Since it was the weekend, I was home alone.
Dom had gone out to meet his football buddies, so I spent the time cleaning and working out.
I don’t usually go out much on weekends, and I never go to a gym, but over the years, I’ve learned how to keep my muscles moving a few times a week.
I always exercised when I was alone because I’d only wear shorts and a sports top.
I was just starting my final set when the buzzer rang.
“It’s me, let me in,” Cas’s voice came through the intercom.
I buzzed him up and quickly pulled on some pants and a T-shirt before opening the door.
“Everything okay, Cas?” I asked while he took off his shoes.
“Were you working out?” he asked, his gaze drifting between the dumbbells and the yoga mat.
“I don’t like going to gyms.
Too many strangers,” I said, putting the equipment away.
“Are you here to study?”
“It’s the weekend,” he looked at me as if I’d just cursed.
“I’ll wait for you to get ready.” He smiled and flopped down on the sofa.
“We’re going out.”
“Where?” I asked.
“I don’t usually head out on weekends.”
“Well, that’s about to change,” he smiled.
“Hurry up.”
I took a quick shower and got dressed behind the cracked door while Cas flipped through the TV channels.
“Ready,” I said.
After locking the apartment, we walked down to Cas’s old junker.
The car didn’t start on the first try, but I didn’t even have a car, so I didn’t complain.
He did, though—muttering and cursing at it.
“It won’t start because you don’t love it enough,” I remarked.
He laughed.
“What, should I baby it?” he asked.
“I bet you’d baby your aunt’s car,” I said.
“That, I would,” he replied.
“But that thing is a masterpiece.” The engine finally turned over.
“Then this car deserves some love, too.
It was a masterpiece once.” I said, and he just laughed.
“Just imagine it’s retired.”
“Fine, I’ll baby it, Mother Teresa,” he teased.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked curiously.
“To the beach,” he replied.
“After all these years, it’s time you went back down there.”
“You aren’t taking me to some party, are you?” I asked suddenly.
He shook his head.
“It’ll be a quiet spot,” he promised.
He parked in a nearly empty lot, grabbed a backpack from the trunk, and we walked down to the shore.
It was mid-autumn, but there wasn’t much wind, so the weather was pleasant.
“At least with it being fall, you don’t stand out in those clothes,” he said, pulling a blanket out of the backpack.
“Did you organize a picnic?” I asked.
He just nodded.
“You’re always feeding me.
I figured I’d return the favor.” He smiled.
“Thank you,” I replied.
We unpacked and started eating some takeout.
“I want to talk to you about something,” he said while we ate.
“I know you’ve only just started opening up to the world, but I was thinking about moving in with you guys as a roommate.”
“What’s wrong with your current place?” I asked.
“I live with two other guys, and I end up doing everything,” he said honestly.
“If I don’t go grocery shopping, we have no food.
I wanted to know if you’d be okay with me living there.”
“We’re friends, so why not?” I smiled.
“Just please keep your…
flings…
discreet.
I don’t like strangers.”
“I won’t bring anyone over,” he said.
“I promise.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“At least this is another way for me to open up.” I laughed.
Cas moved in the following weekend.
He didn’t bring much; he said he didn’t own a lot of stuff.
“As your new roommate, I want to take you guys somewhere,” he said, sitting next to Dom while they watched a football game.
Anna was over, too, helping me meal prep while we chatted.
“I’m out,” Dom said.
“I’m heading out soon to meet some of the guys from the team.”
“I’ll pass, too,” Anna said.
“Connor will be home from the gym soon, and we’re spending the afternoon together.”
I didn’t like Connor, but I’d only told Anna that once at the beginning of their relationship.
After that, I let her handle her own business.
“I’ll go with you,” I smiled.
“I made it out last week, after all.”
“Good,” he said.
“But we’re raising the stakes this time.”
His car wouldn’t start again, so I started cooing at it and patting the dashboard.
“You’re a good boy, you can do it, just start for me,” I’d barely finished the sentence when the engine roared to life.
“I swear, I’m going to start talking to it, too,” Cas laughed as he pulled away.
“I don’t know how to drive,” I said.
“Victor, my brother, started teaching me, but then he ended up in the hospital.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To a beach party,” he replied.
I tensed up slightly.
“I’ll be right beside you,” he said kindly.
“And if there’s a problem, we’ll leave.”
“Do you know a guy named Fred McCoy?” I asked suddenly.
He glanced at me.
“He’s about your age.”
“Why?” he asked.
“He’s the reason my brother is in a coma,” I said briefly.
“I don’t want to run into him.”
“If you see him, tell me, and we’ll handle it.” I nodded.
We arrived, and this part of the beach was much more crowded.
Music was playing.
Because of the crowd, I really wanted to grab his arm, but I didn’t dare; I wasn’t sure he’d like it.
“Cas!” A thin, tattooed guy—short for a boy—hurried toward us with another guy in a leather jacket who had a similar build.
“This is Ginger, my roommate,” Cas said.
“And these are my friends Leo and Mike.
They’re twins and my old roommates.”
“I see why you traded us in,” Leo laughed.
“Come on,” Cas said.
“Let’s head in.
Want a drink?” I shook my head.
“Me neither, I’m driving,” he replied.
Plenty of people said hi to Cas, and a few girls immediately tried to cozy up to him, but we didn’t stop for more than a second.
We simply walked through the party and continued down the beach.
“I just wanted you to walk through the crowd,” he smiled.
“You survived, right?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Thank you, Cas,” I said gently.
“That was a really thoughtful idea.
I felt safe with you on the beach.”
“Don’t mention it,” he replied.
“What happened to your brother?”
“He fell down the stairs and hit his head,” I said.
“Anna told me he raised you.
What did you do after he fell into the coma?” he asked.
“I was seventeen when it happened.
Dominic’s parents took me in for those few months until I turned eighteen.
They’ve known me since I was a kid; they knew my parents.
They’re a very kind couple.”
“Does all of this tie back to you ‘opening up’?” he asked.
I nodded.
“How did you become friends with the twins?” I asked.
“The three of us went to school together—me, Dom, and Anna—but I doubt that’s the case with you guys.”
“I was seventeen when Leo and Mike ran out in front of my car.
They were running from their father; he was an alcoholic and had beaten them badly,” he told me.
“I took them to a friend’s place to hide out for a few days, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“Does their father still hurt them?” I asked.
“He made his last mistake at the end of summer,” he said.
“I’ve had a few ‘talks’ with him over the years.” He winked.