moment, cocking her head.
“What?”
“I mean, sure I have a nice place and it cost me a ton of money, but it's an investment. It’s worth more now than it was when I bought it. This is...” he trailed off and opened his arms to gesture at the space around him.
“It’s a shed, I know, you’ve mentioned it seventeen times already. And it is an investment... in my sanity. I feel comfortable here. I feel safe here.”
“But could you retire if you sold it?”
She blinked at him and began to laugh.
“Do you even hear yourself?” she asked. “Retire? Sawyer, I make twenty-two grand a year if I’m lucky and pull in good tips. Retirement isn’t even on my radar.”
“It should be, oh my God,” he said, standing from the couch. “How can you not have a plan for your future?”
“How can I plan for my future if I don’t even know what I’ll be doing next week?” she asked. “And I have nothing to invest anyway. I can barely keep the lights on some months. That’s why I chopped all that wood just in case I run out of propane. At least I’d have heat in the winter.”
Sawyer shook his head at that.
“Why don’t you get a job that pays more and offers savings plans or a 401k?”
“Because I like my job.”
“But you’re living like a homeless person!” he said, gesturing to the room and when he looked back at her, he could see how angry she’d become.
“Well, this homeless person has offered you a place to sleep for the night, in a heated, dry place. If it’s not up to your standards, there’s the door. The Ritz is about a three-hour walk east,” she shouted, and made her way into the loft and out of view.
“Shit...” he mumbled under his breath. This evening did not end as he’d intended. First Micheline and now her. He really needed to stop getting in his own way.
Pissed at himself, he removed his suit and folded it neatly over the back of a chair. Sitting on the couch he removed his shoes, which were now in desperate need of cleaning. Were he at home, he’d be ringing for the concierge to have them taken care of. And that made him pause too... how reliant on them had he become? When had he become such a spoiled douchebag? But was he spoiled? That made him angry too. He worked hard for all the luxuries in his life, why shouldn’t he enjoy them?
He set his shoes neatly at the end of the couch, and when he saw the movement in the loft cease, and her light went off, he grabbed the crocheted blanket from the back of the couch, draped it over his body, and stretched out.
Nope, this is definitely not how he planned this night to end. And he couldn’t even dress and sneak out to avoid a confrontation in the morning. He was stuck there and would be forced to deal with the anger he’d caused by being so judgmental. And God, he hated confrontations.
He reached for his phone and quickly texted Cade.
Please get here as early as you can.
There was no answer from his brother, but it was also after one in the morning, and he knew he was asleep. Still... he hoped that in the morning he’d get the message and save him before he dug his hole any deeper.
Chapter Six
Sawyer was curled in a ball wrapped in her grandmother’s blanket and though the scene made her smirk, the argument they had the night before was still burning in Avalynn's stomach.
She laid awake for hours pissed that she'd been so nice to him. Yes, he'd helped her out and in the process probably destroyed his expensive car, but she didn't have to open her doors to him. And after his rude comments, she was sorry she had.
The moment daylight started creeping into her space, she dressed and made her way down to the kitchen hoping a pot of brewing coffee would wake him. And she hoped Cade would retrieve him sooner rather than later. The more she thought about him lying there the more pissed off she got, she didn't want to wait for the coffee to do its magic, so she began pulling out pots and pans to make breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him rousing and smiled to herself.
"Do you eat breakfast or are you one of those psychos that just go to the gym and drinks some kind of protein shake?" she asked with a sneer as she began pulling ingredients out of the cupboards for her own breakfast.
Sawyer quickly pulled on his pants, then stood and began folding the blanket.
"I guess I'm a psycho that loves to eat breakfast," he said as he laid the blanket over the back of the couch and crouched to grab his shirt, pulling it on as he approached the kitchen.
Avalynn grumbled to herself. She was hoping she wouldn't have to cook for him.
"I'm making eggs and toast for myself. Is that good for you or do you prefer something else?"
Sawyer pulled out one of the bar stools and sat.
"I don't expect imported quail eggs and caviar if that's what you're asking," he joked. "Eggs and toast is fine."
"How do you like them cooked?" she asked, grabbing the bowl of eggs out of the fridge. They were fresh. She picked them up at a local farm just the day before and they were all jumbled together - different sizes and colors, and he was probably thinking they were cast offs, but she didn't care.
“Over easy is fine," Sawyer offered as he watched her work.
"You should probably give your brother a call to see where he is, make sure he doesn't forget about you," she said as she dropped a knob of butter into a frying pan.
Sawyer gave her a nod then got up and grabbed his phone off the end table. He took a seat on the couch and tapped a few buttons. After a few moments, Cade's voice came over the speaker.
"Hey, I was just going to call you. We're just finishing up here and we'll be on the road in a few minutes. We should be down that way in about 45 minutes," he said, and Sawyer nodded.
“Cool, I'll head down to the car in a few so I'm down there when you show up."
"Right, see you in a bit."
The line disconnected and Sawyer stood and stuffed his phone into his pocket, heading back to his seat at the counter just in time for Avalynn to place a plate in front of him.
"Thanks," he said, giving her a warm smile.
"Yup," she said as she finished up her eggs. "Go ahead and start, I'll be done in a second."
Sawyer gave her a shrug.
"It's okay, I'll wait. My mom trained us well," he said with a laugh. "She always hated that we'd finish eating by the time she sat down, and it pissed her off, so she put down her foot and demanded everybody wait to eat together. I guess it's just ingrained in me."
