What She Needed Read online

  What She Needed

  Teresa Genevieve

  Dedication

  This book goes out to my proofreaders, my cover model and my husband. I couldn’t have done this without all of you.

  To Jennifer Darius, my best friend since the dawn of time…the keeper of my secrets, the finisher of my sentences. Not only wouldn’t I have written this book without your love and support, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart.

  To Louisa Guccione, my second mother growing up. I spent just as much time in your house as I did my own. Thank you for your honest input; it was invaluable to get advice from someone familiar with the genre.

  To Sam Travers, my brutally honest friend who never fails to call a spade a spade. I love that quality in you, as both a person and a proofreader. I feel confident that the book is good when you tell me the book is good because I know you would tell me if it was bad. LOL

  To Dakota Kledaras, who served as both my proofreader and cover model. You were such a good sport to agree to be on the cover before you even read the book. You were an even better sport for continuing to agree after figuring out what the book was about.

  Finally, to my husband, Scott…my biggest supporter and the love of my life. I would never have written a book in the first place if it wasn’t for your encouragement. You have truly made me a better person by standing by my side. And for the record…this book is a work of fiction. Absolutely none of it is autobiographical. LOL

  And now, I hope you enjoy What She Needed.

  Chapter 1

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there on your birthday,” Jim said through the phone.

  Melissa shrugged one shoulder. “It’s business. I know. I’m used to it by now.”

  “So, how does it feel to be thirty-eight?”

  “The same as thirty-seven,” she confessed.

  “Did you do anything special to celebrate your big day?”

  “I got my nails done.” Melissa looked at her hand, inspecting her new polish. “They came out a little brighter than I had wanted. It’s hard to judge the color in the salon. Those fluorescent lights are misleading.”

  “I’m sure they look fine.”

  Melissa’s eyes landed on her wedding ring. Eleven years of marriage, and she was sitting home alone on her birthday. Again. This was not how she had envisioned her life would unfold.

  Snapping out of that thought, she added, “My sister called.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. She wanted to wish me a happy birthday. I haven’t heard from my brother yet.”

  “I’m sure you will. George would never forget your birthday.”

  “No, he wouldn’t,” she replied with a smile.

  “So, how’s your sister doing?”

  “Okay. As well as can be expected, I suppose. She’s getting used to the divorce, but she is going through some growing pains.”

  “I’m sure it’s an adjustment.”

  “I think the hardest part for her is admitting failure. You know my how we were raised; my parents taught us to believe that marriage is forever—for better or for worse, you know?” Melissa snorted. “God knows my mom and dad weren’t happy, but they stayed together. Jen is trying to come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t able to make it work.”

  “Well, marriage is forever,” Jim said. “At least, ours is.”

  “Yup.”

  “Well, hon, I need to go. Keep in mind, it’s six hours ahead here. It’s pretty late in jolly old England.”

  “I know. I appreciate you calling.”

  “I wouldn’t miss your birthday,” he replied.

  “Thanks.”

  “Alright, well, I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Melissa pressed the button to end the call, looking around her empty house. She contemplated what she should have for dinner; she didn’t necessarily feel like cooking on her birthday, but she wasn’t in the mood to get in her car and drive anywhere, either. Maybe delivery was the answer.

  At that moment, the doorbell rang. Although Melissa assumed she knew who was on the other side of the door, she wasn’t sure until she saw her brother on the front step. He held a bag of take out in one hand and a bouquet of balloons in the other. “Happy birthday!” he shouted through the glass.

  Melissa could only smile. Opening the door, she said, “Get in here, would you?”

  George entered the foyer, greeting her with a big hug. “How’s my favorite little sister on her big day?”

  “Better now that you’re here,” she replied honestly.

  “Good. That was the plan. I know Jim is away, and I couldn’t let you celebrate your birthday alone, so I brought you some Chinese food. I hope you’re in the mood for pork fried rice.” He walked into the kitchen, setting the food down on the table and tying the balloons to the back of a chair.

  “It’s calorie-free pork fried rice, right?” Melissa asked.

  “There are no calories on your birthday,” George replied. “Besides, you look great.”

  “I don’t know about that,” she said, looking down her body. “There is a lot more of me than there was last year.”

  “Stop it,” George replied. “You’re beautiful.”

  “See, this is why women love gay men,” she told him. “You always know just what to say.”

  “Yes, gay men are awesome, aren’t we?” He started emptying the bag of takeout, spreading it around the table.

  Melissa went to the drawer and got silverware. “Where’s Eddie?”

  “He’s with a client. He sends his love.”

  “Tell him I’m sorry I missed him. You want water?”

  “That’d be great.”

  They sat down at the table and started their dinner. “You know what you can do for me for my birthday?” Melissa began.

  “What?”

  “You can tell Mom and Dad about Eddie.”

  “That’s a funny joke,” George said.

