Room With No Windows

I hear a loud, defiant bark, sighing and sitting up at Ruby bouncing on her paws near the slide screen doors. It was probably around 6:30 in the evening, which meant that the sun would be setting soon, and that she wasn't going to let up until I sat to watch it with her. We watched it hide behind the horizon almost every day, that is whenever Halvo allowed me to keep her. He brought his dogs over often, but Ruby and I share a kind of silent connection, a quiet understanding that any connection between two people couldn't measure up to.
She continues to whine and yelp, so I make my way over to her in my sweatpants and most comfortable shirt. This was one of the more serene parts of the day, and I honestly didn't mind.
"Funny how it never changes but is different every time, huh, girl?"
I'm met with a bark of agreement as she approaches my feet. I sink down, scratching her head and looking out to the quiet streets of the town. My place wasn't the most luxurious of places, but it offered one hell of a view. I didn't need a backyard because the sun cast light over everything I own and I feel fortunate when I can enjoy mornings right from my bed.
A few of the trees bristle in the breeze, and I slide the door open a crack to breathe in some fresh air, propping one of my knees up. Ruby settles her head on top of my other leg.
I absentmindedly stroke her fur, barely noticing when the sky fades from orange to a deep greyish blue, announcing twilight. I was about to stand when a car comes to a rushed stop on the road down the driveway. The side door opens and a girl steps out and swipes a hand across her cheek before slamming the door closed. Rolling the window down, the guy in the driver's seat leans in to look at her. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but he was pretty pissed by the sound of it. The fact that I could hear him this far away made it clear he was yelling.
He threw a few obscenities at her before driving off, his tires spitting dust behind him. I watch the girl stand there motionless, her hands clenched in fists.
My eyebrows furrow, wondering what the hell that was about. I looked at Ruby. "Whaddya think happened there?"
She doesn't lift her head when she looks at me with a weary look. I sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Leave it alone."
I look back out to where she's still glued, as if she was rooted to the ground. I couldn't help but feel bad and want to help, but I knew better than to get involved.
But I couldn't help but jump when she flung something hard straight into the cement and clenching her hair with both hands, letting out a cry through gritted teeth.
I hop to my feet, telling Ruby to stay put and closing the door behind me as I walk down the driveway. Cautiously making myself closer to her, I hear her soft whimpers and frown. "A-are you alright?"
She gasps, her head snapping up. "Oh. Sorry."
"That didn't look too good," I mutter, running a hand through my hair.
"It's nothing, you don't need to worry about it," she tells me, offering an apologetic smile. "I appreciate your concern."
"You sure you're okay?" I ask. "If you need me to call someone, my house is right over-"
"Really, it's fine," she insists. "I'll just give my mom a call on my cell and-"
I send her a look, staring down at the scraps of metal, the remainders of whatever was left of her phone.
"Right," she whispers to herself, as if remembering that she'd even destroyed the thing. "Well, in that case, do you know if there's any cheap motels around here? Most of my stuff was in that car, including my money, so I don't have much on me."
I bite my lip. "I can't say there is. I'm sorry."
"Great. I'm now stranded in the middle of nowhere in Arizona with no cell phone and no way of calling home and no place to stay."
I raise an eyebrow. She wasn't from around here, then. But how far from home could she be?
I rub my neck. "How come he left you here like that? And why are you stranded?"
Her eyes water, and for the first time I notice they're a soft hazel. "We were on a road trip," she answers. "I live in Ohio."
My eyes widen. Shit.
She shakes her head, a few strands of hair falling in front of her face. "It doesn't matter. Right now all I care about is figuring out how I'm going to get back home if I don't even have a phone to get in contact with my family."
"I...I'm really sorry."
"Thanks." She shrugs. "Guess I better start walking if I want to find a motel soon."
"But it's getting dark-"
It was actually completely dark now, but she still shook her head. "Thanks for checking up on me. It was nice meeting you."
