Allison tried to quell the urge to yell and the looming panic as she spotted all the designer names on the bags. She shut her eyes and tried deep breathing, but it didn’t work, especially when she reopened her eyes and saw her sister pawing the front of a leather Coach purse. She slowly rose. “Dani, you do realize that is going back, right?”
Danielle scowled at her. “Excuse me? Uh, no. Where’s your gratitude? This purse is yours. I bought it for you. It’s large enough for you to put all your work—”
“We can’t afford—”
“I know, which is why it’s so great that Ethan can.”
“I have to repay him, Dani. We didn’t win the lottery. It’s a loan.”
Her sister rolled her eyes and pulled out a pair of UGG boots. Allison shut her eyes and tried counting to ten. None of these useless techniques worked.
“Allie, your problem is that you don’t know luck when it slaps you in the face. Ethan doesn’t need or want you to pay him back. He’s loaded. So why don’t you show a little gratitude because I spent the whole morning giving you a much-needed wardrobe makeover. I bought stuff for work, stuff for play.” She held up a Victoria’s Secret bag and wriggled her eyebrows.
The thought of her sixteen-year-old sister picking out underwear for her was alarming. She didn’t know what the bigger issue here was—the money they now owed Ethan, or a wardrobe picked out by a teenager. She sat on the edge of the bed and tried not to cry. Sometimes it was painful being the only adult. She was her big sister, but she felt more like Dani’s mom. It made their relationship tricky.
“You probably spent two months’ salary.”
Dani paused in her frenzied unpacking, holding a scarf limply in her hand. “Seriously? That’s how little you make?”
Allison groaned and covered her face. What was the point? She’d work out some repayment plan with Ethan later. Right now she needed to get dressed. She had people that depended on her, and the crisis here was over. Her sister had clothes, food, and a roof over her head. Time to move on with the day. “Okay, what did you buy for work clothes?”
Her sister smiled with smug satisfaction and pulled out a pair of dark skinny jeans, a pale blue V-neck sweater, and the UGG boots. “Wait, there’s more,” she said. Allison didn’t breathe. A silver bracelet and necklace followed, then a gorgeous, pale blue push-up bra and underwear.
“Please tell me you bought some sports bras?”
Her sister scoffed. “Puh-lease. You need underwire. It should be mandatory for anyone over twenty-five. I’m aiding in anti-sagging.”
Allison snatched up the clothes and quickly started dressing. “I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to make an appearance at work. I already called your school and told them—”
“Wriggle your hips and then yank them up,” Dani said as she watched her sad struggle with the jeans. She needed to make more of an effort at the gym once she figured out where they were going to live and how she was going to pay Ethan back. And how she was going to save the shelter. Right. So, never.
Dani pulled out a plush terry cloth robe. “I’m going to take a shower in that gorgeous spa bathroom. Then a little pampering.”
“I need to be out of here in ten minutes, so I’m saying bye now. I’ll see you tonight. Ethan left you a key on the front table, but don’t be home late. I’ll help you organize all your school stuff after dinner.”
“Oh, dinner…I wonder what we’re having for dinner. Do you think Ethan has a personal chef?”
Allison opened her mouth, but she didn’t even know what to say. “Do you have cash?”
Dani shrugged. “No, but I don’t need it. I’ll bring this with me to school.” She held up Ethan’s card and flashed it around.
Allison almost had a heart attack. “Excuse me? No, you’re not taking that to school. I will give you whatever cash I have in my wallet. Hand over the card.”
Dani pouted.
Allison shoved out her hand. “Now. Buy your lunches for the rest of the week and pick up something for dinner on the way home tonight. I don’t want to bug Ethan, and I won’t be home to make food.”
Danielle pulled out the Visa and slapped it in her hand. “You need to learn—”
“You need to learn when to be quiet. Go shower. Have a good day.”
Her sister stomped off, and Allison eyed the remaining clothes for the day. At least her sister had good taste. Minutes later she was slipping into the boots, and she could hear her sister singing in the shower.
She paused outside the bedroom door, patting Hook on the head and eyeing the hallway she knew led to Ethan’s office, bedroom, and gym. The look that had passed across his face replayed in her mind. He’d looked closed off, suddenly unapproachable, and that was unusual for him. He’d always been very open. It was one of the things that attracted her to him—in a non-romantic way of course. She was reading way too much into this. Obviously, the man must have realized his pristine bachelor pad was about to be invaded by two women. He clearly just wanted to make sure he still had his own space. Yeah, they knew each other, but they didn’t really know each other. She was going to have to get him some sort of thank you gift. Or help out around the house. Or something.
Half an hour later she was walking through the doors of the shelter, ready to deal with whatever came her way that afternoon. This place always felt more like a home than a homeless shelter for teens. It was open around the clock, and there were many times that Allie had stayed here overnight. As soon as teens walked in, it was the staff’s priority to make them feel safe. Everyone was given clean clothes, toiletries, and a hot meal. There was a floor for boys and one for girls, and the entire building had a capacity to house almost one hundred youths. What they did here was integral. It was a known place, in a central location. No kid wanted to be on the street, and so many of them came from abuse and violence, this becoming their first truly safe home. Daily routines, set meal times, and chores were necessary in building a sense of safety and stability—something most of them needed desperately.
“Hey, Allie!” Denise, the group home manager and her good friend, called out. “You okay?”
Allison nodded, taking off her coat and hanging it by the hooks beside the front door. She walked across the tiled floor and joined her friend. “Yeah, what a day. We’re staying at a…friend’s place.” Why did she pause at the word friend? That’s what Ethan was. It must be her sister; she was messing with her head.
“Oh my God, I was so scared when I heard about the fire. What are you going to do?” Denise was currently finger-combing her long, curly hair into her trademark ponytail atop her head. Just seeing the familiar motion made Allison feel calmer for some reason. Maybe it was a sign that not everything had gone to hell.
“We’re going to stay there until I can find us a new place.” She walked around the front desk to the small coffee station. She could use a cup. Or an entire pot.
“Should I even ask if you had renter’s insurance or anything?”
Allie winced. “I didn’t have extra money for that.” She dumped a bunch of milk into her coffee, stirring it slowly. “Bonehead move in retrospect, but between Dani and student loans, I couldn’t justify it. I was so close to balancing everything and now I have to start over.” She took a sip of coffee, hating to admit this aloud. She would never say anything in front of Dani, because she didn’t want her sister to feel like a burden, and she’d never say anything to Hannah, because she knew her friend would force pity money on her. And Ethan…admitting this in front of him would be humiliating. Again, one of the things he’d never understand. She knew he’d grown up with money, lots of it. He would never get this. He was already doing enough.