Living With The Tattoo Artist

Hello and welcome to my new story I'm working on! I have it posted on many writing platforms and have gotten many positive reviews, so I figured I'd let you guys enjoy this new story.

A/N: This is an adult romance book with a few party scenes!

Official Description;






Elaine and Marcie Harksett are a set of identical twins but have the complete opposite of personalities.

However both twins get a chance to further their careers by moving into a multi-tenant building, unfortunately Marcie has to stay back for awhile but Elaine gets to move out and establish a home within fifteen or so more people. The multi-tenant building runs on two roomies to a room, it keeps the money flow going and keeps the building standing. Marcie and Elaine would have been roommates, but because Marcie stays back, Elaine has to room with someone else for awhile.

Elaine wanted to move for furthering her career along with living in a safeguarded building with very open space between everyone, however what she gets is personal rooms, but the kitchen area and a huge bathroom that is not isolated by genders is shared by all.

The bathroom is shared by every tenant on that floor. What Elaine gets versus expecting sends her into a whirlwind of chaotic events that gives her unpredictable choices and decisions and a love interest- or two.

Vincent O’Haire is a twenty-seven year old successful tattoo artist, as well he owns his own local tattoo parlor, “The Devils Trap”. Vincent lives in the heart of the multi-tenant building and has lived alone in his own room with no one to be his roommate for a year and a half. That’s how he likes it. Alone and quiet.

Vincent is cocky, sure of himself and arrogant but there is something to Vincent that is more than what meets the eye. However, Vincents confident bravado shatters when Elaine quite literally throws her belongings into Vincents’ room, that is now shared by the both of them.

Cocky, cool-arrogant and obnoxious, meets quirky, sassy and hot-tempered in a fiery clash of brains and brawn.

Follow Elaine on her journey of self discovery, of life, love, loss and despair with a little hint of heartbreak. Read and discover Elaines life as it is written.



01





I huffed and flew around my already packed room listening to Marcie yak my ear off, really only half listening.

“Elaine Harksett! Calm down and just take a minute will you!” Marcie exclaims and jumps up grabbing my left forearm and tugging.

“No, I can’t! I have to make sure I make it on time.” I say firmly.

My statement goes empty as Marcie and I both know I am rarely capable of arriving at a certain place on time. I’m always late.

Nevertheless, I let Marcie pull me onto her bed, we have shared a room together since we were born. Marcie and I are identical twins. We both stand at a whopping 5′4, with long sandy blonde hair, bright emerald green eyes and one dimple on our right side cheeks.

As far as our looks go that’s all that we have in common really, our personalities are completely different.

I am very quiet, I love to be alone and I love dark colors. Marcie likes to be loud and overly sociable, as well she likes light colors. She likes her makeup heavy and colorful, whereas I just put on a minimal amount of eye-shadow, eyeliner and mascara.

We have shared a room together since we were really young, one half is mine, the other half is her side of the room. Of course you could probably guess by now, my side of the room is dark with white and red decorations, and her side is all completely white with pink decorations.

However many differences we have had in our lives we have always somehow remained relatively close, we have had our fair share of arguments but we never let anything get in our way of sibling-hood.

“You never make it anywhere on time.” Marcie scoffs but a smile pulls at her lips, as her mouth twitches. But she fights it and succeeds on being stern.

I just laughed and relaxed my body on the warm soft bed, “Yeah I know. It sucks that you have to be stuck here another three months you know. It would have been a lot more easier for me to be on schedule. Not to mention the fact that, I’ll miss you.” I began slowly, but quickly threw in the last sentence when Marcie starts glaring at me.

Today was the day we were supposed to move out from our parents house together and go into the heart of the city to move into a multi-tenant house. It had well over nineteen tenant rooms, and sat perfectly well rooted right in the most coincidental place; the outskirts of the city. It was in the city, but on a corner of a piece of land right beside the highway.

It was a tall white building that consisted of every floor with around twenty five plus tenants. It had a complete number of ten floors, and Marcie and I were supposed to be on the fifth floor.

Both of us. As roommates. But of course, things always go wrong just when we want them to go right.

Unfortunately, her dumb headmistress to the college she had been attending for four goddamn years wanted her to stay and help out any struggling students who didn’t quite pass.

She graduated college with a four year Undergraduate Degree. She wants to be a doctor.

I went to college for four years myself and graduated with my Bachelors Degree in Writing.

We both found our current passions future in that same certain spot where the multi-tenant house is. It looked perfect for me to write and there is a program for Marcie to attend four years in medical school there.

She had emailed somebody and asked for an extended period for her to attend because her former or still current headmistress wants her to stay back.

