Jump to content
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Reece's Choice - 7. Chapter 7

I heard the doorbell and slipped the pizza in the oven before going to answer it. The smile died on my lips as instead of Dave, who I’d been expecting, Mr. Ranier’s son stood on the porch of my small house with a grim expression on his face. My heart stuttered in my chest at the thought something had happened to my elderly landlord.

“Hey, Jeff.” I’d met Mr. Ranier’s son a number of times over the years, and he had always insisted I call him by his first name. “What are you doing here? Is your dad okay?”

“Hi Reece, can I come in for a moment?”

Despite the question, it didn’t sound like a request, and I stepped back to allow him entry into the house. I saw him glance around the small living room, but he made no move to sit and my worry escalated even more. His gaze landed on me again and I could see the regret in his eyes as he began to speak.

“Dad’s okay, relatively speaking. He’s got Alzheimer’s.”

I heard his voice catch. and I could only imagine how hard it had to be to have his dad sick and yet be so far away. Little things over the past few months started to make sense. Mr. Rainer had seemed a bit out of it a couple of times when I’d dropped my rent off, almost like he didn’t know who I was. He had seemed to snap out of it, so I had just put it down to him being distracted.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I truly meant it too, and I hoped Jeff knew I was being sincere. “What are you going to do?”

“Well, that’s why I’m here. We’re moving Dad back east to live with us for the time being. We really don’t want to put him in a home, and he’s not bad enough it’s our only choice.”

He closed his eyes and when he opened them and looked at me again I got the feeling I really wasn’t going to like what was coming next.

“I’m sorry Reece, but we’re going to be selling the house.”

I could hear the regret in his voice but couldn’t formulate a reply. I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t even think of what to say as I stared at my landlord’s son. I held out hope maybe he was just telling me so I knew I’d have a new landlord.

“We hate to kick you out”—there went that hope—“but we need to do any repairs necessary before we get it on the market.”

“How long before I need to be out?” I swallowed hard as I glanced around the place I had called home for the last three years. It wouldn’t be easy to pick up and move, but it seemed as though I didn’t have much of a choice. There was no way I could afford to buy the house, not with what I made.

“The end of next month. If you can be out any earlier then great, we’ll refund part of your rent, but by the end of the month at the latest.”

Wow. That gave me just over a month to find a new place to live. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to make it happen. I didn’t have the money for a deposit on a new place and even if I did, I wouldn’t have enough for the first month’s rent. I was essentially screwed.

“I know this is sudden, and I’m sorry, but there’s no other choice. We can’t oversee the place from back home, and we can’t leave Dad here.”

I knew the words weren’t hollow. Jeff had always treated me as a friend, even going so far as to stop by to share a beer when he was in town. As much as I hated that I was going to have to move, I knew Jeff was doing the best thing for his dad.

“I’ll be out as soon as I can.” I didn’t know what else to say and was saved from saying anything else when the doorbell chimed again.

I pulled open the door to see Dave standing on the other side, a smile curving his lips. It died as soon as he saw my face. He stepped inside and pulled me into his arms, apparently not noticing Jeff standing off to the side.

“What’s wrong?” He pulled back, and I swear he was trying to see into my soul through my eyes.

I saw movement off to the side, and Dave must have seen it too. He stepped back and turned to face Jeff.

“Who are you?”

I would’ve laughed at the hostility in Dave’s voice, but I was still shell-shocked. It took a second of them staring at each other before I shook myself out of it.

“Dave, this is my landlord’s son, Jeff. Jeff, this is my boyfriend, Dave.”

“Nice to meet you.” Jeff stepped forward and held out his hand and Dave took it, still not looking entirely sure about it. When they released, Jeff turned back to me. “I’ll let you get back to your evening. I really am sorry about this, Reece, and I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for Dad over the years.”

“I was happy to do it. He’s a great man.” It was true. I’d been happy to help the older man with all the little chores such as keeping the lawn mowed. He could do it, but he’d begun feeling his age, and it was hard on him.

“Have a nice evening.” Jeff smiled at both of us and walked out the still open door, shutting it behind him.

“What was that all about?” Dave grasped my hand and led me to the couch, pulling me down next to him. “What was he sorry about? Anything I need to make him pay for in a dark alley?”

I chuckled despite the situation. In the three months we’d been dating, one thing I’d learned about Dave was he was anything but violent.

