"Miles, you can't be here." I go around him. "You have to leave. I don't know whose stuff this is but they'll be back any minute and—"
"It's yours," he says, setting the water down. "All of it's yours. I came by earlier and saw what was left of your tent and saw you only had that thin blanket so I went and got you some stuff."
My heart rate slows back to normal as my head tries to process what he's saying. "You did this?"
"I had to. It's supposed to be really cold tonight and I wouldn't sleep knowing you were out here staying in that ripped up tent with no blankets. No food. No water."
He feels sorry for me, and I hate it. I don't want him, or anyone else, feeling sorry for me. I got myself into this situation and I'll get myself out. I don't need anyone's help. I accepted help from Rob and it ended with me getting beat up, broke, and out on the streets.
I had everything, and then nothing, because I trusted someone who offered to help.
"I don't want it," I say, folding my arms across my chest.
"What do you mean you don't want it? You just want to freeze to death?"
"Give me my stuff back."
"I tossed it. That tent was worthless. It couldn't even stay together. And the blanket wasn't much better."
"It doesn't matter. It was mine and I want it back."
"I told you, I don't have it. I tossed it. And if you're worried I'm going to ask for something in return, I'm not. I did it to help you. That's it."
"I don't need your help. Or anyone else's. Just take your stuff and go."
"I'm not taking it. It's yours. If you don't want it, give it to someone else. But I don't know why you'd do that."
Glancing back at the tent, I chew on my lip, knowing I should keep it, at least for Gladys.
"Fine," I say, turning back to him. "I'll give it to Gladys."
"Who's Gladys?"
"A friend. She's old and has a really bad cough. She needs it more than I do."
He stares at me, looking frustrated. "Would you at least keep some of it for yourself? A sleeping bag? Blanket?"
"You have two in there, so yeah. I'll take one. I stay with Gladys so we'll share the tent. If it were just me, I'd give it back but Gladys really needs the shelter."
"So do you," he says, his eyes on mine.
I glance down. "You should go. It's getting late."
"It's only eight. And I don't want to go. Why don't we have some coffee? They're open for another hour."
"I don't want to go in there. I just told the girl who works there not to tell you where I am, so if she sees us together she'll ask questions."
"Why'd you tell her that? Why didn't you want me to find you?"
I roll my eyes. "You really have to ask?"
"I don't know what you mean."
Why is he making me say this? It was bad enough having him see me take food out of the trash and now he wants to talk about it?
"You saw me," I say, looking away. "I didn't want you to."
"Raine, if I'd known, if you'd told me, I would've helped. I would've got you whatever you needed. I would've—"
"I don't want your help. And I never asked for it so you shouldn't have done all this. I don't know what you're expecting but—"
"I'm not expecting anything. I didn't do this to get something in return. I did it because you needed it. You needed a place to sleep that wasn't ripped into shreds. And you needed food. What did you even do for food today?"
"There's a guy I know. He gave me a sandwich."
"What guy?" he asks, concern in his tone.
"It doesn't matter. It's none of your business."
"He didn't..." he pauses, "make you do anything to get it, did he?"
I huff. "What are you trying to say? That I give out my body in exchange for food?" I shake my head and walk away. "Good to know that's what you think of me."
He rushes over, stopping in front of me. "I never said that. But I know sometimes people do what they have to in order to survive."
"I'm not one of those people. I get along fine on my own. Now would you please leave me alone?"
"Why don't we try out the tent first?"
"Try out the tent?" I say, raising my brows. "I thought you said you didn't expect anything in return."
He sighs. "I was going to sit in there with you, not whatever you thought I meant. What's the deal with you? Why do you assume the worst?"
"Because the worst is what keeps happening to me. I live in an alley. Eat out of the garbage. Luck isn't exactly on my side."
"Or maybe it is. You met me." He smiles. "You gotta admit that's luck coming your way."
"If you call luck some guy who won't leave me alone."
"C'mon." He walks to the tent. "I'll leave it unzipped to make sure you don't try anything."
"ME? I'm not the one we have to worry about."
"I'm not so sure about that." He's still smiling. "I saw you checking me out."
Does he mean the other day, or now? The truth is, I check him out every time I see him but I didn't think he knew that. Maybe he was kidding.
"I forgot the water," he says, going to get it. "I would've got you soda but I wasn't sure what kind you liked."
"Water is fine. I could use one right now. I haven't drank anything all day."
He grabs a bottle of water and hands it to me. "I left you a water bottle in the tent. I thought maybe you could find a place to fill it when this runs out. Or I can bring you more."
"I'll give it to Gladys. She never drinks enough water. Is there just the one?"
"Yeah, but I can get another one."
"Don't worry about it. I don't need it."
He takes the case of water into the tent, then sits down by the zippered part, holding it open. "Want to join me?"
"If I do, will you bring me my backpack?"
"I will, but can I get you a new one? That one reeks. I think there's stuff growing in it."
He's right. It stinks like garbage and rotting food but it's all I have, and now I'm embarrassed by it. I should've tried to wash it but I didn't know how or where to do it.
"Raine, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I know you can't help that it's like that."
He gets it. He actually gets it. He could've made fun of my backpack and left it at that, but he realized his mistake and apologized. I have to give him credit for that.
"Thanks," I say. "For apologizing. Since you did, I guess I could sit with you a minute. Make sure the tent works."
He smiles as I get in. He leaves the zipper undone, causing the sides to flap around in the wind.
"We might have to close this a little,” I say, reaching up to zip it halfway.
"I knew it," he says, shaking his head.
"Knew what?"
"I knew once we were in here, you'd try to take advantage of me."