  “I’m not kidding. You’re married, for crying out loud, and they still think he’s just your roommate.”

  “You know as well as I do that they would flip if they found out I was gay.” He looked at her intently. “Flip.”

  “You don’t think they suspect it already?”

  “Honestly? No.”

  “It might take some of the pressure off of Jen.”

  George snorted. “They haven’t spoken to Jen since they heard she was getting a divorce. Could you imagine what their reaction would be if they found out I was gay?” He rolled his eyes. “They would never speak to me again. Although, now that I think about it, I’m not sure that would be such a bad thing.”

  “You’re terrible,” Melissa replied, slapping him on the arm. “It’s sad about Eddie, though. He’s so nice. If Mom and Dad could get past their prejudices, they would be happy for you.”

  “Eddie’s amazing,” George agreed, “but that’ll never happen. Mom and Dad are about as old-fashioned as they come. According to them, you get married—to someone of the opposite sex—and you stay married forever, even if you are completely miserable, because that’s what good people do.”

  “Is ‘old-fashioned’ the correct term for that?”

  “Do you like ‘ignorant’ better? Or ‘ridiculous?’”

  “Maybe.”

  “Or how about ‘just plain mean,’” George suggested. “Eddie can’t believe some of the stories I tell about them.”

  “Oh, but they’re true,” Melissa said with wide eyes.

  “I know. I still have the scars.” He waved the topic away with his hand. “But enough about them. I may have the best birthday present of all—better than me telling Mom and Dad about Eddie.”<
br />
  Melissa thought she might have known what he was talking about, but she was afraid to fully believe it. “You do?”

  “Yes,” he replied with a bright smile. “I may have found you a renter.”

  She covered her mouth with her hand, so grateful that her brother had done this for her. “Really?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “Well, he is a little rough around the edges, but that’s what you wanted, right?”

  “That depends on how rough,” Melissa replied. “Can he be helped?”

  “I think so,” George said. “All of his arrests have been property crimes, driving offenses and marijuana possession. He’s not violent—just misguided.”

  She felt tears well up in her eyes and a lump fill her throat. “Misguided is what I’m looking for.”

  “Well, then, he’s perfect for you.” George smiled at her and took a bite of his dinner.

  “Oh my God. What’s his name?”

  “Dylan. He's twenty-one years old and currently under house arrest. He's able to go to work and run a few errands afterward, but he doesn’t have a car, so he’s relying on a program to get him to and from his job at an auto parts store.”

  “I could drive him,” Melissa said, pleased with the prospect of having something to do.

  “He’s currently staying with his aunt, but she’s married with a child, so I imagine that’s not ideal for anybody. I’m sure he would much rather have his own place.”

  The wheels were turning in Melissa’s head. She and Jim had talked about this for a while—setting up a small house they could use to help someone out. George had referred to Dylan as a renter, but he wouldn’t have actually been paying any rent. He would just need to save up his money so he could start a better life for himself once the house arrest was lifted and he had enough of a nest egg to venture out on his own.

  “Oh my God,” Melissa said again. “This is amazing. Do you have a picture of him?”

  “Only his mug shot,” George replied, placing his hand on her arm. “It may not be the most flattering picture, given the circumstances, but that was all they had on file. I didn’t want to actually take his picture until I talked to you and got your blessing. I don’t even want to mention this to him if you’re not interested in helping him. Could you imagine? It would be like dangling a carrot and then taking it away. That would make me the worst probation officer in history.” He began to scroll through his phone.

  “You are the best probation officer in history,” Melissa replied sincerely.

  “I’d like to think so,” he said with a toothy smile. “And you are the best probation officer’s sister in history. I mean, who else would take such an interest in helping my clients?”

  “I’ve got nothing else to do.” The words popped out before she even knew they were coming. The truth behind those words made her sad.

  “Keep talking like that and I’ll make you come over and clean my house. Here…” He slid the phone over to Melissa. “Here’s Dylan’s picture.”

  Melissa looked at the screen, seeing the face of a young man who was clearly not caught in his finest moment. He had long, dark hair and a somewhat rugged expression, but the kindness in his eyes showed through, despite his best efforts to hide it. She couldn’t help but feel that he could have been rehabilitated in the right setting. “He looks perfect,” she told George. “You’re right; this is the best birthday present ever.”

  “So, I guess I have your blessing to run this idea by him?”

  “You have more than my blessing,” she replied.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk this over with Jim first?”

  She let out a sigh. “I guess I should…but it’s late over in England. He’s probably asleep by now.”

  “Well, you don’t have to do it tonight. Dylan’s not going anywhere, remember? He’s under house arrest. He’s not going anywhere for a while.”

  “How much longer does he have?”

  “He has a month left of house arrest and six months probation after that. He just got out of jail a few weeks ago, and he was sentenced to two months of house arrest and then the probation.”