That apparently didn’t sit too well with them because they called her up demanding to know why they’re holding a brilliantly smart person from achieving her dream, and that old broad laid it into them, she’s a very known lady amongst higher up people.

I don’t know what she said, but it was enough to make that school do just about anything she asked and they emailed Marcie back saying that had spoken to her, and decided to let Marcie join the program whenever and go at her pace from the beginning with a bunch of other people starting the same time as her.

Since it was relatively quiet, and Marcie had school she would be attending, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to move into that building instead of moving into a two bedroom apartment. We would be able to pay for a spot there, because we could share rent, utilities and groceries with many other people.

Of course we didn’t have our own bathrooms and the kitchen we would have to share that with everyone else living there as well, but we had our own room together, or was supposed to and we weren’t squeamish about living with many other people.

Well, I was a little. I was never a people person, and just stuck by myself and with Marcie, being in the same grade throughout our lives.

But Marcie was ecstatic to live in a multi-tenant place and even though she couldn’t come for a few months, she was still excited to get there eventually. She kept pushing for me to pack up and move and even though I remained reluctant for a week at most, eventually though Marcie had convinced me to move.

There has to be two tenants per tenant room. It is the only way for the multi-tenant building to work the way it is. For that many people to be living there on each floor, two people had to bunk together AND share the money for that room. I was supposed to be rooming with Marcie, but since she’s coming later. I have to move in with somebody else for the time being.

Our parents stayed out of our decisions, albeit we went to school got all A’s and was honor roll, we both graduated high school and college, so they have never said a word about our lives. I liked to be a show off when I was younger and fell into the wrong crowd a few times, I got mixed up in stuff and had an addiction to pills and weed and had a minor alcohol addiction, I am diagnosed with PTSD and have nightmares about the stuff I had seen when I was mixed with the very wrong crowd.

I have tried to shape my life better, more healthier. I am sober when it comes to pills and alcohol. But I still smoke weed to calm my nerves. I went to the doctors and out of every medication they have prescribed for me, weed works the best to help with my PTSD. So, naturally I got a medical card.

That’s the only time my parents have ever stepped in to intervene in my life, to help me get over my addiction and bad spot in the world and better my life by being on the right track.

Marcie however, was blessed with Bi-polar Disorder and an addiction as well but hers is her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder addiction.

We’re just heavenly bunches of fun, aren’t we?

Her side of the room, is always neat and organized as well as color coded, but mine? Mine is very chaotic and unorganized.

“I know, I’m sorry Elly. I wish I could come and leave this godforsaken place.” She says and looks around at her still not packed decorated half of the room, and to my half of the room. Adorned on my side were bare walls, and empty space where all my things would be.

Her bright green eyes shown sadness and loneliness that I know mirrors in my own equally emerald green eyes.

The moving truck was already packed with all of my stuff, but I was even more reluctant to leave Marcie. The familiarity of home making me want to stay in this room with my sister for eternity.

I was excited to continue my career, but on account of writing, I will not be taking an apprenticeship, I will just be taking what I have learned throughout my stay at college and I will start working on a novel. A few months ago, I pictured moving to the city, with my sister at my side and I was confident, but now I want to shrivel up with how not confident I was starting to feel knowing she won’t be there to help guide me through the beginning stages of being in a new home.

Tears went to pool in my eyes, but I shook away my sadness and emptiness before it could swallow me whole.

“Marcie.” I say to get her attention.

“Don’t say everything is going to be okay. For once just let me be emotional.” She sniffled and avoided my gaze.

I laughed at her inside my head. Marcie has always been the more dramatic one out of us, always crying in sappy romance movies, and always getting emotional whenever one of her favorite characters die in TV shows.

Me, on the other hand put most of my energy into heavy and emotional music along with sticking my nose in a book whenever I could get the chance.

Marcie went to parties and went out almost every night once she had turned twenty-one. For my celebration on that same night turning the same age as her, I stayed home and downed a few fruity drinks, that I have no idea what the name of it was, but I got drunk on that and re-read one of my favorite books by Stephen King; “Hearts in Atlantis”.

I stumbled upon this book when I was thirteen and it has been my ultimate favorite book to read on a number of occasions. The story of Bobby Garfield and the twisty messed up life he lived in drew me in instantly and always surprised me every time I would read it.

Marcie would always go out past then, it took months for her to calm down from her partying, and free lifestyle to concentrate on her studies. She stated when she graduated from high school that she wanted to go to college, but wanted to wait until after she turned twenty-one. That way she could get the partying out of the way so she could study and be an amazing doctor one day and like a good sister, I stayed by her side.