“What’s so funny? I could take him.” Dave looked affronted I might think otherwise, and I just shook my head.

“I have no doubt about that, but no, you don’t need to make him pay for anything.” I swallowed and tilted my head back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling for a minute before tucking one leg up under me and turning so I was facing Dave. “You could, however, help me find an apartment.”

I knew I wouldn’t be able to find another house I could afford. I had barely been able to afford this place and only because Mr. Ranier had never raised my rent. If he had, I’d have been shit out of luck and had to find a new place way before now.

“What?” I could hear the disbelief in his voice. “They’re kicking you out? For what?”

I sighed and relayed everything Jeff had told me. Dave didn’t say anything while I was talking, just sat and listened. When I was done, he pulled me closer to him and turned me so my back was nestled against his chest. I closed my eyes as his arms wrapped around me, and he rested his chin on my shoulder.

“Would you be against having a roommate?” His breath brushed against my ear and sent shivers down my spine.

“Depends on who it was, I guess. I’m not really sure I’ll have much choice though.” I sighed and tried to relax. Dave knew about my financial issues. It wasn’t something easy to hide long term, and I had finally given up trying after nearly a month of making excuses so he would let me fix us dinner instead of going out.

“How about me?”

He couldn’t be serious, though he sounded like he was. I tried to turn in his arms and, after a few seconds, he finally let me. One look at his face, and I knew without a doubt he wasn’t joking.

“You want me to live with you?” I had to clarify it, make sure I had understood correctly. I hadn’t given much thought to us moving in together. We’d only known each other a couple of months and while everything between us was going great, I hadn’t wanted us to move too fast.

“Sure, why not?”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit soon to be thinking of moving in together?” I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if we broke up. I knew so many couples who had moved in together and then broken up. It tended to get messy as well as leave one person without a place to live.

“Honestly? Not really. I’ve actually been thinking about it for the last couple of weeks and was trying to think of how to bring it up to you. I’ve dated plenty of guys, but after what happened in college, I’ve never wanted to live with any of them. This feels right to me, Reece.”

I didn’t know how to argue against that. I’d dated a few guys, despite not being out to my family, but everything just seemed to click with Dave. We’d had our fair share of arguments, but nothing major, and we’d always managed to work through them. I could see fear in his eyes and just knew he was afraid I was going to reject him. As if. Before I could respond he started talking again.

“At least promise me you’ll think about it. I love you and would really like us to work towards building a life together.”

My mouth dropped open, and I stared at him. He’d never said those words to me, but yet as soon as he said them I knew it was true. What’s more, I knew I felt the same way. My heart was already completely sold on the idea of us living together; it was my head trying to throw up roadblocks. I smiled, my decision already made. I knew there were no guarantees we would work out, but that would be true no matter how long we’d been together.

“I don’t need to think about it.” I saw his expression fall and hurried to reassure him. “I love you too, and if you really want me to move in, we’ll need to call Josh and find out when he can help me move.”

It took a second for my words to sink in, but I knew the moment they did; his smile reached his eyes. He grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss that quickly took my breath away. We still needed to work out the logistics of my move, but we’d have time. If things went like I hoped they would, we’d have nothing but time to work towards building a life together.

Copyright © 2015 Renee Stevens; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 47
  • Love 3
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
You are not currently following this author. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new stories they post.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

Amazing how those three words - 'I love you' - can change everything. In this case, half the world seems to have slid off of Reece's shoulders. How lovely, and wonderfully written this is. Thank you.

Link to comment

Such a lovely chapter :)
Dave is a sweetheart, so ready to make Reece feel better even when he didn't know what was wrong. And now they are moving in together :wub:

Link to comment

Really sweet chapter. I give Dave credit. After his issues with the ex, it must have taken alot for him to be the one to take that jump of faith and say 'I love you.' I understand Reese wanting to wait to know Dave was falling too, but he wasn't brave enough to take the jump. It is a scary thing to do, but sometimes you have to make yourself vunerable if you feel strongly enough. I was surprised it was Dave who said it first.
You dealt well with the issue of Alzheimers. It was hard for me to read that part b/c it remindeded me of my grandpa who died from it. It is a horrible illness to watch someone suffer from. It is so hard to look at a loved one ad know they don't know who you are. I feel for jeff who clearly didn't want to have to put Reese out but had no choice.
I hope Dave and Reese can make it work. They seem like a good match. They probably will have to work at it b/c it i relatively early in the relationship and living together is a big step, but I think they know they have found someone special and want to make it work.