  She tapped her finger nervously on the table. “Do you think a few months is long enough? I mean, can I really make any kind of difference in that amount of time?”

  “I’m sure you can,” George replied, taking her by the hand to stop her tapping. “If anyone can make someone turn around, it’s you.”

  Chapter 2

  Melissa checked her phone for what seemed like the thousandth time. She’d sent a text to Jim earlier in the day, asking him to call her when he got done with work. The problem was, with his job, he was never actually done working.

  She walked around the small house they’d set up, just waiting for the right person to help. It was basically furnished with minimal decorations, but she was willing to add more once she figured out what Dylan's tastes were. The window needed replacing, but she and Jim were aware of that already. Overall, the house was move-in ready for Dylan, provided that both he and Jim agreed to the arrangement. She couldn’t see why Jim would have had a problem with it, considering they had been planning it for months. The only concern would have been with Dylan, but he may not have been delighted with his current living situation. A young guy would have probably preferred to live alone than with an aunt and a child.

  At least, she could hope that was true.

  Her phone rang, and she answered it eagerly. “Hello?”

  “Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you,” Jim said immediately. “Work's been insane. What’s up? I hope everything’s okay.”

  “Everything’s great, actually. My brother found us somebody who might be interested in the house.”

  “He did?”

  “Yes…a twenty-one year old named Dylan."

  "Twenty-one, huh?"

  Melissa was surprised by his reaction. "Is that a problem?"

  "I guess not."

  Ignoring that, she added, "He’s under house arrest, but he apparently hasn’t done any violent crimes. Based on what George told me, we might actually be able to help this kid.”

  “Or we might not be.”

  "Why are you being so pessimistic?"

  "I'm being realistic. This whole thing may not work. I don't want you pinning your happiness on this turning out the way you want it to, because you might end up sorely disappointed."

  She closed her eyes. "You're right. We do have to keep that in mind. It's possible that we will go through all of this trouble for nothing. But, since he’s non-violent, it doesn’t seem like my life will be in danger if we at least try.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  Fear surged through Melissa. “You sound reluctant. You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

  “No,” Jim replied unconvincingly. “I’m not having second thoughts.”

  “You know I really want this,” Melissa told him, her hopefulness apparent in her tone.

  “I know you do. I just want to make sure it’s for the right reasons. I don’t want you getting all wrapped up in this guy. It's business, and nothing more.”

  “I know. I won't let it get personal."

  "This could end badly."

  "I'm aware," she replied softly. "But it could also have the happiest ending in the world."

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Jim said with a sigh. “I guess I’m just getting cold feet since it looks like it might actually happen. It’s different when it’s an actual thing—with a person with a name instead of just a hypothetical, you know? But...I’m okay with it. Go ahead and make the offer, if you want.”

  “Oh my goodness. Thank you, honey. I’ll give George a call right now.”

  “Okay. Well, I love you.”

  “I love you, too. When will I see you again?”

  “When this project is over, whenever that is.”

  “Do you have a rough estimate?” She wasn’t above grasping at straws.

&nb
sp; “Not anymore. We hit a bunch of snags today; that’s why it took me so long to call. I’ve got no idea how long it’s going to take to iron all of this stuff out.”

  Melissa’s heart sank. “Okay. I guess I’ll just see you when I see you, then.” She could hear the sadness in her own voice.

  “I’m trying, honey. Don’t think I’m not.”

  “I know you are.” She faked a smile, even though he couldn’t see it through the phone.

  She hung up with Jim and immediately called George, telling him the good news. He agreed to make the offer to Dylan, letting her know what he said.

  Melissa used her thumb to hang up the phone, holding on to it for a moment. She smiled, looking around, thrilled with the prospect that, soon, she might have an actual reason to get out of bed in the morning.

  Melissa's phone rang in her purse as she carried bags of groceries into her house. Hurriedly plopping the bags on the floor, she muttered, "This had better not be a solicitor." Rooting quickly around her pocketbook, she found her phone, pleased to see that the caller was her brother. "Hey," she said as she answered, just before the call would have gone to voicemail.

  "Is this a bad time?"

  "It's never a bad time for you, my dear brother," she replied. "What's up?"

  "I spoke with Dylan."

  Melissa's blood immediately ran cold.

  "He said he's on board with the idea of staying at your place. He seemed pretty excited about it, actually."

  "You're kidding."

  "Why are you acting so surprised about this?" George asked with a laugh. "You're offering a troubled kid a place to stay and free transportation. Why would he turn this down?"

  "I don't know," she replied. "Maybe it'd be weird to stay in a stranger's house?"

  "This guy hasn't caught a break in his life. If you're actually willing to offer him a hand, he's certainly going to take it."

  Those words made her sad, strengthening her resolve to help him. "When can he move in? Did he say?"

  "He's actually pretty eager to get out of his aunt's house. I'm thinking the sooner, the better, as far as he's concerned."