Our parents house was a big two story house that was placed in a small town in the country-side of New York called; Ithaca. The city where the multi-tenant building is in the upper west side in New York City, and I’m really not excited to get out in between all of that commotion.

We went to different colleges in Ithaca, we have three little colleges in this small town we live in, and as being in a small town, the colleges didn’t have dorms, so we had to stay living with our parents the whole time we attended college.

Our parents have always been on our sides, they loved the fact we shaped up our lives in high school and followed our dreams to make something of ourselves.

“Of course it’s not gong to be okay, not until I can see you again and live under the same roof as you again. But it’s not like its a couple years. It will be alright eventually.” I said truthfully.

Marcie purses her lips, “I know it will be Elly. I just can’t believe the headmistress is making me stay.” She says and growls annoyance flying across her face and she hardens her face slightly, her smile loosening into a deep frown.

I scoffed, “I’m surprised they are even allowing her to do that. Isn’t it illegal or something?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I just can’t wait to be out of this town and out there with you. I love you Elly” Marcie suddenly throws her arms around my sweaty and damp body.

I wrap my arms around my sister and hug her afraid to let her go, “I love you too Marc”

I sigh and we pull away, “I need to go, but I really don’t want to.” I stall and let out a light chuckle.

Marcie senses that I’m trying to stall to stay longer and jumps up to stand by the bed and latch her hands around around my arms.

“Come on! Time to go make adventures!” She yells out, almost like she was trying to convince herself for me to leave more than she was trying to convince me.

“Alright.” I saw weakly and let her drag me downstairs and to our parents sitting at the table.

My dad, big rimmed glasses very short blonde hair and tired green eyes reads the newspaper at the table. Our mother sits opposite him, and sips a cup of tea, while nervously looking around and sipping it every so often. Her soft brown eyes darting around the room and her long blonde hair swings in the light breeze coming in through the window.

As soon as she spots Marcie and I she, instantly throws on a smile and stands up.

“My little babygirl. So grown up, finished college and is now going to fight her own big battles of the world.” My mother gushes out.

I roll my eyes, “Mama I’m just moving about thirty minutes away. I’ll still be relatively close.” I said, trying to cheer her up some.

I have always called her mama, I was a mommys girl, whereas Marcie was a daddys girl.

“I know. I love you so damn much.” Mom engulfs me in a hug and coos out in my ear.

I grimace but don’t let up the pressure as she hugs me as if the world would be saved from hunger if I stayed right in her arms.

But we both knew that was not an option, staying was not a word in my vocabulary, and in place is change. So, I pull away and give her a sad smile.

“Bye dad.” I say my eyes finally reaching his cold ones. Dad and I got along pretty well, but I was never close to him, I desperately wanted his love when I was younger, but growing up the way I have, we grew too apart and my mother would help me with every day life after that.

“You’re leaving and you don’t give me a hug?” Dad asks out in a booming voice, but his face softens and he drops the newspaper on the table to abruptly stand up and spread out his arms.

I almost let out a sob right then and there, but I bounded into my dads arms, not getting emotional, until I heard my dads voice crack.

“You just make sure you’re going to be safe, alright?” He says and his voice cracks with heavy emotions that matches the emptiness echoing in my heart.

“I will dad. Thank you.” I feel dad lean down and feel him place a kiss on my temple.

“No worries kid, I have confidence you’ll do just fine.” Dad has always called me kid, and rarely my actual name. I never took it to heart and loved the fact he would call me kid and not Elaine like everybody else.

I said my heartfelt goodbyes and lastly turned to face my sister.

“I know you’re going to have a lot of fun. Just don’t forget me, okay?” She asks with tears already cascading down her cheeks.

I rolled my eyes but leaned forwards and embraced Marcie in a hug, “You’ll be coming in a few months, you won’t be too far behind.” I stated and she let out a laugh.

Marcie nods her head, sniffles and lets me go. We pull apart and with tears threatening to escape my eyes, I quickly turned on my heel, ushered myself into the moving truck, set up the coordinates for the GPS and started the weird semi-long road trip to my new life.






02



A/N: From here on out will involve drug talk and use, such as: smoking weed, and drinking alcohol, flashbacks of traumatic issues and smut scenes are inevitable in this book but not right off.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *







It took absolutely forever, or that was just my bored mind for me to get to the multi-tenant building. I wished it had a name, I hate calling it that. But that’s all I’m given, so I call it how I see it.

I drive along the seemingly endless highway, the cars seemed infinite along with so many big fourteen wheeler trucks, and vans. The roads littered with vehicles making the time drag on and make it well past an hour of a drive that was originally supposed to be just thirty minutes.

