Chapter 14
Shannon
The nice thing about Shannon’s overpriced apartment building was that she had storage space in the cold, dank basement that she shared with the other five units. Most of the transplants from California, New York, and Texas had no need for so much space when the only items they brought with them to Portland were their Persian rugs and grandmothers’ fine china – items that would never, ever go in a communalbasement.
That meant more space for Shannon to use, or at least until the landlord told her to clear it out. More than enough room for her bike – and Andrew’s, which he hadn’t taken with him when he moved out of town.
It wasn’t a fantastic bike, anyway. He bought it used off Craigslist when a local college kid wanted to dump his main mode of transportation in favor of a car. Andrew had lofty ambitions of being a cycle-muter with the best of Portland’s downtown office workers.“What better way to get exerciseandsave the environment, Shans!”That’s what he said every time Shannon suggested they might finally get a car, so they could take trips to the coast.
She hadn’t been lying when she said she wanted to hit some of the trails in and around Portland. She also hadn’t been lying when she expressed surprise that Jess couldn’t ride a bike. It was so second nature to Shannon that she instantly felt it was a problem worth rectifying.
One of the wheels on Andrew’s old bike spun in her hand. She lowered her screwdriver and complimented herself on a job well done. Sure, she should’ve been hustling for more photography clients, but she would rather enjoy the dreary Oregonian day inside a damp garage instead of canvasing the neighborhoods or attempting online marketing.
“How about that?” came a male voice from behind her. “I swing by to check on the old bike, and here you are, maintaining it for little old me.”
The wheel stopped spinning. Shannon continued to stare out the rain-dripped window, pretending she didn’t hear her ex-boyfriend behind her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I said,” Andrew began, swinging his backpack onto the cement floor and approaching her with a shit-eating grin, “I came to check on my bike.”
“Thought you’d be down in Eugene, enjoying your new life.” Shannon put her tools away. “Last I heard, you were seeing someone. And you didn’t need a bike anymore.”
“Are you kidding? Eugene is a huge biking spot. It’s a miracle if you don’t get ran over trying to cross the street.” He knelt beside her. His presence was not comforting. “How goes it, Shan?”
She gritted her teeth behind her lips. “So?” she asked. “You swing by here to steal your own bike? Thought it was mine now, since you so graciously left it behind.”
“All right, you got me,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “I didn’t only come up for the bike. I wanted to talk to you, too.”
“You could’ve texted me, you know. Unfortunately, anything you left behind I’ve donated to charity.” Or thrown out in the dumpster. Whatever worked.
“Including you?”
Shannon sat up with a huff. “Excuse me?”
Now that she was no longer in pretend love with this ass, she could see his stupid grins for what they were. Manipulative, asinine, and useless. “Aw, c’mon, Shan. You know what I mean. We broke up on the wrong foot.”
Chuckling, she turned away before she could possibly be swayed by that charming smile. “You drove all the way up here from Eugene to ask me to get back with you?”
He followed her halfway across the basement. “I’ve got this great apartment in Eugene. Near the campus, with every amenity you could want a ten-minute bike ride away.” He opened his arms in invitation. “Beautiful views of the river.Twobedrooms for the same price of what we pay for here.”
Shannon snorted. So, the bastard was still overpaying for housing? Not surprising. He had sucked her in with his delusions of living in the hippest, trendiest area wherever they went. Well, they couldn’t afford a studio in the Pearl District, but they had scrounged enough for a one-bedroom in Northwest. Close enough!
“Can we at least talk?”
Shannon stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to the sidewalk. The only reason her ex made it down into the basement without a key was because she foolishly left the door propped.Stupid mistake, huh? What if some wackjob came down here instead?Might have been preferable to this asshole stalking her.
“Talk about what?” she asked. “You broke up with me and moved on. There’s nothing to talk about.” She turned toward him anyway. “Or did you not hear my assertion that you were seeing someone else now?”
“Ah…” He sheepishly scratched his head. “There might’ve been someone until recently,” Andrew admitted, “but it wasn’t serious. You know how it is. Fresh from a breakup, time for a rebound. That’s all she was!”
Rolling her eyes, Shannon ascended the stairs and entered the misty world of Glisan Street. “Right. You’re really winning me back here, Andrew. Besides,” she would greatly enjoy this part, especially since her voice had that nice, echoing timbre in the stairwell, “who says I’m not seeing someone right now?”
“Well, I mean…” Aw, were his cheeks a nice shade of apple red? “We can talk about that. You know I’m an open-minded guy.”
She rounded on him the moment he reached the top of the stairs. “Are you kidding me? What kind of crack are you smoking down in Eugene, Andrew? Do you think I’m some desperate slut who is aching to take you back? Guess again! I know when I’m not wanted!”
“Shannon, c’mon…”
