Far From Home Read online

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  More from the Author

  Far From Home

  by Natalie Brunwick

  © 2019 Natalie Brunwick

  This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any way, including information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.

  Keep up to date on Natalie’s new and upcoming

  releases by visiting her website or joining her

  newsletter.

  Chapter One

  Sam

  “Do you have anywhere to go?”

  Halfway through a game of Halo, I looked away from my monitor and met Taylor’s gaze. She’d walked in from the hallway and was in the process of toweling off her long brown hair.

  “Not really. It is Saturday, after all,” I replied, pulling my attention away from her to continue my game.

  It took more effort than I would’ve liked. Even with her hair frizzing out, it was hard not to admire her. Heck, sharing a dorm with her was almost too much for someone like me. That isn’t to say I only care about looks, of course, but I couldn’t help smiling whenever she wore her hair like that. She’d likely straighten it once we were through, but for now, I got to see it in its most natural and wavy form.

  Sadly, whenever I looked at her, she was too busy looking at someone else to notice. Maybe it was because I wasn’t from the area. Or maybe it was because I didn’t live in the US. To her, we were college roommates and nothing more. However, if I were ever given the opportunity, you’d better believe I’d take it.

  “I meant for the holidays,” Taylor said with a laugh. “Do you have any relatives around here?” She made her way over to her closet to grab a clean shirt before ducking behind the door so she could put it on.

  I shook my head and hoped the heat on my cheeks wasn’t terribly noticeable. “They all live across the pond.”

  “Then where do you plan to go during winter break?” she asked from her place behind the door. “You can’t stay here.”

  “Why not?” I’d done it before. “Just because the campus is closed, that doesn’t mean I have to leave.”

  With her clothing in order and her hair still the way I liked, she walked over to her bed and sat down. “True, but it’s gonna

  be boring as hell around here. At least during Thanksgiving, the break was short. But staying here for an entire month all on your own? Who will you talk to?”

  “I suppose I could grab a late flight.” My folks would be thrilled. My wallet, not so much.

  “You could always come home with me.”

  I immediately paused my game and studied her expression for the hint of laughter. She was dead serious. “For an entire month?” Why not?

  Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I can’t stop looking at her? At least during Thanksgiving break, she went home for a week while I stayed here. But to spend time off-campus with her?

  “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing,” Taylor said when I didn’t say yes. “And before you starting coming up with excuses, I’ve already run it by my mom and she’s all for it.”

  I swallowed hard and placed the controller in my lap. “But she doesn’t even know me.”

  “So?” She offered me a partial shrug. “She’s heard me talk about you before. In fact, when I went home last month, I got the look because I didn’t bring you along. To be fair, I probably shouldn’t have told her you were here on your own. I should also warn you before you accept the invitation. You might or might not have to help me wrangle up some kids.”

  “Kids?” I laughed. “With what? A lasso?”

  Now it was her turn to laugh. “I’m afraid we’re all out of those. My sister has two kids, one boy and one girl, and they’re at that fun age where they like to go and hide in whatever nook they can find. Other than that, it should be pretty normal as far as family gatherings go.”

  “Your sister?” I’d heard her mention having a sibling before, though we never talked about her more than that.

  “How old is she?”

  “Five, almost six years older than I am.”

  I winced. “I bet she wasn’t too thrilled once you were around.”

  “Hardly, but by the time we reached our teens, things started to smooth out. Now I’m her babysitter, her sister, and her best friend.” She shrugged and left it at that. “So will you come? For my sake and so I can avoid the daggers in my mother’s eyes, could you please, please come home with me?

  Unless you have somewhere to go, that is.” She already knew the answer. Her wide grin gave her away.

  Taking a breath, I shook my head. “Like I said, I could go and see my folks, but I bet those tickets are expensive.”

  Especially with it being so last-minute. “Are you sure your mom’s okay with this?” My stomach churned at the thought of meeting someone’s folks. I’d never actually done it before, not unless you count the playdates I had back in grade school.

  Taylor got up from her bed so she could finish packing her things. “Okay with it? She pretty much suggested it.”

  “Well, if it means I can keep you out of trouble, I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” You mean aside from the fact you can’t stop staring at her? I’d find a way to make it work. A month alone with Taylor instead of staying here was way too tempting to ignore.

  “Then it’s settled. You, me, and Chelsey.” She snapped her suitcase shut and plopped it on the floor.

  Chelsey being her car. “I never could understand that.”

  “Hey, she’s my first, and I’ve taken very good care of her.

  Besides, you Brits have your own odd quirks.”

  “Yeah, but naming cars isn’t one of them. Not in my family, anyway.” Naming cars. How ridiculous. The last thing I’d named was one of my stuffed animals and possibly a fish.

  Not a car.