I was so tired and my body ached just wanting to take a short nap but the thoughts racing through my mind was enough to help keep my concentration on just getting to the building where I’ll be living and not even thinking of blinking even a wisp of sleep.

One of the many thoughts going through my brain at the moment was what I was going to do for income to pay my way to live in that building.

It was $250 for the room, excluding my toiletries and personal items. I will eventually need to buy new razors, I had to toss out my old ones, and I need new leave-in conditioner, as well as new body wash. I needed to re-load money on my card as well to pay for more minutes on my phone. I only had about three days left before my plan ran out for this month.

Next month looms around the corner and I try to scramble for items I needed to buy, I struggled to not to gain a headache because of the hard thinking I was doing, my brain on fire. Instead I chose to think about occupation choices.

I could be a waitress, it would suck entirely and I would need to practice really hard to balance the plates on the trays. I could not for the life of me balance anything or even myself, always being clumsy and tripping over absolutely nothing.

I wrinkled my nose picturing myself in a uniform carrying a buffet of plates on a tray, and then tripping over nothing and shattering everything. The humiliation. The embarrassment.

′Yeah, nevermind, scratch that.′ I thought to myself and pursed my lips trying to think about a different option.

Maybe I could be just a dishwasher. It would suck to wash all those dishes in a hot stuffy kitchen, but that is an option.

I could apply to be a receptionist. I am not good on the phone or sitting still, but I could try my best if the pay is nice.

I need a good steady income to be able to stay up on everything I needed to pay for. I had a job I quit and had worked for my two week notice, I saved up about $990 but I knew I needed a job as soon as possible, because that money is going to go by impossibly fast. All of it will be gone in about two and a half weeks.

Rent is not every month, it is unfortunately every three weeks, which give or take a few months some are actually only three weeks in a month. But still. The money demand is so much quicker than any place I have ever heard of. But this is not like a regular house, or a regular apartment building. There is many tenants in this whole building.

There is one other multi-tenant building in the city but that’s in the complete center of the city, and neither Marcie or I wanted to live in between all that commotion.

I could just apply for a job at a grocery store, or supermarket whatever they have in the city, but I really hate being around people, I really do. I hate being around people I don’t know, and for whatever reason I seem incapable of looking anyone in the eyes. Choosing to stare at their chest because I can’t take the intensity of anyone’s stare.

‘So....Nope.’ I thought, getting annoyed with myself.

There isn’t much to choose from, but I am a picky person. I am so afraid of human interactions, I have always stayed close to Marcie. Choosing her to be my best friend. She had equally leaned on me throughout our lives, and that is why we shared a room. We were always so close and never got truly annoyed with one another, we are twins, we share such a unique bond and we have never hated one another for our identical looks. Well not always at least.

At first, when we were very young, we despised looking like one another.

We dyed our hair every Halloween. We would dye our hair in that non-permanent stuff, just in spite of the fact we look exactly alike. No eye difference, no bone structure difference. Small plump lips both the same, our dimple on our right cheeks are in exactly the same position. Our button nose seeming medium size rests on our faces looked exactly alike. We looked exactly the same.

No difference whatsoever except for the way we talk.

Growing up, Marcie adapted this bubbly light cheery voice, that gets very heavy with emotion that thickens considerably. Whereas my voice is always a low calm and a lot of people say soothing voice. I was easy to listen to and easy to chat with. And by a lot of people, I mean the big ole family I exist in.

All of my cousins always loved to be around me, and loved to play video games and run around the yard with their big German Shepard dog; Sally. My aunts loved to take me shopping along with my uncles spoiling me with dessert and junk food. My whole family loved me. And as well they spoiled Marcie just the same. Their love for one another never lessening. I was always grateful for having such a big and loving family.

But as apart of growing up we just grew so much closer and started being thankful for the light sandy blonde hair and the bright green eyes. We were thankful that the universe decided to bless each other with our sister. We found out we had personalities that matched the bond we had, they were opposites but we understood each other.

We didn’t try to be purposefully apart by then. Choosing to keep our hair the same to keep that identical look.

We wanted to be totally different growing up, we never understood what having a twin meant. But we started to understand the more time we spent with each other, going through high school and college, still being in the same room allowed us to keep that bond because we would hardly see each other due to our tight schedules but still seeing enough of one another to keep the bond between us.

Speaking of Marcie, she had to stay late a few classes, just because her doctor professor ran a detailed class about the anatomy of a person. I have no idea of the basics, only because I do not want to know. She has always had an iron stomach. And I have always had a weak stomach.

“Your destination is in two miles. Turn right here.” My GPS’s monotone voice fills the air suddenly breaking me out of my trance of deep thoughts.

