The Shadow Man Book 1/2 ✔️

9. The Move

After a month of trying to ignore the paranormal it began to work. I don't hear as much and I haven't had a nightmare for a while. It was that time once again to head off to Sam's apartment for pizza night and now I'm more comfortable with everyone I don't feel the need to have wine, although it has become a running joke with everyone that I drink wine every day, which is not true. Tonight is also our last day in our apartments, because tomorrow is the day we move to house.
I finish up my makeup and head over to Sams in an Uber so I can drink

"Hey hey hey. The party has officially arrived" I call out walking through the door
"Remember when you used to drink wine before you even spoke" Colby laughs
"Well I am completely sober"
"Not for long, look what Mikes bought" Tara comments
"I have beer and for you my dear, white wine" Mike hands me a bottle of wine which makes me laugh
"I love how white wine is just your thing because we don't want you to ruin any more jumpers" Kat laughs along with me
"Hey, I thought we had moved on from that"
"Let's play a game" Corey smiles
"Ok jigsaw" I say opening the wine bottle
"Anything in particular" Colby asks
"How about blindfolded hide and seek again. I can film for my channel, the viewers have been asking for another one"
"Let's see if Rose can finish this bottle of wine again" Kat says to the group
"I bet it was just a one off" Mike crosses his arms
"You wanna place bets do you" I raise and eyebrow
"If you don't finish it before the game finishes then you have to..." Mike thinks for a second before Colby interrupts
"You have to pay for pizza tonight"
"Yes and of course if you prove me wrong then I'll pay"
"Oh your so on" I smirk.

Sam started his video and is now waiting outside in the hallway. I climb up the counter top and sit inside the now empty cupboard. Sam walks back in after 5 minutes of waiting. It's now been around 15 minutes of me sitting in the cupboard and my back is starting to hurt now, I'm also half way through the wine. I move trying to get a little more comfortable, but I manage to knock over my wine, thankfully nothing spilled out. Sam finds me because of the bottle falling. I climb out of the cupboard and sit down with the others
"Ok so Tara won, where is she?" Sam asks after taking his blindfold off
"I'm here" Tara says getting out from under the love sack. I down the rest of my wine
"Mike I hope you have your wallet" I hand over the now empty wine bottle
"What I want to know is how on earth can you drink a bottle of wine with out being tipsy. Your tiny"
"Your just jealous" I flick my hair and Mike rolls his eyes trying to hold back a smile
"Whatever, are you guys all packed?"
"Mostly, just need to pack up my makeup stand and a few left over clothes"
"Last minute as always" Kat comments
"You know me. If I had packed everything up before then there would have been something I wanted out of the boxes".

After a few hours of drinking and hanging out everyone starts to leave
"Rose do you want a life back to your apartment?" Corey asks
"Sure if you don't mind"
"Did you not drive?" Jake asks
"No, I got an Uber her so I could drink. I'll you you guys tomorrow" I wave to every one who's left at Sams and walk out with Corey to his car. We get in and he begins the drive "thanks for driving me"
"No worries. I have to go this way anyway to get to mine"
"I can't believe we're moving tomorrow. Do you believe what Tiff said back at the shop?"
"Bring completely honest with you, yes. Now try not to think about it" we arrive at my apartment complex. I say goodbye to Corey and get into the lift up to my apartment. When I get to my room I look at all the boxes that are taped up, just one more sleep then my next adventure begins.

The next day
"Thank you for helping me take everything down to the van" I say to Brennen who's holding a box in his hands
"No problem"
"Colby did offer but he's got his own stuff to sort out"
"Speaking of the devil, what's going on with you guys?" Brennen asks as he places the box in the back of the van
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come on. You were stopping over at his for a while and your literally together everyday and if your not your texting each other. So come on tell me what's going on between you guys"
"Nothing. Colby has been a really good friend that's all" I shrug as we now stand in the lift waiting to go back to my floor
"So you don't find him attractive or anything?" Brennen raises an eyebrow
"I mean yeah he's attractive, but..."
"I think you have feelings but your scared to admit them" Brennen cuts me off and the lift doors open
"Even if I did, he wouldn't like me back anyway"
"I wouldn't be so sure" that's when Brennen walks back into my apartment to take the last heavy box. My phone rings and when I look at who's calling my stomach does summersaults, but not the good kind. It's my dad. I ignore I and follow Brennen back to the life and down to my car.

The van is in front of me on it's way to the house and Brennen is following behind me. My phone rings again and I ignore it, not only because it's probably my dad again but also I'm driving. After a 20 minute drive I pull up to the large gates that are open. I pull up on to the drive next to Colbys car, looks like the others all got here before me. I get out the car and my phone rings again, this time it's my sister, so I answer it
"What do you want Clare?" I ask into the phone
"Is that anyway to talk to your baby sister?" I can hear her laughing
"Cut the crap, dad called, step-witch called and now you called so what do you want?"
"Fine. Dad wants to talk to you" I hear the phone being passed over then my dads irritating voice comes through
"Right young lady. Rhys hasn't been texting me, I haven't heard from him in over a year now so what did you tell him?"
"Are you on drugs or something. First of all what the hell has it taken you over a year to ask where he is, second of all I didn't tell shit to Rhys, he figured out what you were doing all on his own, I mean let's be honest you didn't hide the shouting or hitting very well and thirdly Rhys is dead. I did write you a letter AND I sent you the funeral information, but hey you hate me that much that you didn't read them. So congratulations you let whatever hatred you have for me ruin your relationship with your son"
"How dare you speak to me like that"
"What you gonna do? find where I live and hit me again because good luck with that"
"Maybe I will"
"Listen here you spoiled brat your farther..." step-witch starts shouting down the phone
"Is an abusive man who couldn't care less about what happens to me and you know what, I'm ok with that because I don't give a crap about him. I have a new family now and in the short few months of knowing them, I'm closer to them than I have ever been to you shit shows. Goodbye daddy dearest, step-witch and clarevil. Don't ever phone me again" I hang up the phone with a mixture of anger and sadness. The whole time I've had my back towards the house, so when I turn around I'm taken aback seeing the others all look at me shocked. Colby is the first to walk forward, he rubs his thumb on my cheek now realising I've been crying
"Your dad hit you?" he questions
"Sorry you all heard that"
"No don't be sorry. We're sorry you had to live that"
"I've wanted to tell you guys everything about my past, buts it's just hard you know" Kevin is the next to walk forward, he pulls me into a hug to which causes me to break down interlay. My chest begins to feel tight, like I can't breathe and I begin to shake. Since meeting these guys I've only have one panic attack, which happened to be at pizza night
"Why don't you go in. We will unload the vans, the girls will be over in a bit so for now why don't you go in with her" Corey motions to Colby who then pulls me into a hug and he strokes my hair
"You ok now. No one is going to hurt you" I look up at Colby and our eyes met. Maybe Brennen was right maybe I am catching feelings for this guy, but there's no chance he will ever like a girl like me.