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I move out of his way and shut the door behind him. “This is just temporary. I’m looking to buy a place soon.”
Suddenly, I’m self-conscious of my meager lifestyle. Then, I give myself a mental bitch slap. Absolutely not. I won’t be ashamed of supporting myself. Bentley can fuck himself if he thinks less of me just because I don’t live in a mansion.
He looks around and nods. “I’d rather have this than my place. Less space to lose shit in.”
My thighs tighten at his acceptance. I didn’t expect that.
Bentley takes a seat on my couch and stretches out. His wide form takes up half of the space, and I’m not sure how I feel about seeing him there so comfortable.
He’s wearing jeans and a dark-blue polo that makes his icy eyes stand out. His hair lays flat, making me assume he either didn’t style it today or he’s already showered since getting off work.
His gaze finds mine. “Are you going to sit?”
“Let me just grab my laptop.” I head for my nightstand where I left it and unplug the charging cord.
I spot my robe and consider covering up since we’re supposed to be working, but Bentley seems capable of remaining on task, so I ignore the black material hanging on the wall.
When I sit down, I set the laptop on the coffee table and pull it closer to the couch. A few clicks later and I have the saved spreadsheet pulled up. It’s color-coded and geeked out, but it works for me.
Bentley chuckles, and I look over at him. “What?”
He shakes his head. “Absolutely nothing. Where should we start?”
My phone vibrates, but I don’t see it on the couch. Bentley raises up and grabs it from under his ass. His eyes glance at the screen as he hands me the phone. His brow lifts. “Fucker? Really?”
I ignore his question and see a message from our group chat.
Piper: I got the move date today. It’s locked in this time. Even if the new building isn’t done, they’ll have space for me at the current site. December 27th.
My heart sinks. It doesn’t matter that I’ve had months to prepare for this moment or that there are still months left until she goes. It’s still not easy to accept that one of my best friends is going to be moving all the way across the country from me.
Sure, it will be nice to leave North Carolina and visit California, but how often will I get to do that? Not as much as I’d like. I know that for sure.
Ella: Congrats, Pipe! We’ll celebrate soon. I’m so happy for you!
I quickly type out a response before I get too pouty.
Me: About fucking time! Can’t wait to plan your party. Would strippers be too much?
Piper: Don’t you dare.
I laugh, because they know I would.
“I thought something was wrong, but you’re laughing,” Bentley says, staring at me more intently than I expect.
I set the phone down on the coffee table. “My best friend is moving to California by the end of the year.”
Bentley’s eyes widen. “Owen is leaving?”
“Not Ella. Piper. She’s the responsible one out of the three of us. Not sure what will happen once she’s not here to police things.” I smirk, thinking of all the times Piper has kept me from going home with a guy I shouldn’t have or prevented me from doing something that I could end up in jail for. Misdemeanors only, of course, but still. She balances out my crazy in a way nobody ever could.
Bentley sits forward, his expression softening. “If you’re not up for working now, we can meet again tomorrow.”
I grab my laptop and put it on my thighs. “No, I’m good. There’s nothing I can do right now about her moving, so might as well keep my mind busy.”
He settles back on the couch, still surprising me with how at ease he is in my home. “Are you going to change my name in your phone?”
I chuckle. “Why? Does it offend you?”