I put my blinker on and turn right, and continue on for another couple of minutes choosing not to go into too much more deep thinking, I’ll be there within ten minutes anyway.

“Your destination is in one mile.” The monotone voice rings out once again making my nerves shrivel up into tiny balls.

My hands start to shake around the steering wheel and my teeth starts to feather my bottom lip between them and wriggle it back and forth. Trying my hardest not to bite down too much in anticipation.

In the distance I see the white building that I am going to live in from now on and my eyes opened considerably wider and my heartbeat sped up. What will it really be like to be apart of something like this? Will people like me? Will I like them.

′I hope its somewhat clean.′ I think hopeful.

“Your destination is in 100 meters.” My GPS said somehow hauntingly.

“You have arrived at your destination.” She said finalizing the long road trip to my new life.

I glare at the GPS as I slowly ease myself up to the front door, as close as I can and put the truck in park, but don’t shut the truck off. I contemplate. I know I got this far already, but I am so scared of going into that building and seeing who I’ll be sharing a room with and how the living conditions are.

I don’t like people and for someone who doesn’t like to be around a lot of warm bodies, I am definitely picking a stupid place to live in, if you take in account of all of that, I was being pretty brainless.

But the hope of having a peaceful spacious environment to work on my writing was still brightly lit inside me. It was mostly quiet, well as quiet as you can get beside the highway and I finally reached over after a couple of minutes to turn the truck off.

My heart lept in my chest when the silence enveloped me and I gulp. I needed to calm my nerves. I eyed my purse tucked in the passenger seat and leaned over to snatch it into my arms.

I turned the handle and pushed open the truck door to step out. I forgot I had to step down a foot to get to ground level and almost fell on the ground straight on my face.

I gasp out and my hand flies to the handle up top of my head almost on the roof of the truck and wrapped my long slender fingers around it, just in time to steady myself.

“What the fuck.” I say to myself incredulously.

See what I mean? I do not stand a chance in this world.

I successfully step down this time and exhale a sigh of relief when my feet made contact with solid ground again. It wasn’t even that high but I just scared the hell out of myself.

I close my eyes slowly and sit down against the passenger side door once I stumble my way around. Without even taking a glance if someone was near or could see me.

I zip open my black small purse and dug around to find my pill bottle. I sighed in relief once my hand wrapped itself around the pill bottle, taking my hand out wrapped tightly in my hand was the pill bottle, and the contents of what was inside of the bottle.

No, the bottle did not consist of pills. I’ve been doing so good for just about eight years now, I’m not about to screw it up now.

I fought so hard to overcome my addiction, I won’t ever go back down that route again. My family especially my parents and sister deserved better than that.

No, this is weed my friend.

I have pre-rolled joints stuffed into a flower shape of sorts inside the bottle, with actual bud in the middle. I had a lot. Only because I rarely go out to get more so when I do, I go to the dispensaries to get myself arm fulls. No, I don’t smoke 24/7 but like I said, it calms my nerves and I get wound up and nervous a lot. And I have a card, so that helps me get a lot of it too.

I open the bottle and grip one of the joints, I pulled it out and took out my lighter from my purse. I had an old style lighter, you flip the lid up and light it that way. I always loved those type of lighters, so naturally when I got old enough that’s all I would really buy for lighters. I had about ten of them piled in my purse.

It has saved me from having to go out and buy a new one every month or so.

I light the tip of the joint and instantly inhaled, loving the taste of it. I exhale blowing out the smoke as I reach into my purse and grab the wrapper of the container I bought. I want to know the name of this batch, this one tastes really good and when I inhale the second hit, the high already started filling my insides making my muscles melt only just a little.

I lift up the package so I could look at the front side; Sundae Driver.

’I’m most definitely buying a shit load more of this′ I think as I bring the joint to my lips and take my third hit.

I need to smoke a lot for me to get high, I have an uncanny tolerance to weed, but Sundae Driver was insanely good and had a high thc level. By the fourth hit, the hazy warmth feeling slams into me.

“Hey! Don’t be rude and share!” A voice shouts out and my head whips to the left.

A man with lighter shade of blonde hair than I have with big blue eyes comes saunters towards me and his lips tumble open into the goofiest of grins I’ve ever seen.

His face wide, but slender and his chin buts out along with strong cheekbones that surround his face in a nice shape. Big plump lips, not not too big adorn his face, along with light freckles that dance across his cheeks.

He was probably a few inches taller than me, but not by much as we are almost eye level. Well, would be eye level I’m sitting on the stoop below the passenger side door of the truck so would be almost eye level if I was standing.

