Chapter 6 - Moving Day

Keegan’s POV

Moving in with a guy that I disliked and had only been around for less than an hour was not in my five-year plan. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compared to convincing my Gram’s to sign a non-disclosure agreement with no background on why and then explaining to her why I was moving in with Ryder Masters. I may not have had time for the news or tabloids, but she did, and she was a diehard Clippers fan. It’s why I supported them too, but not as much as her. She watched every game and even liked watching Sportscentre and knew every juice piece of gossip about him, so she was less than impressed.

It was like she was going through the five stages of grief. At first, she told me flat out that I wasn’t going and wouldn’t hear another word about it, denial. Next was anger. She was angry at her son, angry at me for accepting the deal, angry at Ryder and his manager for offering it to me and lastly, angry at herself for ever believing Dale in the first place and allowing him to go on title of the property. It took her a day to move past that stage, and then came bargaining. She told me to forget the deal that she would sell the house, and then I could go back to school and have a life again. I turned down that offer. There was no way I was letting her sell. It was just twelve months. I worked two years, most of that seven days a week were both day and night, with only the occasional day off. I could deal for twelve months, and after that, we would be free and clear. Better still, we would have no more debt hanging over the house. Then we could both move on with our lives.

Now, as I was packing the last of the stuff I needed in my second and final suitcase, she was in the fourth stage, depression. The day had come for me to leave and move into Ryder’s, and she was currently sulking in her bedroom. I, unfortunately, didn’t have time for her to reach the acceptance before I left. Ryder apparently had an event to go to in a few days, and we needed time together to at least get to know the basics about each other so we could bluff our way through the night. I was zipping up the suitcase when I heard the doorbell ring. Grams’ room was downstairs, and I heard her door open, so I didn’t bother rushing until I heard my grandmother bellowing.

“YOU HAVE SOME NERVE SHOWING UP HERE.” My Grams yelled out.

Forgetting about my suitcase, I raced downstairs, thinking Dale had shown up with his tail between his legs. I had gone to his office on Monday, but the receptionist told me he was in back-to-back meetings and couldn’t see me. But no, it wasn’t the coward. It was someone else I never expected to show up at my house, Ryder. He was standing in the doorway in all his glory in yet another pair of basketball shorts, but at least he had the decency to wear a t-shirt this time. His short, blonde hair was hidden beneath a backwards Lakers cap. I had to chuckle a little because he was looking at my Grams with a little fear in his eyes especially considering he was 6’3 and she was a tiny little thing at only 5’6. Watching a grown male be worried about a little grey-haired grandmother with her hands on her hips and a glare in her eye was almost comical.

“Grams, come on.” I pleaded, “I’ve got this.”

“You!” She accused, her finger pointed at him, “I don’t approve of my granddaughter’s decision, but I know I’m not going to change her mind. So I’m telling you that you had better not try anything funny or you will have to deal with me. I am a Clippers fan and have no problem taking you out. They will never find the body. Do I make myself clear?”

He gulped and nodded, “yes, ma’am.”

I hid my smirk as my Grams snorted. He had just made a huge mistake. “That’s Trixie to you, young man, I may be old, but I’m young at heart and certainly not old enough to require a ma’am.”

With that final statement, she stormed off back to her room in a huff.

Ryder’s eyes followed her path, “She’s a scary lady.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “What are you doing here, Ryder?”

“I came to give you a hand with your stuff and give you a ride.” He advised me.

“I do have access to a vehicle, you know.” I countered.

My Grams had a friend that always gave her a lift to the community centre when she needed it. I got the groceries delivered, and everything else she needed was within walking distance, so I was really the only one who used the car these days.

A brief look of horror crossed his face, “I’m sorry, no offence, but that car is not coming to my place. I have a few cars. You can use one of them.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I protested.

“Yes, it is.” He argued, “If we are going to make people believe we are in a relationship, then we need to act the part. There is no way my friends would believe that I would allow you to drive around in that death trap.”

I raised my eyebrow at him, “that car has served me well, it’s not flashy or anything, but it does the job.”

“It’s older than I am. Does it even have air conditioning?” I was about to argue that you could wind the windows down, but he placed his hand up to stop me, “Can we just try and get through this? Where is your stuff?”

I pointed to the suitcase and sewing machine box by the door. I never went anywhere without my mother’s machine. “That there and one more upstairs that I’ll go and get now.”

He nodded, “I’ll put them in the car.”

