We are driving to Devan's house now. I always knew that Rachel had two other siblings. An elder brother and a younger sister. She rarely talked about the elder brother which explains why I know little about him. It was always Aliyah, her little sixteen year old sister.
To improve my mood, Rachel has turned up the volume of the radio where my favorite group little mix is playing. She always knows how this always plays the trick. My dampened mood has improved a little because I am smiling when Rachel tries to mimick the wrong lyrics. She really knows how to cheer me up.
Suddenly the wide black gates are opened to reveal a beautiful house.
"Does he live here alone?" I ask carefully. Rachel nods with a smile. I don't believe one man can live in this big beautiful house alone. It is too huge for one person period.
While we were at the diner, Rachel spoke with Devans on the phone. I couldn't hear everything but all I caught on was them catching up and her asking for a favor. It makes me so nervous the nearer we get to the house. I don't even know this guy. Will I like him?
Rachel gets out of the car and I follow. She walks towards the front door of the amazing flat before I stop her.
"How about the luggage?" I ask. Rachel smiles before she calls me to follow.
Opening the door like she owns the place, Rachel leads me inside. I thought the outside looked good. The interior is even better. White polished walls stare back at us while we walk further into the living room. My eyes take in the dark brown furniture. The white linen curtains look so expensive. The place looks so exquisite and spotless. I didn't know a guy could be this clean.
"How rude of you to disrespect my house dear sister?"
The beautiful deep masculine voice of the intruder forces my attention to him immediately. There on the upper stair stands my new housemate.
Crap!
I guess no one prepared me for the sight that meets my eyes. Dirty blonde hair, deepest sapphire eyes and the sharpest chiseled jaw. I could die right now from the sight of this beautiful man. All the questions of liking him are out of the way. The problem I have to face now is not liking him too much.
"Don't be such a whiny baby Dev. You gave me your key, remember?" Rachel flashes the key to him. Devan narrows his eyes at Rachel before his gaze turns to mine and I freeze. I can't move a limb with his eyes trained on me sizing me up and down. Walking down the stairs eyes on me feels like a teenage movie clichè scene but why is my heart beating so fast?
Rachel clears her voice beside me snapping me out of my thoughts. I hadn't realised I was staring too.
"Dev, meet Nellie." Rachel introduces.
"I know who she is Rachel." Devan rolls his eyes at her sister. I frown at his answer. How does he know me and I don't?
"Hey," he greets with a simple yet beautiful smile. Could a guy possibly be this handsome?
"Nels," Rachel whispers. Oops. Turns out I was spacing out again.
"Hey," I answer timidly and a little embarrassed.
"Have a seat." he offers politely. I don't second guess myself before I take a seat in the soft couch. I was not sure my legs could hold me anymore with his gaze on me.
"We talked about it on phone Dev. Nellie is going to be staying here.. "
"Not for free." I cut in.
That was a stupid move because the two stare at me akwardly.
"I mean I won't be staying for free. I will pay you for inconveniencing your space. We can agree on the price..."
"Nels." Rachel casts me a pity look that makes me shut up immediately. I tend to talk a lot of nosense when I am nervous and that accompanied with making a fool out of myself. Shit! I notice the blank face Devan has. Fuck, now he thinks I am a weirdo. Just great.
Rachel casts me an 'I have got this look' before she turns to her brother.
"Nellie will be staying here until she gets money to move. You owe me this Dev." she says. Devans glances at me with a clearly bored expression before he sighs.
"Do I have a choice?" he walks away to what I think is the kitchen.
"Unfortunately no." Rachel calls after him. Does that mean he doesn't want to stay with me? He is like my last resort here. God let him not be a douche.
"Don't worry Nellie. He is a good person. You will like him better when you get to know him." she assures. I nod my head hopefully. And the like part, I think I like him better even before I know much.
"I have to go now. I promised Ed I will be there to celebrate with him and his friends." Rachel glances at her watch.
"You will be okay. Call me when he is being an asshole." she hugs me briefly before she rushes to the kitchen probably to say farewell to his brother too.
I look around the room more but my ears can't help but catch a bit of the conversation in the kitchen since I am nearer to that side.
"...she's off limits."
Rachel whispers. Who is she? Could the she be me? Of course, I am the only other girl here. I can't hear what he replies but I am very sure they are talking about me.
I step away from eavesdropping when I hear their steps. Rachel says another farewell before she rushes outside the door. When the door shuts, I realise that my fate is sealed.
I stare into space thinking about how I ended up in such a position before my mind reflects the words Rachel had said to her brother. Off limits. Was his brother a creepy pervert? He didn't look like one to me. Well, then he would make a hot one.
"Making yourself at home?"
The voice startles me suddenly. Didn't his parents teach him not to walk on people.
"I am sorry. I didn't know you were in the room." I apologize.
"You didn't answer my question though." he stares at me.
"Not yet. My luggage is still outside." I answer nervously. His gaze is that nerve wrecking especially when his eyes search mine like they can see through me.
"I can help you with that." he walks past me to the door which is a cue that I should follow.
It is pretty surprising that the house is this big without a housekeeper or someone else. Doesn't he get lonely or bored? Devan helps with the luggage after declining my help. I follow him back inside watching and admiring his backside all together. The way his strong veined arms hold the bags effortlessly or how his lean strong muscular legs look sexy in the jeans.
He leads me upstairs stopping at a room which I suppose is my new room. He lets me open the door since his hands are full.
It is big.
That is the first thing I notice when I reach this room. A queen side bed with a duvet draped on it. It looks even bigger than the size of my former apartment.
"There is enough room for your clothes in here." Devan points at the closet.
"The bathroom is behind that door." I follow his eyes to find the adjacent door. I have my own room and bathroom, what could be greater than that?
"For the mean time, I will leave you to settle." Devan says.
"Devan," I call timidly. I am not sure how to address him. Devan. Mr. Walter. Either way I would like to stick to Devan. He looks back at me.
"Thanks." I murmur. Instead he smiles before he walks out. Was that a sign that we are good? I am terrible at reading people.
The most important thing is that I have roof over my head. All I need is to focus and get a better paying job.