Read Shelter You for Free Online

bags. This is a crazy thing to do, not that I’m a stranger to crazy, but right now all I can think about is getting out of here and having temporary protection from someone who’s on the right side of the law. By the time I make it out of my bedroom with two bags full of clothes, one full of money, and a diaper bag filled to the max and a sleeping baby, Logan looks like he’s about ready to pass out from a mixture of boredom and exhaustion.
    “Sorry I took so long. It’s not easy packing for a baby.”
    “That’s okay. I already put her bassinet and play yard in my truck.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Here. Let me help you with that,” he says, taking my bags from me, leaving me with only Lily to carry.
    The ride to Logan’s house is quiet, The only sounds I hear are those that come from the car driving along the uneven streets. I try to think of something to say, but small talk has never been my strong suit and the more time that passes by, the more uncomfortable I become. At this point I start to wonder if maybe I haven’t made a mistake in agreeing to come stay with him. Maybe he’s having second thoughts himself; no one should be held responsible for decisions that they make in the wee hours of the morning.
    “Logan, you don’t have to do this you know. Lily and I can be a real handful and…”
    “It’s really not a big deal. I have plenty of room and I’d really feel a lot better knowing that you’re not in that apartment alone when it’s not safe.”
    I don’t reply, just turn my head and look out the window at the night sky. The moon is full tonight and it illuminates the sky in such a way that makes the night feel like it’s a permanent fixture, like the universe is so filled with darkness that the sun might never shine down again. There are times when I feel like my life is like that, eternally submerged in the dark, like all of the sunlight has left my world and I may never see it again. Normally I can take one look at Lily and realize that I’m wrong, that she is the sunlight breaking through my darkness, the one thing that guides me to the warmth of day.
    Logan unlocks the front door to his house when we arrive and quickly ushers me inside. He drops my things in the small foyer and turns on the lights.
    His house is nice, nicer than I’d expect from a young bachelor. I assumed he’d live in a small one bedroom apartment, with minimal furniture and a large flat screen television. Evidently, I was way off the mark.
    “You have a great house,” I say with just a hint of awe in my voice. I look around taking in the massive living room with warm taupe paint, leather furniture, a stunning fireplace, and bay windows.
    “Thanks. I bought it cheap and fixed it up,” he says, picking up Lily’s bassinet and my bags again. “Come on, I’ll show you your room.” He leads me upstairs to the second level and leads me into a bedroom that reminds me a lot of my bedroom back home in Florida. It’s got lots of windows which gives it a light and airy feel. The full size bed looks inviting and all of a sudden I start to feel the exhaustion of the day that I’ve had beating away at me.
    “The bathroom is through that door.” He puts the bassinet down and points to a closed doorway, then turns to face me again. “It’s connected to a second bedroom. We can set that one up for Lily tomorrow if you want, you might appreciate having your own space for a while. We can pick up a baby monitor so that you can keep an eye on her.”
    “Logan that is too much. I can’t let you do all of that, besides it’s only for a few days.”
    “I want you both to be comfortable while you’re here.”
    I open my mouth to argue but he cuts me off. “My bedroom is just across the hall, just yell if you need anything. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
    He hurries out the door and into his bedroom, leaving me standing here—wondering how I ended up in the house of a relative stranger in the span of just a few hours. I