I smile lightly, my lips twitching up into a very small smile, “Um, sure. Here.” I say very awkwardly and reached over to pass him the joint as he walks to stand directly in front of me.

I still remain seated on the stoop that the passenger side of the truck has.

“Thanks. I haven’t smoked all day.” The blonde haired stranger says with another crooked goofy smile. The right side of his lips pulling up into a smile slightly more than his left.

‘Interesting.’ I think to myself.

He takes the joint and take a couple puffs, handing it back to me, “Names Riley. Riley Constant.” Riley coughs out and sticks his hand out for a handshake.

I place my hand in his, “Nice to meet you. Names Elaine. Elaine Harksett.” I gave him a smile as he smiled upon hearing my introduction the same as his.

For some reason his smile was infectious and I let out a chuckle, “Do you live in this building?” I asked out coughing passing the joint back to Riley.

Rileys eyes meet mine as he says his next words, “Yeah, I’m actually down here to introduce you to the building and everyone on our floor.” He says with emphasis on our.

“You’re going to be on the same floor as me?” I ask and somehow seem excited for it.

“Yes I do, I’m not your roommate unfortunately, but my room will be a few feet away.” Riley says and his blue eyes shine with unhindered excitement.

I don’t know what to say so I just put the joint back to my lips to take a last puff before reaching in to my purse again and bringing out the wrapper. I butted out the roach and threw it in to the bag. I collect my roaches, because then it makes the most delicious of joints to roll afterwards.

“Alright. Lets get your stuff and you introduced to your roommate.” Riley says with a light cough and goes around to the bed of the truck to grab a couple of my things.

Here goes to a new life and many new people to live with!





03


Riley took of course my mattress out of the back of the bed of the truck first and I had to slap my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing at the expression on his face.

“Hey! I hear that. You know this would be so much harder if I didn’t just smoke. So really I.” He grunts and re-positions himself to hold my mattress a different way, “Should be thanking you.” He grunts out again.

I pulled my hand away just in time to let out a full out belly laugh, “Dude, you should see your face right now.” I say.

“Blah blah blah. hmh hmh hmh.” Riley says mocking me and sticks out his tongue at me.

‘What? Is he like five.’ I think, not really offended by the action, just more taken aback by the fact that he’s openly being goofy with me and he just met me.

I wasn’t used to the open-ness of such antics, mainly only with Marcie. I let out a heavy sigh knowing I had to stop associating Marcie as the only person on planet Earth.

I let a smile smile sweep across my face and look towards the entrance to the very tall building.

“How many tenants are on the floor that we are staying on?” I asked and tried not to let my heart pick up speed again.

Riley is able to hop down onto the pavement without so much as breaking a further sweat, and clears his throat walking to stand directly in front of me, well as directly in front of me as he can get with a twin sized mattress over his shoulder.

“Well about twenty-three. But a few are away visiting family, so only about nineteen in total right now are presently in there.” Riley says.

I go towards the bed of the truck and grab a big box labeled with my bathroom utilities, and hoist it up in my arms, turning to Riley to lead me inside.

Riley gets the motion and turns around towards the front door, “Well that will be interesting.” I said lowly.

“What will?” He asks as he opens the door for me.

I nod my thanks and swiftly walk inside the building, “Living with so many people will be interesting.”

I said as Riley steps inside after letting in another woman who just says a small thank you and curtly walks away towards a hallway at the far end of the hallway we were presently in.

I looked around and see the inside is just as brightly white as the outside. Nothing adorns the walls, but a few pictures here and there of random people posing like goofy people. I noticed a large staircase stood wide and large in the huge lobby.

It branches out it looks to the left and right and seems to be just like any other set of stairs, there are stairs leading up throughout the floors of the entire building. I noticed that as I leaned forwards and noticed the echoing of stairs that looks like goes on forever.

‘How the hell am I supposed to get all my stuff upstairs?’ I thought in shock. I was very scared that I would have to carry all this stuff up myself.

I guess Riley could either sense my fear or see it written plain as day on my horrified face, but he lets out a small chuckle, “Don’t worry about it. We have an elevator. Although its not like one of those state of the art fancy, rich style elevators, it’s pretty old.” Riley chuckles again and turns sharply to the left about ten feet and I swiftly follow behind.

“Thank fuck, I thought I was going to have to carry all this stuff up by myself.” I laugh and stop abruptly as Riley swivels around and I have to dart out of the way so I don’t get pummeled with my mattress.

“I think you mean us. I’m not bringing this up just to let you get the rest. We’re going to be living together, so might as well get accustomed to helping each other out.” Riley says.

He sounds very sincere about it and my chest tightens, “Thank you Riley-I’m serious.” I say firmly as Riley goes to shake his head as a dismissal.

