She’ll be gone in the morning.”
“Where will she go?”
“I don’t know. I told her she could stay tonight so she could make a plan.”
“And she just accepted that?”
“Hell no. There was a lot of arguing, yelling and tears on her part.”
“I’m sure there was. She doesn’t seem like the type that would give up without a fight.”
“She’s not. But ultimately, she did, and I’m not sure why.”
“You know, bro, if you’re having second thoughts you can stay with me and Allison until you find another place.”
“Nah. This apartment is rightfully mine. I’ve been on the waiting list for six months, and I am not giving it up because the landlord fucked up. Welcome to my new bachelor pad, bro.” I grinned.
“I love it, and I know there will be many sexually fulfilled nights here.” He tipped his bottle to mine.
His phone dinged and when he pulled it out of his pocket and read Allison’s text, he immediately got up from his seat.
“Gotta go. Allison and Ruby are home.”
“Do you always jump when she texts you?”
“Of course. I love her and I missed them.”
“You’ve only been gone a couple of days.”
“Doesn’t matter. Even a few hours without them is enough to drive me crazy.”
I rolled my eyes as I got up from my seat and gave him a bro hug.
“I’ll talk to you later. Love the place, bro,” he said as he walked out the door.
Sara
The morning sun beamed through the blinds as I opened my eyes and wiped the sleep from them. Climbing out of bed, I quickly made it and then went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. After pulling my hair back in a ponytail, I got dressed and pulled my suitcases behind me as I left my room. The door opened and Mason walked in carrying a cup holder in one hand and a white box in the other.
“Good morning,” he spoke.
“Good morning.”
“I brought us some coffee and donuts. I figured you’d need some fuel before you leave.”
“Thanks, Mason,” I said as I took one of the cups from the holder.
“Did you make a plan last night?” he asked as he grabbed a donut from the box.
“Yeah. I booked a room at the Hilton, and I made an appointment to tour an apartment I looked at before. I want to see it again before I make a final decision.”
“Listen, Sara,” he spoke as he leaned up against the counter. “I think you should just stay here.”
“Really? You’d move out and let me have it?”
“No. We can be roommates.”
My heart leapt into my throat.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We don’t get along very well.”
“I’m usually gone three nights a week and with your schedule, I’m sure you’re not home much either. So, we’d barely see each other.”
“I don’t like to share,” I said as I took a bite of my glazed donut.
“Trust me. I don’t either. I’m not taking this lightly. You need to understand how hard this is for me to even offer. I don’t do roommates, and I like my personal space.”
“I like my personal space, and I don’t do roommates either. Not even in college or med school. I’ve always been on my own. Why the sudden change of heart?” My eye steadily narrowed at him.
“Because I’m not willing to move out and you don’t want to move, so I think as adults we can compromise.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I am. We can split the bills. It’ll be cheaper for both of us, and I’m willing to try if you are.”
“We’d have to come up with a list of rules.”
“Definitely.” He smiled.
I sat there and stared at him while I sipped my coffee. What was he up to?
“You’re not offering because you think I’ll have sex with you, are you?”
“No. That ship already sailed. If you reject me once, I move on and I don’t look back. The truth is, I’m sure you wanted this place because it’s close to the hospital and to your mom. You need to be close to her in case of an emergency or something.”
“Thanks, Mason. I appreciate it, but a lot of things were said yesterday between us.”
“I know, and I’m willing to put that behind me and move forward. We don’t have to be friends, Sara. We can just be two people who share an apartment that barely see each other. You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
“Can I at least have your phone number in