~ Jed ~
*Do you have that nurse's number?*
About thirty seconds later, he sent the number along with *?*
I sent, *Thanks mate, I'll fill you in later* and then dialed Gemma, hoping she wasn't just being polite with the offer of a place to stay. Thankfully, she picked up on the second ring, and seemed pleased to hear from me, readily repeating her offer and texting me the address.
Her house was semi-detached, built in the 40's from the look of it, with bay windows on the ground and first floors and a tiny garden out front. Gemma pulled the door open before I could even knock, her cheeks flushed with color.
"You made it! Not too hard to find, I trust?"
"No, not at all," I replied with a smile, feeling more at ease as I saw she was expecting me.
"Come in, come in. I'll give you the grand tour and then show you to your room."
I stepped in and took a look around. There wasn't all that much to see. The lounge was age-worn but cheery enough, furniture old fashioned, but clean. The dining room was similar, with a large china cabinet and a table that seated six. The kitchen was the room most obviously in need of repair, the appliances all ancient and outdated, but it was scrupulously clean and tidy. Upstairs were three bedrooms and a bathroom.
"I thought you might like this one," she said, leading me to the room facing the street with the large bay windows. There was a double bed, wardrobe, and bureau drawers, along with a chair and small table by the window. "Well, what do you think?"
Definitely none of the modern amenities I'd gotten used to at Bedlam Heights, but it had a homely feeling that suited me fine. "I think it'll do nicely, thanks," I smiled. "And how much is the room to let?"
"See, I was thinking about that," she said, her eyes warming to the subject. "You said before you'd been working at Bedlam Heights doing handiwork?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I was thinking you could do the same sort of work around here? I couldn't pay you too much, but you'd get free room and board."
"What sort of work do you need done?"
"That all depends on how useful you are," she smiled. "The plumbing's ancient and so is the electrical. The roof's not too bad I think, but some of the siding needs repairing, and I've been thinking about converting the second-floor space into another couple of rooms if it's not too costly. And then there's always the dream of replacing the worn wallpaper and refinishing the floors, or maybe something could be done to the kitchen, but I'm probably dreaming there," she smiled. "Have I made the place sound like an absolute deathtrap and completely talked you out of it?"
"No, not at all," I chuckled. "Actually, it sounds like a far more interesting job than half the tasks I had to do at Bedlam Heights." And there was a far less chance of running into ghosts here unless the house had a bloodier past than she let on. So far nothing had cropped up though. Though come to think of it, I hadn't seen any specters today at the old place either. Then again, I hadn't been there for very long.
"Really? You'll do it?" she beamed, giving a little hop of excitement. "That's wonderful! You wouldn't have to start right away, of course, I know you're still recovering."
"There are some things I should be able to see to soon enough," I assured her. "Maybe we can make a list of everything you want done and go over your budget later?"
"Right, yes, my budget. I'll have to figure that out, I suppose," she smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to get settled in." She moved to the door.
"Gemma," I called out before she'd gone.
"Yes?"
"Thanks," I smiled, rewarded by her dimpled smile again. Maybe this change would be for the best? Gemma seemed entirely comfortable with me in her home and maybe I could finally get my bearings.
On my way to the bathroom, I passed by what sounded like Gemma's bedroom from the sound of her voice behind the closed door. On my way back, it was hard not to hear the argument going on.
"No, he's a good man, I can tell..."
Uh oh. Were they arguing about me? Hers was the only voice I could pick out though.
"Well, what kind of darkness? How do you mean?"
Darkness? That didn't sound so good.
"That's hardly his fault! Jilly, you of all people should know he can't control such a thing!"
Yep, definitely sounding more and more like she was talking about me. The last thing I wanted was to make problems for her.
"Well, I don't care, he's staying here, and that's final."
She'd gone quiet, and I knocked on the door. Gemma opened it looking a little flushed. "Everything alright here?" I asked.
"Yup, mmhmm," she nodded with a smile. "Everything's fine."
I looked deeper into the room and she was by herself. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I was just… on my mobile," she replied, taking a couple of steps to pick it up from her bedside table. "Telemarketer."
"Bloody telemarketers," I nodded slowly.
"The worst," she added with a nervous laugh, tucking the hair behind her ears.
"Look, I can move on if it's going to be a problem."
"No, no problem," Gemma insisted quickly. "None whatsoever," she smiled.
"Well, it sounded like…"
"Truly," she said, laying a hand on my arm. "I want you to stay."
"Sorry, but… why?"
"How do you mean?" she blinked.
"You barely know me. Why is it so important to you that I stay?"