I said a quick goodbye to my Grams. She wasn’t happy, but at least she reached acceptance before I left and grabbed the last suitcase before heading outside where it was taken from me. I tried to ignore how predominant his muscles in his arm were as he carried it to the back of his SUV. Whilst I struggled to carry it down the stairs, he didn’t flinch as he tossed it in with the other stuff.

The entire ride back to Malibu was quiet. I was grateful that it was only twenty-five minutes from my Grams’ house to here because it meant that I could check on her regularly, and it was the same distance away from the bank, so there was no extra travel time to work involved.

I had done what was asked, given my notice at the motel and bar and had already completed my last shifts. As soon as the contract was signed today, Marcus had assured me that a check would be sent to the bank to clear the mortgages and once that was done, he was going to arrange for Dale to sign a transfer for the house, and Ryder would become the new joint owner of the house. As soon as he signed his new basketball contract, he would sign his share over to me.

I don’t think the full weight of this decision until we pulled into the driveway of his home. Since the age of nine, I hadn’t lived anywhere except my grandmothers and to go from that to living there to living alone with a man I despised. I must have been crazy.

Ryder killed the engine and threw his sunglasses into the centre console, “Let me give you the tour and then I will come back for your stuff.”

I had seen a little of the house when I had come for the initial meeting, but nothing prepared me for the grand tour. I was going to need a map to find my way around, and that was just the downstairs and backyard. We hadn’t even ventured up to the top floor yet. The final room before we did that was the media room, but when Ryder opened the door to show me, I was shocked to find it was already occupied by a teenage girl, eating popcorn and flipping through Netflix.

She seemed just as shocked as I was when we entered.

“Keegan, this is my little sister Faith. She lives with me here.” He explained, “Faith, this is a friend of mine Keegan, she’s going to be staying with us for a while.”

I must admit that I had done some googling on Ryder after our meeting. I wanted to know as much as I could about him before moving day. And let me tell you, it was like going down a rabbit hole of bad-boy behavior, a different girl every time he was pictured, bar brawls, drinking, a few arrests thrown in. I could understand why his team was hesitant to resign him. He was a walking disaster. But nowhere, in any of that research, did it say that he took care of his teenage sister. I guess I had to give him a little credit for that. But I wasn’t going to press for the full story. It wasn’t my place.

The girl didn’t say a word, just studied me for a few minutes before her hands started flying, and I recognised it as sign language. Only then did I notice the cochlear implant. Ryder had originally spoken to her, so she must be able to hear, but this must have been her way to talk to her brother without me understanding, or so she thought. Both of them were moving fast with their hands, so I didn’t get every word, but I caught enough to get the gist of the conversation. Apparently, this was the first she was hearing about me moving in, and she was less than impressed about it. When she signed the word ‘whore’, I decided it was time to let them in on my little secret.

“Whoa.” I exclaimed, “I have been called many things in my life, but I assure you whore has not been one of them.”

“You understood that.” Faith stammered in shock.

So I decided to sign while I talked, I was a bit rusty, but I guess it was like riding a bike. “My grandfather went deaf in his later years, and the hearing aids were too pricey, so my Grams and I learned to sign. It’s a valuable skill to have with some of the kids I deal with too.”

“Sorry.” She muttered, a look of embarrassment crossing her face as she sat back down and went back to the television.

“Sorry about that.” Ryder informed me as we left the room, “she’s a bit prickly until she gets to know someone.”

Our tour concluded at the room that was to become my room. Thankfully it was at the opposite end of the house from his room. He left me to get acquainted with it while he returned to the car to get my stuff. The room was beautiful. There was a plush, king-sized bed against a bulkhead that hid the walk-in closet behind it and a small desk to my left, which would be perfect for my sewing machine. The room was filled with different shades of blue and grey, from the bedding to the curtains and the carpet, and it all matched perfectly with the view from the floor to ceiling windows that revealed an amazing ocean view. The ensuite was huge, containing a large walk-in shower, a freestanding bath I was looking forward to getting acquainted with, and a marble vanity. Together, these spaces combined would have fit my entire kitchen and living room areas at Gram’s house. It was insane. There was no way my clothes would fill an eighth of that walk-in closet.

After Ryder bought my luggage up, he grunted something about needing to go and do something, so I unpacked, which only took me an hour. By that time, Marcus had arrived, and after reviewing the contract, both Ryder and I signed with Marcus as the witness.

As I started down at my signature, I felt like I was going to throw up. There was no turning back now.