You Keep Me Safe and I Will Keep You Wild
Helping Each Other Out
Evgeni’s POV
“So how did the date go?” Sergei smiled slipping into the stall next to me after practice.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged not wanting to talk about it.
“What do you mean you don’t know? You did go right?”
“Yeah but her dad is sick,” I sighed remembering seeing the man who sat in the chair and didn’t move.
“And?” he pressed.
“And he is dying ok?! I don’t know what to do!” I got up and stormed off.
I didn’t know exactly how I was going to help Kodi but I guess just being there when she needed someone was all I could do right now. There was nothing anyone could do for her dad therefore there was no really helping her but comfort.
“We’re closed,” she mumbled as I walked in the pub.
“Hey is me,” I closed the door behind me as a small smile appeared on her face before it disappeared again.
“Hi,” she sighed letting her head fall into her arms.
“What’s wrong? Your dad? Something happen?” I sat up on the stool next to her and put my hand on her back.
“No this,” she put a letter on the bar in front of me, “my parents never actually got divorced and my mother knows about my dad, so guess where the bar is going?” she got up and walked away.
“What you mean?”
“Since my parents are still technically married when my dad dies she gets half of everything he owns. The bar, the house, everything of value.”
“What about lawyer? I know good one,” I suggested because really I didn’t know what to say to that.
“I can’t be bothered fighting, sure I love the bar but it’s not my dream I am more annoyed about the house. Do you want a drink?” she pulled out a mug.
“Yeah.”
I felt so sorry for her. She was under all this pressure all on her own and now her mother who had abandoned her as kid was going take away everything she had. Everything she would have left. Everything of her father’s would be gone without argue.
“If need place to stay I have big house,” I offered.
“Thanks,” she smiled before downing her beer, “I guess with the money I will get from here and the house will be enough to get a small place.”
We fell into silence again as we looked at each other trying not to smile.
“Evgeni,” she spoke up, “do you want to come over for dinner?”
“Um…”
“I mean my dad really likes you and for some reason you’re the only person he smiles with.”
“Kodi,” I got up and walked around the bar to her, “I come, but for you,” I wrapped my arms around her, “I make your dad smile for you.”
“Oh Evgeni,” she began to cry. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, I didn’t want to make her cry but it meant I had struck a chord, but a good one, “Why are you so nice to me? Nobody ever gives me a chance like you have.”
“I not like everybody,” I kissed her forehead and just held her until she was ok.
Kodi’s POV
I don’t know how he was doing it but Evgeni was tearing down every single wall I had put up over the years. He as just storming through my life like nothing affected him, like nothing I could say to him would hurt him and all that was on his mind was pleasing me. I didn’t know how to deal with that, I couldn’t keep pushing him away because he always had something to come back with something I secretly wanted. To be loved.
“Hey dad we are home,” I called as we walked into the kitchen with bags full of groceries.
“Who’s we?” he grumbled.
“Go say hello,” I nudged Evgeni as he helped pull the groceries out, “I can do this.”
I stuck my head around the corner and watched as Evgeni walked over to him as my dad had his full attention on the television.
“Hi,” Evgeni looked shy as he sat down in the chair next to him.
“Evgeni,” my dad’s attention turned to him and a weak smile appeared on his face, but it was a smile none the less.
“Play nice boys and don’t just talk about hockey,” they both looked at me as my dad was flipping over the channels to the Red Wings and Sharks game.
“We talk about hockey if he wants,” Evgeni was sticking up for him.
“Fine,” I sighed heading into the kitchen to start cooking, “but I would like to watch a movie afterwards.”
“Ok,” they agreed in unison.
I was more than happy to be cooking dinner on my own and as I heard my dad laugh I really wished he would be around longer. I always dreamt about my dad walking me down the aisle or just actually my boyfriend and now that might not ever happen.
“You need help?” Evgeni appeared wrapping his arms around my waist and dropping a kiss to my shoulder.
“No it’s fine I just have to serve it out,” I tried to pull away but he didn’t let up, “can you let go?”
“Not yet,” he nuzzled his nose into my neck.
“What are you doing?” I laughed as his breath tickled my skin.
“Smell good,” he squeezed me tighter before letting me go.
“Thanks, now can you grab me the bowls?”
“Sure.”
It was nice to have a little bit of the burden taken off of me for the night. With Evgeni keeping my dad entertained I finally got enjoy my dinner and have a nice long hot shower.
“You feel better?” Evgeni asked I sat on the sofa next to him and he pulled me into his side.
“Yeah,” I sighed relaxing into his arms.
He stifled back a yawn and I knew it was late, “Evgeni,” I nudged him.
“Mmm,” he groaned but didn’t opened his eyes.
“We should sleep.”
“Ok,” he tightened his arms around, “sleep here.”
“No come on,” I wriggled from his grasp, “you will hurt your neck sleeping like that.”
“Kodi,” my dad woke to us moving around.
“Sorry dad, go back to sleep. I love you goodnight,” I lent down and kissed his forehead.
“Goodnight,” Evgeni put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and squeezed it.
“Night,” my dad wasn’t going to argue with anyone when it came to sleep.
“How you do it?” Evgeni frowned as I climbed into bed.
“Do what?” I patted the spot next to me for him to climb in.
“Watch him? Look after?” I almost stopped breathing as he stripped down to his boxers without a care.
“It’s hard but you have to do what you have to do,” I shrugged.
“You’re amazing,” he slide into bed next to me.
“Meh, just an ordinary person like you,” I stole a kiss before settling in for a good night’s rest.
I could get used to Evgeni being here. There was something about him, his boyish looks and gentleman like charm that I couldn’t say no to. I just didn’t know if I wanted to be in a relationship with him yet.
