As much asKeegan’s untimely return upset her, she couldn’t help but feelsorry for him. He’d obviously made a mistake. He’d said so himself,and he had apologized.
Although theyhadn’t met in the nicest of ways, she wasn’t opposed to having himaround. Even if he wasn’t as appealing as her other housemates inboth personality and appearance, she could get used to havinganother Goth in the house as long he didn’t mind sharing it withher.
“It’s November…” Keegan argued feebly. “I’ll freeze out in thegarage.” It was true. While the place was fine for band practise,the electric heater wouldn’t be enough to keep it comfortable tosleep in.
“Basement it is then,” Kell said resolutely.
“Fine… I’ll take it,” Keegan said, sufficientlyhumbled.
Becky frownedthoughtfully. The basement? She’d never been down there. She’d seenthe stairs leading downwards from the mud room but never daredventure there.
***
The balance ofthe day was spent with Becky watching quietly while the guys helpedKeegan move into the basement. She’d even gotten up the courage tofollow Kelley down there out of sheer curiosity.
“Careful, love,” he said, pointing at her bare feet. “Thefloor’s quite cold and there might the odd sharp objectabout.”
“I’ll just stand over here on this rug by thestairs.”
“Okay, but don’t come any further,” the concerned Goth said,grabbing a broom and sweeping the rough cement floor.”
“Got that, Becks?” Keegan winked as he passed her, carrying aheavy duffle bag and a lamp. “Wouldn’t want you gettingpricked.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Kell groaned. He was already regrettingletting Keegan move back in as it was. The last thing he needed wasto get into a fist fight over Becky’s sensibilities.
“It’s Becky, please,” she corrected him, purposely ignoring hisrude innuendo. The last person who called her Becks was Jax and shenever liked it even then.
“Really, dormouse, you shouldn’t be down here,” Crispin said,carefully maneuvering the old chesterfield from the front porchdown the narrow staircase with Dorian.
“I don’t mean to be in the way,” she said, shuffling backwards.She suddenly felt like a fifth wheel. Her emotions were all overthe place today. From Jax’s treatment of her last night to Keegan’suntimely return, she couldn’t help but be upset. She blinked backthe unwelcome sting of tears, focusing her attention on thechesterfield, watching them prop it open.
“I’m supposed to sleep on that?” Keegan said with afrown.
“Got a better solution?” Dorian asked, punching and slappingthe dust off the couch’s surface. “You’ve even got your own privatebath,” he teased, pointing over his shoulder at the huge vintagesink in the back of the cavernous space.
“Right, well, I could have my room back if you all hadn’trented it out to little miss touch herself.”
There mighthave been less than five seconds between Keegan uttering thoseunfortunate words, the sound of gasps throughout the room, andKelley’s fist hitting him, square in the chin.
“Damn it, man!” Dorian winced, torn between watching the fight,and chasing after Becky who had just screamed and ran up thestairs. In the end, he decided that rescuing Keegan from sure deathwas best.
“Dare I say it?” Crispin said, throwing his head back indespair.
“What the fuck was that for?” Keegan lamented, rightinghimself, checking his busted lip for blood.
“Becky’s a nice girl. She’s a true lady in every sense of theword,” Dorian explained, carefully insinuating himself betweenKeegan and a still seething Kelley. “We don’t talk like that aroundher, understand?”
“What?” Keegan, repeated dumbfounded.
“The girl’s a fucking virgin, you dolt,” Dorian explained,looking worriedly back at Kelley’s enraged expression.
“Talk to her like that again, and I’ll cut out your tongue andshove it down your mangy throat!” Kelley threatenedmenacingly.
“Holy shit! So what? You all just… I mean, we’re supposed tofucking pussyfoot around the place in case we offend her?” Keeganasked, aghast. “This is the House of Goths, for fuck’ssake.”
The three Gothscast each other withering glances, Crispin sitting down on thesteps, Dorian on the chesterfield, and Kelley leaning up againstthe wall. It was true. Since Becky had come along they’d all had toadapt. Yet it had happened so naturally and gradually that neitherof them had taken much notice, well, except for Crispin in thebeginning.
Question was,would they have it any other way now? Not a chance.
“I don’t believe this,” Keegan said, looking around disgusted.“I don’t even think I want to be here.”
“It is what it is,” Crispin said, calmly but firmly. “Don’tmake us choose. You will lose.”
Chapter 29
At a loss forwhat to do to calm her frayed nerves, Becky paced in her room. Herroom… or was it even hers anymore? Did she even want to stay hereany longer? Oh, how could she ever look her housemates in the eyesafter what Keegan said? What must they think of her?
Better yet,what had she been thinking? One girl, living here with all theseguys. They were right about not wanting her here in the firstplace. It would never work. She’d been deluding herself intobelieving that they could be one big happy family.
Truth was, shedidn’t know what upset her more. The embarrassment of them knowingwhat she was doing when Keegan wandered into her room last night orwitnessing Kelley react so violently just now.
She had neverexperienced anything like that before. In fact, she was still quiteshaken up about the whole thing.
“Perhaps, you should go get her,” Crispin said, walking intothe kitchen, holding the pizza that had just been delivered.“Kell?”
“I suppose…” Kell said, reluctantly getting up from hischair.
While Dorianand Keegan went about setting the table as if nothing hadtranspired, he hadn’t been able to get up the gumption to faceBecky. In fact, he’d been dreading this moment. What could hepossibly say to her?
When he got toher room, the door was shut. Odd, since she rarely closed it. Evenat night when he happened to go by now and then, he would stop andclose it himself. It was just one of those things about her. Such atrusting little thing, she was.
Feeling itappropriate, given the circumstances at present, he felt he shouldknock first. Bringing his hand to the door,