  Taylor simply shook her head and dug through her closet for whatever else she’d need to take with her once we left.

  We. We were leaving campus together . She could’ve invited Jen, or was is Jordan? She’d had so many flings recently, I couldn’t keep up. That was a problem as well. At

  school, she was unavailable, which made it a lot easier for me to keep my thoughts to myself. But seeing as she’d invited me home…

  This is going to be a very long month.

  With any luck, I’d come out of it alive.

  Chapter Two

  Taylor

  Sam hadn’t said more than three words since we pulled onto the interstate. Instead, she focused on whatever was moving outside the passenger side window, allowing me the opportunity to study her reflection. Even with the faded look, her brown eyes were as intense as ever.

  I hadn’t told her, but the reason I’d invited her along wasn’t just because of my mom. The last time I went home, all I could think about was Sam. Her absence was terribly obvious as soon as I walked in the door, and while things may have been cheerful and merry, the person’s laughter I wanted to hear and missed the most was back at school.

  You never should’ve invited her.

  This was a bad idea. Looking at her now with her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, I could
see she felt the same way. The upbeat, cheerful woman I was so used to seeing day after day had been replaced by a shy, quiet replica. She looked the same, and when she spoke she certainly sounded like Sam, but this wasn’t the Sam I knew. This one was nervous. Timid.

  “What do you usually do for the holidays?” I asked, cringing at how loud my voice sounded in the quiet car.

  Sam jumped, then fidgeted in her lap, keeping her attention on whatever was or wasn’t outside her window. “You mean for meals?”

  “Or activities,” I said with a partial shrug. “Is there anything we can do while we’re on break to make you feel more at home?”

  I couldn’t imagine spending the holidays away from my folks. They might get a little overwhelming from time to time, but Sam had to have been homesick by now. If there was anything I could do to help with that, I’d do it.

  “Ice skating,” Sam said after giving my question some thought. I didn’t have to look across the console to know she

  was smiling. It made it all the way into her voice.

  “It’s like normal skating, right?”

  Now she did look at me. “You’ve never been?”

  I shook my head and glanced back at the road. “I may have tried skates once or twice when I was a kid, but I never liked using those, either. I’d rather walk on my own two feet, thank you very much.”

  There was that smile again, and this time, she was looking right at me. “Huh. Imagine that.”

  “What?”

  “You’re into all kinds of sports, but you’re too afraid to go skating.”

  “I didn’t say I was afraid, just that I prefer to have my own two feet under me. Besides, the ponds never froze long enough to try.” I’d learned that lesson the hard way.

  “I’m sure there’s somewhere we could go,” Sam mused aloud, wiggling in the passenger seat as she did. “You’d love it. It’s a lot like dancing.”

  “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” The dread had already started to pool inside my stomach.

  She released a soft chuckle that formed small wrinkles along the corners of her eyes. “It won’t be that bad, I promise.

  I could even hold your hand.”

  I like the sound of that. “Anything else?”

  “You’re hoping I’ll give you something easier to do, aren’t you?” She cocked an eyebrow at me, completely calling me out.

  “Again, I’m not scared, and I realize it isn’t hard, but…

  yes.” I released a long breath. There was no sense in denying it. We still had another forty minutes until we reached my folks’ place, and I knew she’d bring it up again if I tried to change the subject now.

  Sam paused a moment, almost as if to consider it, then said, “Even if it doesn’t happen until the day we head back to

  campus, I’m going to get you out on the ice.”

  I shivered. “And knowing me, I’ll make you wait that long.”

  She shrugged, then went back to watching out the window.

  “Considering the amount of snow you said we’re supposed to get this winter, I’m sure it won’t take too long.”

  She sounded so sure of herself. As for me, I was too busy white-knuckling the steering wheel to do anything else. It wasn’t so much a fear of skating or even falling on my ass, but more a fear of the ice breaking and me not being able to get back to the surface. It almost happened once before.

  I swallowed hard but didn’t say anything else. Sam didn’t need to know that. No one did.

  But if you go to an ice rink, it won’t be as bad.

  It wouldn’t be a pond. We’d be in a place where they actually made the ice themselves, possibly several feet thick.

  There was no way I’d be able to fall through the ice then.

  However, if that were true, why was my stomach in knots?

  I flinched when Sam cleared her throat.

  “Light’s green,” she said with an apologetic smile.

  Nodding, I took a breath to ease the tightness in my chest.

  “It won’t be long now. I hope you’re a hugger.”

  “Is your family big on affection?” She sounded surprised.

  “Oh yeah. Not the kissing on the cheek kind, but we’re pretty big when it comes to hugs. And it doesn’t matter if you’re family or not. As soon as you step into that house, you’re fair game. Oh, during meals, grab what you can. We tend to have a bit of a feeding frenzy, so if you don’t grab what you want while it’s there, it will probably be gone once you go back for seconds.”