“So how did the date go?” Sergei smiled slipping into the stall next to me after practice.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged not wanting to talk about it.
“What do you mean you don’t know? You did go right?”
“Yeah but her dad is sick,” I sighed remembering seeing the man who sat in the chair and didn’t move.
“And?” he pressed.
“And he is dying ok?! I don’t know what to do!” I got up and stormed off.
I didn’t know exactly how I was going to help Kodi but I guess just being there when she needed someone was all I could do right now. There was nothing anyone could do for her dad therefore there was no really helping her but comfort.
“We’re closed,” she mumbled as I walked in the pub.
“Hey is me,” I closed the door behind me as a small smile appeared on her face before it disappeared again.
“Hi,” she sighed letting her head fall into her arms.
“What’s wrong? Your dad? Something happen?” I sat up on the stool next to her and put my hand on her back.
“No this,” she put a letter on the bar in front of me, “my parents never actually got divorced and my mother knows about my dad, so guess where the bar is going?” she got up and walked away.
“What you mean?”
“Since my parents are still technically married when my dad dies she gets half of everything he owns. The bar, the house, everything of value.”
“What about lawyer? I know good one,” I suggested because really I didn’t know what to say to that.
“I can’t be bothered fighting, sure I love the bar but it’s not my dream I am more annoyed about the house. Do you want a drink?” she pulled out a mug.
“Yeah.”
I felt so sorry for her. She was under all this pressure all on her own and now her mother who had abandoned her as kid was going take away everything she had. Everything she would have left. Everything of her father’s would be gone without argue.
“If need place to stay I have big house,” I offered.
“Thanks,” she smiled before downing her beer, “I guess with the money I will get from here and the house will be enough to get a small place.”
We fell into silence again as we looked at each other trying not to smile.
“Evgeni,” she spoke up, “do you want to come over for dinner?”
“Um…”
“I mean my dad really likes you and for some reason you’re the only person he smiles with.”
“Kodi,” I got up and walked around the bar to her, “I come, but for you,” I wrapped my arms around her, “I make your dad smile for you.”
“Oh Evgeni,” she began to cry. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, I didn’t want to make her cry but it meant I had struck a chord, but a good one, “Why are you so nice to me? Nobody ever gives me a chance like you have.”
“I not like everybody,” I kissed her forehead and just held her until she was ok.
Kodi’s POV
I don’t know how he was doing it but Evgeni was tearing down every single wall I had put up over the years. He as just storming through my life like nothing affected him, like nothing I could say to him would hurt him and all that was on his mind was pleasing me. I didn’t know how to deal with that, I couldn’t keep pushing him away because he always had something to come back with something I secretly wanted. To be loved.
“Hey dad we are home,” I called as we walked into the kitchen with bags full of groceries.
“Who’s we?” he grumbled.
“Go say hello,” I nudged Evgeni as he helped pull the groceries out, “I can do this.”
I stuck my head around the corner and watched as Evgeni walked over to him as my dad had his full attention on the television.
“Hi,” Evgeni looked shy as he sat down in the chair next to him.
“Evgeni,” my dad’s attention turned to him and a weak smile appeared on his face, but it was a smile none the less.
“Play nice boys and don’t just talk about hockey,” they both looked at me as my dad was flipping over the channels to the Red Wings and Sharks game.
“We talk about hockey if he wants,” Evgeni was sticking up for him.
“Fine,” I sighed heading into the kitchen to start cooking, “but I would like to watch a movie afterwards.”
“Ok,” they agreed in unison.
I was more than happy to be cooking dinner on my own and as I heard my dad laugh I really wished he would be around longer. I always dreamt about my dad walking me down the aisle or just actually my boyfriend and now that might not ever happen.
“You need help?” Evgeni appeared wrapping his arms around my waist and dropping a kiss to my shoulder.
“No it’s fine I just have to serve it out,” I tried to pull away but he didn’t let up, “can you let go?”
“Not yet,” he nuzzled his nose into my neck.
“What are you doing?” I laughed as his breath tickled my skin.
“Smell good,” he squeezed me tighter before letting me go.
“Thanks, now can you grab me the bowls?”
“Sure.”
It was nice to have a little bit of the burden taken off of me for the night. With Evgeni keeping my dad entertained I finally got enjoy my dinner and have a nice long hot shower.
“You feel better?” Evgeni asked I sat on the sofa next to him and he pulled me into his side.
“Yeah,” I sighed relaxing into his arms.
He stifled back a yawn and I knew it was late, “Evgeni,” I nudged him.
“Mmm,” he groaned but didn’t opened his eyes.
“We should sleep.”
“Ok,” he tightened his arms around, “sleep here.”
“No come on,” I wriggled from his grasp, “you will hurt your neck sleeping like that.”
“Kodi,” my dad woke to us moving around.
“Sorry dad, go back to sleep. I love you goodnight,” I lent down and kissed his forehead.
“Goodnight,” Evgeni put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and squeezed it.
“Night,” my dad wasn’t going to argue with anyone when it came to sleep.
“How you do it?” Evgeni frowned as I climbed into bed.
“Do what?” I patted the spot next to me for him to climb in.
“Watch him? Look after?” I almost stopped breathing as he stripped down to his boxers without a care.
“It’s hard but you have to do what you have to do,” I shrugged.
“You’re amazing,” he slide into bed next to me.
“Meh, just an ordinary person like you,” I stole a kiss before settling in for a good night’s rest.
I could get used to Evgeni being here. There was something about him, his boyish looks and gentleman like charm that I couldn’t say no to. I just didn’t know if I wanted to be in a relationship with him yet.