Shelbie woke up and listened. The house was quiet. She sat up and looked over at the clock on the wall. It was 11.30 AM. She couldn't believe she had slept that long. She got up and walked down the hall. The door to the bedroom was open.

"Roman?" She asked.

She didn't get an answer. He wasn't in the house. She went back to the living room, grabbed her clothes, walked down the hall, found a towel, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She hurried as much as she could to not waste too much of his water. She dried herself and got back into her clothes. When she opened the door again, she could hear him.

"Roman?" She called.
"In the kitchen!" He called back.

She went to the kitchen and saw he was filling water in two glasses.

"That was one quick shower. Only 4 minutes. Impressive," he said.
"How do you know?" She asked.
"I came home seconds before the water started running," he said.
"My mother always makes me take short showers. She says I'm not allowed to waste water. I'm also only allowed to shower once a week. It felt like cheating showering right now," she said.
"That makes me so fucking sad to hear. I'm sorry," he said.
"It's not your fault," she said.
"That's true," he said. "I bought lunch."

She looked at the table and saw different sandwiches sitting in bags.

"How much do you eat?" She asked.
"I didn't know what you like or if you might be allergic to something so I bought some different kinds. We got pepperoni, egg, ham and cheese, falafel, and roastbeef," he said.
"I think I'd like an egg sandwich," she said.
"Sweet. Pepperoni for me," he grinned. "Don't worry about the other three. I'll give them to some homeless people. They're used to me by now. They call me wizard because I always bring food and drinks for them. They're really cool people once you get to know them."

She just stared at him and smiled. This man really had a heart of gold.

"How's the knee today?" He asked.
"Better. It's bruised but it doesn't hurt as much as last night. My back got a bruise too," she said.
"This is the last time your family has abused you," he said.
"I can't stay here forever," she said.
"I know that," he said. "That's why we're coming up with a plan. You need a job, and a friend of mine needs someone to answer the phone and book appointments for the mechanics in his car shop."
"I don't know anything about cars," she said.
"He'll train you in what you need to know. You're not going to work on the cars. Just booking appointments," he said. "And before you say anything against it, I already called him. He's on his way here. His name is AJ Styles and he's a good man. You'll be in safe hands with him," he said.

She took a bite of her sandwich and just looked at him while chewing. She had no idea what to say. This man was going far and beyond to help her, and he hadn't even known her 24 hours yet.

"I also got an apartment ready for you," he said.
"What?" She asked. "I can't..."

The front door opened and she stopped midsentence.

"Roman?" AJ called.
"We're in the kitchen!" Roman called back.

A smiling man came into the kitchen and greeted them.

"AJ, this is Shelbie," Roman said.
"I hear you're looking for a job," AJ said.
"I am," Shelbie said.
"Can you start tomorrow?" AJ asked.

Shelbie looked over at Roman who nodded in return.

"I can," Shelbie said.
"Great," AJ said.
"Let's finish our sandwiches and then we're going on a road trip," Roman said.
"Where are we going?" Shelbie asked.
"To the apartment and then AJ's shop so you can see where you'll be working," Roman said.

Shelbie nodded and took another bite of her sandwich. Now was not the time to put up a fight. Instead she finished her lunch, got out in Roman's car, and allowed him to take her where he wanted. AJ followed behind in his own car. They stopped in front of a small row house. Roman unlocked the door, and they all walked inside. The place already had furniture and items. Not a lot but enough for someone to live there.

"The only thing it needs is a bed. Me and AJ will go pick that up now, and you can wait here meanwhile and get to know this place," Roman said.
"Roman, this is really sweet of you but I can't afford rent," Shelbie said.
"Don't worry about it. It belongs to a friend of mine. He already said you could get the first month for free until you get back on your feet," Roman said.
"Which is where I come in," AJ said. "The pay is good and I'm never late with a paycheck."
"This is all so overwhelming," Shelbie felt tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"Don't worry about it," Roman said. "Let's go, AJ."
"Just gotta pee first if it's okay with Shelbie that I use her bathroom," AJ said.
"Of course," Shelbie said.

Roman walked out to his car while AJ used the bathroom. He came walking back a couple of minutes later.

"You shouldn't think so hard about why he's doing this," AJ said. "This is what Roman does. He's got this massive, soft heart. He always helps people in need and he never wants anything in return other than to see them happy."
"I've never experienced this sort of kindness before," Shelbie said.
"Get used to it," AJ smiled.

Roman stuck his head inside the front door again and smiled at both of them.

"By the way," Roman looked at Shelbie. "You need to figure out the best time to enter your mother's house so we can get your belongings out of there without having to face her."
"I don't have a lot," Shelbie said.
"But what little you got, we need to save," Roman said. "And we need it done fast. Before she figures out you're gone for good and starts destroying your things."
"What day is it today?" Shelbie asked.
"Thursday," AJ answered.
"That's perfect," Shelbie said. "No one's home tonight. The twins are doing a show with their class, and both my mother and sister are going to see it. I wasn't invited. I'm supposed to deep clean the house tonight and wash all the windows."

Roman walked over to her and pulled her in for a hug. It felt so right feeling his arms around her.

"No more," Roman whispered. "Tonight we're getting your things, and you'll be free."