  “Sounds like my family.” There was an edge to her voice.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, casting her a sideways glance so I could still watch the road.

  “Yeah, just thinking about home. I bet Uncle Charlie’s already at the house. He’s always the first to arrive and the last to leave.”

  “I’ll make you a deal. If you survive this holiday with my folks, I can go back to England with you during spring or summer break.”

  Unless she’s dating someone by then. I winced. I’d never seen her with anyone, but the first thing she’d told me after we met was that she was gay. It was why I kept bunking with anyone I could.

  As soon as school started, we clicked. I realized I could talk to Sam about anything. Or almost anything, that is. She didn’t judge me or tease me for my shortcomings. She simply smiled, offered her support, then would change the subject if she thought something made me uncomfortable.

  No one else had ever done that for me, and while it might sound like a small thing, it made me enjoy her company even more.

  Sadly, as much as I loved the idea of giving us a chance, sleeping with my roommate didn’t sound right at all. What if we had a falling out and still had to share a dorm with one another? If I thought things were awkward between us now, they’d be ten times worse by then.

  Not that I wouldn’t love to run my hands through her hair.

  Cup her face. Kiss her. I never should’ve invited her.

  It was too late for that now.

  “Really?” Sam’s soft voice drew me from my thoughts.

  It took a moment to remember what I’d said, which only complicated things more as heat rushed into my cheeks. “Sure.

  Why not? I’ve always wanted to travel but never really had the time. I’ll have to scrimp and save a bit, but I’m sure I could swing it no problem.”

  “Then you’ve got yourself a deal,” Sam said with a huge grin on her face. No longer staring out the window, she sat back and looked at the road ahead. “So what do you like to do for the holidays?”

  By the time we pulled into the drive, it was dark. We’d stopped for a quick bite to eat along the way, but I was already starving. No doubt Mom had a load of food prepped in the fridge, some of which I hoped to break into as soon as we got through the door.

  “Aww, it’s cute,” Sam said as she rummaged around the backseat for her things, pausing once she was through to admire the small cottage my folks owned. “You never told me about this. I always thought you lived in the city.”

  “Sometimes, I do. Mom and Brad have two homes. There’s one right on the edge of the city, but they also have this one which we tend to use for our family get-togethers. It actually has a yard in the back.”

  “It looks way better than the flat we have back home,”

  Sam said. “You get a nice view but not much of a yard to speak of.”

  I nodded then. “Which is how the other house is. This one is my favorite, though it isn’t close to anything at all. We’ll have to drive about twenty minutes if there’s anywhere you want to go, so while it may look good, the travel can be a bit of a pain.”

  “Which is why it’s a holiday home,” Sam chirped.

  “Exactly. In any case, are you ready to step inside or would you like to admire the exterior some more?”

  Sam tilted her head to the side, gave the house one last look, then bumped shoulders with me and joined me on the front step. I was about to reach for the door when it opened fr
om the other side. My mom’s bright smile greeted us as soon as she pulled back the door.

  “You brought her.” She threw her arms around me, hugged me tight, then look at Sam. “You must be Sam. I’ve heard so much about you.” When she held open her arms, Sam gave me a questioning glance. Once I inclined my head, she fell into her arms, completely enveloped by my mother’s welcoming

  embrace. “Come on in. Have you eaten? Are you hungry?” she asked, releasing Sam back into the wild.

  We walked close behind her, leaving our things inside the door before joining her in the kitchen. She’d already put out a spread along with chips, various dips, and veggie sticks.

  “Coffee?” She was already in the process of starting a new pot when I pulled her into my arms. “Mom, we’ve got this. Go sit down.”

  “Oh hush,” she said with a wave of her hands. “You shut your yap and let your mother do her job.”

  Sam smiled at me, then lifted her brows as she silently asked for guidance.

  “Grab what you can,” I reminded her. “Consider this your rehearsal dinner for tomorrow.”

  Smiling, she picked up a plate and took a handful of cheese and meat rolls. “You guys celebrate on Christmas Eve?”

  “Usually,” I said with a shrug. “That way most folks have time to travel and unwind back home before returning to work.

  It makes things less hectic, you know?”

  “Yeah, but think of the travel time.” She shook her head, then rolled up some meat and cheese together before taking a bite.

  I had to agree with her there. We had two days until Christmas and the roads were already packed when we left campus. I couldn’t imagine what the drive would’ve been like if we’d waited until tomorrow.

  “At least you girls won’t have to leave that soon,” Mom said, busying herself with dishes that had already been washed.

  “Is Brad around?” I hadn’t seen my stepdad when we walked in, but he had a habit of working on cars and other projects late into the evenings.

  “You know how he is,” Mom said. “He’s currently in the garage tinkering on that old bike of yours.”