“No thanks needed. From now on you’re like family!” He says quite bubbly and turns around.

Riley walks towards the elevator and just by the looks of it, it doesn’t look old at all. The walls was still purely white, and the trim to the elevator was a faded gold and it may have had a few cracks in it but it doesn’t relatively look old.

I see that as I am able to observe whilst Riley pushes the button to call for the elevator.

Not long I hear a ding and the doors open, but as I go to step forwards, Rileys’ hand shoots out to hold tight to my stomach, stopping me from going forwards.

My stomach rolls and I want to yank my body back instantly, but I remain frozen, rooted to my spot the heat of his hand pulsating warmth across my stomach hugging me like a nice warm embrace.

“Stop!” Riley yells out and my body goes slack, curling in on itself.

“What?” I ask but the answer was a right in my face. Quite literally.

There was another door in the way. A wooden light brown barred door hung on hinges on each side of the elevator for you to lift up and pull down, quite like a garage door.

This wasn’t like a normal elevator.

“This isn’t a normal elevator Elaine. You have to pull up this inner door here, and pull it back down when you want to move. It’s extra protection step installed I assume. I really don’t know. The building was standing long before I came here.” Riley explains.

My eyebrows shoot up in confusion, “Does crime happen around here often?” I asked.

Riley looks back at me for a split second before bending down to pull up the door, “Um well no not recently, I guess you never heard.” Riley says very vaguely.

“What happened here?” I insist and my mouth goes slack now able to see quite a lot of detail in the elevator.

I was staring horrified at the worn down dark brown wood stained elevator and mirror ceiling that has a few spots of I have no idea what dotted across it my eyes not able to tea themselves away from the flaw in all the still remaining beauty of this elevator.

Riley walks forwards and steps fully into the elevator, turning around to face me, with seeming no difficulty at all in the semi-small elevator square space.

“There was a few murders about a five years ago. A family of eight laid awake one night, and got slaughtered, children, teens, and parents. All of them, murdered in their sleep. No one knows who did it and the police really didn’t care. They closed the case as a cold case and locked it away with thousands of other sad cold murder cases.” Riley says and his ocean like blue eyes shone much sadness.

I walk forwards and enter the elevator, no longer wanting to be alone, “Jeez, that’s so sad. That poor family. What floor was it?” I was really afraid to ask, but I had to know if it was my floor or not.

Riley obviously knowing what my question meant decided to hold out the suspense by not replying right off and leaning up, huffing while placing the mattress on his hip and pulling down the inner door, pressing the fifth floor button.

I shuddered hearing the high pitched squeak it made upon taking off and going up, but as I looked around and noticed there was old silver around the edges of the elevator on the bars opposite of me on the two adjacent walls. The silver wrap that hung like torn flesh tattered on and against the wall.

Riley then chose to break the silence, “Relax. It was the sixth floor, the one above us. But what is really weird is, sometimes and even I have had these experiences, there are loud footsteps above our heads at night and loud voices coming from those footsteps as well. Nobody has ever rented out the sixth floor since that night and that is why there is now a two tenant system to a room now.” Riley sighs and I feel the elevator lurch up and shudder over and over.

I nervously wondered if we would crash right here and now. The wires holding the elevator in place would just snap and Riley and I would plummet to our deaths.

“So Elaine, how old are you?” Riley broke the silence yet again as I stayed silent.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t ignoring what you said Riley, I am just deadly terrified of this elevator. But um, I’m twenty-six.” I said and clarified.

“Oh no, it’s okay if you were anyway, I wouldn’t know how to answer that either. I’m twenty-eight by the way.” Riley laughs and throws in his own age at the end of his reassurance.

I smile at Riley and turn my head to glance at him just in time to see him glance at me as well.

Our eyes lift and meet and a jolt goes through my entire body, the air seeming to sizzle and crack.

Our gaze was interrupted by the elevator shuddering and coming to a stop. Riley bends down to lift up the inner door once again and without a look back, proceeds forwards.

I huff and let a small smile grace my lips as Riley leads me into a small little lobby of sorts, I see coats hung up, multiple shoes on many mats and many sets of keys are hung on the wall as well. I turn to see Riley disappear to the left into a small narrow and very long hallway. I hear a small hum of chatter that gradually gets louder as we walk further down the narrow hall.

“Guys! I want to introduce to you our newest member of our lovely family. This is Elaine Harksett and she is twenty-six years old.” Riley announces loudly and stops in the center of a large room at the end of the hallway. He and with so many many pairs of eyes sent my cheeks flaming tomato red, as I emerge from the narrow hallway to enter into a very large kitchen area on the right, and a hang out lounge with many comfy looking chairs and couches lined the other side of the room.