She spins on her heel and begins to walk down the sidewalk. I was in shock. She didn't even ask to borrow my phone to make a call. Was she really going to walk until she found something? Was that her plan? Or was she going to attempt to walk all the way home? Hitch a ride?
"Wait," I call to her.
She stops and turns around.
"There is one," I say, grinning. "You're in luck because you just so happen to be close by the O' Callaghan Inn." I gesture with both arms to the garage behind me.
She frowns. "That's sweet, but I don't want to be a bother-"
"That's ridiculous. You're not intruding, I promise. You need somewhere to stay. At least in the meantime while you figure out how to get back to Ohio."
"Are you sure?"
I nod and take a few long strides until I'm about a foot away, holding out my hand. "John."
She shows the hint of a real smile and shakes my hand. "Elsa."
"Welcome, Elsa," I say, smiling back at her. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

I could sense her judging me. And I wasn't talking about Elsa. Good thing Ruby was a dog, or I'd never hear the end of it. What was I even doing?
"That's Ruby," I tell her. "My friend's dog."
Ruby eyed Elsa as I brought her the entrance and was now showing her around the room. "I know it's not much, but-"
"No, I like it," she says. "It feels cozy. And this is a garage?" I nod and she laughs. "That's really cool."
"Why thank you," I chuckle, smirking. She meets my eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear before casting her head down. She had light chestnut hair that tumbled past her shoulders in soft waves.
I bite my lip at the soft thump in my chest. "There's, uh, really only one bedroom," I mumble. "And living room. And kitchen." I make a face with a slight grimace. "This is pretty much it besides the bathroom."
She giggles. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're letting me stay. I can't tell you how grateful I am. You have no idea."
I dismiss it with a wave of my hand. "It's nothing. I'm happy to have you."
Ruby barks and I roll my eyes, smiling. "WE'RE happy to have you."
"Well thank you for having me," Elsa laughs, bending down to pat Ruby on the head. She wasn't growling, so that was a good sign. She seemed to like her so far.
I cover my mouth as a yawn rises in my chest. She frowns. "I hope I'm not keeping you up."
"Don't worry about it, Elsa," I assure her, and she blushes slightly when I say her name. I awkwardly scratch the back of my neck. My elbow was dangerously close to hitting the ceiling; that's not how tall I was, that was just how long the ceiling was.
I lower my arm and clear my throat. "Are you tired? I can get you some blankets."
She nods and I rush to the side of my bed, grabbing the extra pillows I had and piling them at the foot of the mattress. I reach for the excess blankets that I had stored folded up underneath the bed and do my best to transform them into a mini bed on the floor, trying to make it as comfortable as possible, stuffing a pillow or two under the blanket. I mentally curse myself for not owning a place with at least one other bedroom. I hated making people sleep on the floor.
"If it's too uncomfortable, you can try the couch, but I don't recommend it," I advise, hoping my bed of blankets was enough. She was sitting on the floor petting Ruby, smiling for some reason. "What?" I ask.
She kneels over, takin one of her pillows and throwing it back on top of my bed. "Forgot to leave one for yourself."
I bite my lip. "Oops."
She giggles and crawls under the first layer. "Thank you. This is perfect."
I nod silently, settling into my own bed and laying down. "I, uh, hope you don't mind, but my friend is stopping by in the morning to pick up his dog."
"That's fine. I need to make a call in the morning, anyway. I'm going to try getting in touch with my mom or sister to see if they can make the trip."
"Good." I tuck my hands behind my head, hoping the silence wasn't freaking her out. "Well, then, I guess this is goodnight. Sleep well, Elsa."
"Goodnight, John."
Half an hour later, she was asleep and I was still awake. I couldn't sleep thinking that she was on that hard floor.
Quietly climbing out of bed, I walk over to my mini fridge to get a drink of water, waiting a while longer before lifting her onto my bed and draping my blanket over her waist. I grab a pillow or two from the floor and place it by her head.
I stare at the remaining blankets. I really didn't want to sleep on that fucking floor.
The couch it was.