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“Holy shit, this looks better than the pictures.”
Matthew chuckled. “I told my boss those pictures we threw up there online were shitty. Excuse my language.”
Cecilia slowly walked in. “The hardwood floors are beautiful.”
I furrowed my brow. “Are those granite countertops in the kitchen?”
“And look! A built-in breakfast nook!”
I shook my head as Matthew ushered us in. He closed the door behind us and gave us the grand tour, with my jaw dropping to the floor. There was so much room in this fucking place. I mean, for an apartment? Hell, yeah. I went into the kitchen and checked all the appliances, which I found had been recently updated. I walked over to the balcony, shaded by the trees and the balcony above it. The white-washed wrought iron made the little nook cozy, and it overlooked a long stretch of grass that led softly down a hill.
Where I heard people splashing in the pool.
Rae and I could spend the summer by the pool after graduation.
I imagined her in a cute little bikini. Me, slathering tanning oil on her back. Driving me wild all summer while I wrote in my notebook and she rested between my legs. I hadn’t even seen the bedrooms, and already this place felt like home.
Michael and Allison could even join us.
“Clint? Honey?”
I whipped around at the sound of my stepmom’s voice.
“Yeah? Sorry. Just thinking.”
Matthew grinned. “About that nice pool you saw?”
I snickered. “It was nice.”
“We have the biggest apartment complex pool in Riverbend. And the hot tub comfortably seats fifteen people.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened. “Fifteen? That’s a small pool in and of itself.”
“We pride ourselves in providing the best for our apartment dwellers.”
I sighed. “So, what’s the catch?”
They both fell silent and all eyes were on me.
“There is no catch,” Matthew said.
I snickered. “There’s always a catch.”
Cecilia cleared her throat. “We already talked about this.”
I nodded. “I know. But you guys will be losing a profit on our lease at twelve hundred for a place like this. I want to know there isn’t some catch. Something you expect us to do in exchange for paying such a low cost of rent here.”
Matthew walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. I didn’t like him being so close. But it was better than my father being that close. I stood my ground, keeping my eyes connected with his. I wasn't backing down on this. I wouldn’t let my stepmother get swindled by anyone else. Not again.
Not as long as she protected me.
“I’m not going to assume to know everything about your story. But let’s say I get the gist.”
I furrowed my brow. “Okay?”
Matthew licked his lips. “I watched my mother, for many years, get treated as less than by my stepfather. I watched her get taken advantage of for years. And she didn’t live long enough for me to see her become the strong woman I knew she was, deep down.”
I sighed. “Dude, I’m sorry.”