‘Thanks Riley!’ I shout inside my head and lay a quick glare at Riley.

Riley sheepishly shrugs his shoulders and smiles, a light blush flooding to his cheeks. Riley was really cute but also attractive. He had such big blue eyes and shaggy light blonde hair that hung over his forehead and he sweeps a hand through his hair.

A few people start saying greetings instantly, but one strawberry blonde with red highlights and hazel eyes comes sauntering over, “Hello I’m Annalise, I’m twenty-three and it’s really nice to meet you!” Annalise greets out bubbly and I had to let out a small smile, she reminded me instantly of Marcie.

I put my hand out for her to place her hand in mine for a greet handshake, but Annalise had other plans. She opened her arms, leaned forwards and wrapped herself around me in a big bear hug.

“Uh-Nice to meet you too Annalise.” I say back and accept the embrace.

“Okay, Elaine can get to really getting to know all of you eventually. But I bet she would like to know where she’s is staying and settle her things in her new room first.” Riley interjected.

I was internally grateful, I wanted to get all of my things in my room and meet the person who I’m going to be living with for awhile.

I smiled and nodded my head shyly, “It’s really nice to meet all of you, and I’m happy to be here. But I would like to crash for a nap for awhile. I’m really tired and I stayed up pretty late last night.” I chuckled and earned a few other chuckles from the crowd of people formed around me.

“I’ll help bring your things to your room and so will Jeremiah .” Annalise said and pulls a man with long dark hair by his sleeve out the door behind me before I could utter another word.

“O-okay then.” I stutter out trying to figure out what the hell just happened. That was so sudden.

‘Why is she so nice?’ I ask out inside my head.

Annalise really did remind me of Marcie, she acts just like her; selfless and always willing to help someone in need.

Riley doesn’t say another word and neither does the other dozens of pairs of eyes staring back at me as Riley walks across the room and disappears into a small door in the far corner of the big kitchen/lounge area.

I follow, well more like scurry behind Riley as he leads me through the door and I am instantly hit with dozens of stairs and doors. The doors had numbers on them from one to twenty eight.

There were way too many stairs for me to count, or at least that’s what it looked like too many.

“Holy shit, the inside of this building is huge.” I exclaimed.

Well really the tenant rooms/little apartment rooms consisted of so many and the room was well over twenty or so feet high. This freaking building was huge.

Riley stepped onto a set of stairs and I follow, “You’re in room twenty two which is this way. And trust me, these stairs get way easier to navigate as time goes by.” Riley laughs and continues forwards and turns a couple nifty turns, that wasn’t really visible to the human eye. Or at first.

These stairs I noticed were an optical illusion, what seemed like hundreds of stairs were just three that turned to two and those split in two directions, but it looks like so many more going every which way.

“Whoa, that’s trippy.” I said and looked around lightly amazed.

Riley laughs over his shoulder and leads me all the way to tenant room number twenty two and I gulped nervous to see who would be living with me for the time being.

“Thank you Riley. You really didn’t have to do that.” I said grateful.

I tilt my head up and a smile sprouts on my lips as Rileys eyes meet my own once again and his own smile comes out as well. Where I have only one dimple, Riley has two. He was really cute when he smiled.

“Oh absolutely, I’m always happy to help. Um, about your roomie. He can be rude and a handful at times, but he’s a good guy, okay?” Riley leans in and his blue eyes pierce my own green ones as he studies my face.

My eyebrows flit together and my stomach starts to twist into a small knot that gradually builds and builds, “What do you mean Riley?” I ask but Riley doesn’t say anything.

He just wraps his hand around the doorknob and turns it opening it up and I immediately gasp out. The inside of this room was considerably huge.

As Riley holds open the door, I grip the box tighter in my hands and lift up a foot to step inside but of course, me being stupid clumsy me. I don’t know where it is I’m stepping as I re-positioned the box to get a better grip on the sides of the stupid cardboard box, and therefore sealed my mistake.

I gasp out and feel something hit my foot and I slide abruptly before stopping suddenly and lurching forwards, my box tumbling out of my hands and is thrown halfway into the big room.

I cry out as I am thrown as well and not forwards, but downwards.

My face meets the nice light wooden smoothly waxed floor and I grunt feeling the weight of my body slamming into itself upon impact.

“What the fuck! Why is a box being thrown in my room?” A voice booms out.

My mouth hangs open as I face the floor, panting like crazy.

Well, so much for first impressions!

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I hope you all liked my new book so far, that's all I have at the moment, and I just wanted to share it with all of you.

Thank you so very much!