"That's a good rule," she said as she set her plate on the counter, grabbed a fork for herself, and gave him a nod to start eating while she leaned over her plate and began cutting up her eggs.
"Aren't you going to sit?"
"No I'm good, this is a habit for me. I'm used to eating on the run at the restaurant, grabbing bites between customers. It's what I'm used to."
"That can't be too healthy," he suggested as he began cutting up his food. "Do you have a pretty regular schedule there?"
"Yeah. I have a couple of days off a week but can work as much as I want to really. We have a couple of other servers that work but they tend to shuffle in and out over the seasons. Usually college kids. They're not very loyal."
"So what you're saying is on the days the restaurant is closed those are the days you're off?
"Pretty much."
"That's a lot of hours. If you're going to put that much time in wouldn't you rather work someplace that pays more?"
Avalynn gritted her teeth and set her fork aside. She could feel her blood pressure starting to boil again.
"You seem to be under the impression that I have some kind of experience or education that would magically land me a better job."
Sawyer noted the fire in her eyes and wiped his mouth with the piece of the paper towel she had handed him and sat back.
"You could get a job in an office as a clerk or a receptionist."
"Again, that's assuming that I actually want to work in an office."
Sawyer furrowed his brows and gave her a look as if she was speaking a language he didn't understand. And she knew she was.
"Not everyone wants to dress up and go to the office every morning. I have never had the urge to do that. Not once in my life."
Sawyer exhaled at that as he took in what she said and shook his head seemingly choosing his words before he spoke which, in her current mood, was a wise idea.
"Before your parents decided to leave, when you were still in school, didn’t you ever think to go to college or get some other experience?"
Evelyn shook her head and licked her lips to prepare for this battle.
"No, my parents didn't have the money to send me to college. They barely got out of that house and out of this state."
"You could have applied for grants, there's funding available if you really wanted to go."
This time Avalynn exhaled and rolled her eyes as she grabbed one of the bar stools and sat.
"I think you and I need to realize that we're two different people from two different worlds," she ground out. "I never had any big dreams for my future or plans for attending college. My parents never really supported me or pushed me to do anything in school, good or bad. As long as I got my diploma and was able to work, that's all they cared about."
And again he gave her a look as if she had two heads.
"There was never anything you wanted to be when you were growing up?" he asked.
It was a genuine question, but it was one that burned in her gut.
Every kid dreamed of being something. In her case, her biggest dream was just to get out and be on her own. She never wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor or a dancer. With zero expectations from her family, why would she dream at all?
"I just wanted to be happy," she said finally, leaning on the counter. "That was a big enough goal for me."
Sawyer stared at her for a moment trying to make sense of what she said. She could tell by the look in his eyes there was pity there, and she didn't want to see it, not from him.
"You better finish eating so you can get down to your car. I'm sure your brother will be here soon," she offered, grabbed her plate, and finished eating as she leaned against the counter on the other side of the kitchen.
She could tell he wanted to say something. It was in his nature to constantly have a rebuttal, to constantly have answers but there were no answers for this situation. It was what it was, and she knew better than to prolong the argument because it would go nowhere fast. So Sawyer begrudgingly finished off his food, set his plate in the sink, gathered up the rest of his clothing, and went outside.
She took her time finishing her food. She was in no mood to continue this discussion with him, so when she finished eating she rinsed her plate as well as his, set them aside, and with hands on her hips gave a disgruntled exhale and headed out the door.
Once outside she started down the road and could see Sawyer walking in the distance. It was apparent he was in no mood to speak to her either. But eventually, she caught up to him, and just as they approached his car, Cade's truck pulled onto the road and headed in their direction, and she heard Sawyer give a prayer of thanks under his breath.
"Hey," Cade offered as he jumped out of his truck and headed in their direction with a tow rope in his hands.
"Thanks for doing this," Sawyer said and he turned to give Kit a hug.
Kit noticed Avalynn standing there and gave her a wide smile.
"Hey Ava, thanks so much for taking care of Sawyer. We really appreciate it."
"No worries," she said. "I'm sure he would have done the same for me."
Cade dropped the tow rope behind the Porsche and crouched to look underneath, giving a long, low whistle.
“This is going to be fun,” he said with amusement, turning to look at Sawyer over his shoulder. “You didn’t think this was a bad idea?”
“I’ve never been on this road, I had no idea,” Sawyer bit back and had the nerve to give Avalynn an angry glare.
“I should have said something, I’m really sorry. I’m so used to coming back here, I didn’t realize his car was so low,” she offered. And OK, she felt awful. This could cost him a lot of money if things underneath got mangled.
Sawyer heaved a sigh and shook his head.
“No, it’s fine. I drive this car all the time and I should have known better. Though I don’t know how I would’ve gotten you home without driving back here.”
“I should have suggested you drop me down here and I could have walked, it was no big deal, I’ve done it before.”
“Nah, that’s too dangerous. I wouldn’t want you wandering down here in the middle of the night,” he said.
“Dangerous?” she said with a snort and a laugh. “Like what? Coyotes gonna get me?”
Cade actually laughed at that, as did Kit, but Sawyer wasn’t amused.
“Well then, sorry for my concern,” he groused and crouched down to speak to Cade who was laying under the back of his car attaching the rope.
Avalynn wiped the grin from her face at his comment and moved away from them, going to stand by Kit who was leaning against Cade’s truck.
“I hate that this happened,” she said, and Kit waved her off.
