I hurried down the stairs and made my way back through the house to the car.
The trunk was still open, and I was afraid that something was missing, but luckily everything was still there. In front of me were the black hard-shell suitcases and a large shopping bag.
Oh dear, what had I intended to do?
But I would make it because our former neighbors in California had made it, too, and they were around fifty.
Determined, I grabbed the first suitcase and pulled it out of the car. The suitcase landed in my arms, but somehow, I lost my balance and stumbled backward with no chance of stopping. I expected to slam onto the hard pavement, but suddenly, I felt a warm hand at my back, supporting me forward again.
After finding my balance, I wheeled around and looked into the face of a young, grinning man.
His olive-green eyes contrasted sharply with his tanned skin and dark brown, slightly curly hair. He was relatively tall and had broad shoulders. The navy-blue shirt he wore accentuated his arm muscles, which I was sure he got from a gym.
I must have stared at him for too long because the grin on his face widened even more.
“Uhm...sorry. I... I must have slipped,” I replied awkwardly.
God, that was embarrassing!
I quickly bent down to pick up the suitcase with one hand, but I failed.
It had to be my books.
“Do you need any help?” the young man asked me with a teasing undertone.
I looked up at him in surprise. A strange feeling spread through me.
I knew guys like him. They would go after anything that didn't run away in time. And they pretended to be nice when all they really wanted was sex to cross one off their list.
Since David, I have had enough of men.
Quickly, I shook my head.
“No, thanks...I...” Desperately, I pulled up the suitcase. “I…can handle it on my own. But thanks for the offer,” I pressed out with difficulty under the weight of the suitcase. As I did so, I concentrated on the heavy item, which I couldn't lift but could at least drag behind me.
“You sure?” he asked again, amused.
This time, it sounded like he was making fun of me. But I didn't let him stop me and kept pulling on the suitcase. The noise it made meant that the suitcase was about to get a few scratches. Mum would kill me.
Why on earth had she bought those suitcases without wheels?
“Julian, would you please help the girl, and not just stand there and watch, for god’s sake?” a man's deep voice suddenly called out from somewhere in the background.
I jerked my head around. That was when I spotted the man in a police uniform on the veranda of the neighboring house, who must have just come from work. That could only be Julian's father. At least, he had a similar hair and skin color. The only difference was that his hairline was a little grayer and not so messy.
He smiled at me in a friendly way, and I returned it automatically.
Apparently, they were our neighbors. Not junkies, after all. At least not the policeman, who had to be about my mother's age. I wonder if this was the college friend she'd told me about downtown.
“I was just about to...” Julian was about to start, but I was quicker.
“No, it's all good. I'll be fine on my own.”
“What have you done, boy, that she already doesn't like you?”
Now, I had to grin. I instantly liked his father.
Julian reached for my suitcase and just picked it up without a second thought.
Startled, I looked at him and backed away a little. Apparently, he was stronger than I had suspected.
I didn't say anything more because I didn't want to be rude in front of his father.
“I'm happy to help a damsel in distress,” Julian said with this grin on his face that I couldn't stand before turning around and carrying the suitcase through Mum's demolished front yard as if it were a handbag.
What was this jerk thinking he was doing?
I suppressed the urge to snatch the suitcase from his hands and quickly grabbed the shopping bag, which, unlike the suitcase, was damn lightweight. Then, I hurried to follow him.
When I arrived at the house, I spotted him talking to my mum. That was all I needed now.
“Mum, this is...”
“I know Julian. Isn't he a real gentleman?” My jaw dropped, but Mum skillfully ignored it and turned to the neighbor guy. “Thank you for helping me.”
Julian had blushed and was running his hands through his hair. Then he looked at me, and my eyes lingered on him again. The green of his eyes reminded me of deep, uncharted forests...
I shook my head, startled by myself, and averted my eyes from his. Julian, too, turned back to my mother.