Link to comment

So sad about Reece's landlord, but it did give Dave the opportunity to mention moving in together. It was a big step that Dave took, and Reece should feel very pleased that Dave trusts him so much with his heart. :)

 

Great chapter, Renee!

Link to comment

Really nice chapter.. A mishap for Reece turned into a wonderful opportunity for them both. And it's love! It's a short while they've been together, but sometimes when it's feels right, it just is.. Now they just have to put in the work to make this relationship go the distance. I have faith though..

Link to comment
On 09/28/2015 10:24 PM, Parker Owens said:

Amazing how those three words - 'I love you' - can change everything. In this case, half the world seems to have slid off of Reece's shoulders. How lovely, and wonderfully written this is. Thank you.

Thank you for the review, Parker. I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and how it is crafted. I hope you continue to enjoy :)

Link to comment
On 09/29/2015 12:54 AM, Daddydavek said:

"Build a life together" is the phrase that resonated with me. Good job Renee!

Thank you, DDK! I like that phrase as well and it seems to fit :)

Link to comment
On 09/29/2015 04:04 AM, Suvitar said:

Such a lovely chapter :)

Dave is a sweetheart, so ready to make Reece feel better even when he didn't know what was wrong. And now they are moving in together :wub:

Thank you, Suvitar :)

 

I really like Dave, though Josh still remains my favorite out of all the characters for this story. Now it's just a wait and see what happens, enjoy!

Link to comment
On 09/29/2015 04:48 AM, Cannd said:

Really sweet chapter. I give Dave credit. After his issues with the ex, it must have taken alot for him to be the one to take that jump of faith and say 'I love you.' I understand Reese wanting to wait to know Dave was falling too, but he wasn't brave enough to take the jump. It is a scary thing to do, but sometimes you have to make yourself vunerable if you feel strongly enough. I was surprised it was Dave who said it first.

You dealt well with the issue of Alzheimers. It was hard for me to read that part b/c it remindeded me of my grandpa who died from it. It is a horrible illness to watch someone suffer from. It is so hard to look at a loved one ad know they don't know who you are. I feel for jeff who clearly didn't want to have to put Reese out but had no choice.

I hope Dave and Reese can make it work. They seem like a good match. They probably will have to work at it b/c it i relatively early in the relationship and living together is a big step, but I think they know they have found someone special and want to make it work.

Thanks for the review, Cannd. It definitely took a leap of faith, but Dave has an inner strength that manifests itself when needed. But, because of the issues with the ex, Dave has his own demons to slay, whether or not he'll face them is the question.

 

As far as the Alzheimers, Much of my information regarding that was from my Great Grandmother. She had alzheimers and it was so bad, they had no choice but to put her in a home. Nobody ever knew if she'd recognize them when they went to visit. It was heart breaking.

Link to comment
On 09/29/2015 09:41 AM, Lisa said:

So sad about Reece's landlord, but it did give Dave the opportunity to mention moving in together. It was a big step that Dave took, and Reece should feel very pleased that Dave trusts him so much with his heart. :)

 

Great chapter, Renee!

Thank you, Lisa. It is a sad thing, which unfortunately happens all too often. It did give Dave the opening he needed, but I'm sure that he'd have rathered a less heartbreaking reason. Now we just have to see if they can make it work.

Link to comment
On 09/29/2015 09:58 AM, Defiance19 said:

Really nice chapter.. A mishap for Reece turned into a wonderful opportunity for them both. And it's love! It's a short while they've been together, but sometimes when it's feels right, it just is.. Now they just have to put in the work to make this relationship go the distance. I have faith though..

Thank you Defiance. It definitely was a mishap, but it definitely took them to where they both really wanted to be. I agree that sometimes, when it's right, it's right. Now to see what happens between them once they are living together :)

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator

As soon as Jeff told him he had to move, I figured he'd be moving in with Dave... ;) I hope it works out ok for them.

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator

Reece seems to need to be pushed into making big decisions. But given the result, who cares what it took to get there :P

Link to comment

I want to say awwwww, so I will... Awwwwww ... that was so sweet ... when it's right, it's right. You did a great job of showing how much it meant to Dave, that he wasn't just being kind... great, feel-good chapter, Renee... cheers... Gary....

Link to comment
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..