"Because I have a place and you need somewhere to stay. Because it's the right thing to do. And because I like you. I think you're a good person."
I shook my head. "Do you always take in strays and hard luck cases?"
"If I say yes, will you stay?" she dimpled, and I couldn't resist that smile.
"Yes, I'll stay. But only for as long as it's not a problem for you."
"It's not, I swear," she assured me. "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a pin in my eye." She crossed a finger over her chest.
"You don't, do you? Hope to die?" Maybe she was one of those girls who were drawn to darkness? Maybe she hoped to be pulled into my world?
"Not anymore," she said with an earnestness that caught my breath. "You?"
"Not at the moment," I answered honestly.
"Then… I'll see you for tea at six?"
"I'll see you then."
~ Gemma ~
"You're going to regret letting that guy stay here, mark my words."
"No, he's a good man, I can tell..." I insisted. Why was she being such a pain about this?
"Oh, you can tell, can you?" Jilly scoffed, rolling her eyes. "No good man has that kind of darkness surrounding him."
"Well, what kind of darkness? How do you mean?"
"Darkness clings to him like a bad smell." Her nose wrinkled with distaste. "That man was cursed at birth, you've seen his file. Bounced in and out of institutions his whole life."
"That's hardly his fault! Jilly, you of all people should know he can't control such a thing!"
"That's not the point! Gemma, it's not safe for him to be here. You have to get rid of Jed before he worms his way into your life even more."
Not safe? Where was she getting this from? There was nothing in Jed's file to suggest violence, and I just… I felt he'd never hurt me. "Well, I don't care, he's staying here, and that's final."
Jilly just shook her head, dark curls dancing. "You're going to regret this, Gem. Mark my words, nothing good can come from this."
I refused to talk to Jilly when she got that mulish look on her face, and I turned my back on her. Okay, maybe that was a bit childish, but we weren't getting anywhere going round and round over this.
The knock at the door set my heart to pounding. Lord, was it Jed? Had he heard the argument? Pulling the door open, I tried to look like I hadn't just been having it out with Jilly.
"Everything alright here?" he asked.
"Yup, mmhmm," I nodded with a smile. "Everything's fine."
Jed looked deeper into the room. "Are you sure?"
He hadn't seen Jilly at all, that much was clear. "Yes, I was just… on my mobile," I replied, taking a couple of steps to pick it up from my bedside table. "Telemarketer." Inwardly wincing over that terrible cover up, I waited to see if he would buy it.
"Bloody telemarketers," he nodded slowly.
Clearly, he did not, but he wasn't pressing it. "The worst," I added with a nervous laugh, tucking the hair behind my ears.
"Look, I can move on if it's going to be a problem."
"See, he doesn't mind moving on at all," Jilly hissed, but I ignored her.
"No, no problem," I insisted quickly. "None whatsoever," I smiled.
"Well, it sounded like…"
"Truly," I said, laying a hand on his arm. "I want you to stay."
"Sorry, but… why?"
"How do you mean?" I blinked, not expecting that question.
"You barely know me. Why is it so important to you that I stay?"
There were so many reasons but none I could talk to him about just yet. "Because I have a place and you need somewhere to stay. Because it's the right thing to do. And because I like you. I think you're a good person."
He shook his head. "Do you always take in strays and hard luck cases?"
"If I say yes, will you stay?" I asked with my most winsome smile, relieved to see his smile in return.
"Yes, I'll stay. But only for as long as it's not a problem for you."
"Oh, it's already a problem," Jilly muttered.
"It's not, I swear," I assured him. "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a pin in my eye." I crossed my finger over my chest.
"You don't, do you? Hope to die?"
He looked so serious, I answered him honestly instead of the glib response that sprang to my lips. "Not anymore," I said, almost surprised to find it was true. For the first time in a long while, I wanted to see what came next, not look to the past. "You?"
"Not at the moment," he replied.
I couldn't help but smile at that. "Then… I'll see you for tea at six?"
"I'll see you then."
Jilly flopped across the bed, starting in on me again the moment he was gone. "God, you fancy him, don't you? Is that why you're risking everything we have? Because he's got a nice arse?"
"It has nothing to do with how nice his arse is, that just happens to be a fortunate happenstance," I said loftily.
"If he can't even see me, what use is he to us?"
"Jed has many fine qualities that have nothing to do with his supernatural abilities."
"Then you do fancy him?" she asked, waggling her brows at me.
"I have to get supper on. Some of us have to work around here."
A/N: Thoughts? Anybody sticking with me on this one?
~ Feedback is Love ~