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“So this is the foyer,” Tina begins, “as you can see. The wood has been refurbished.”
Tina’s voice goes in and out of my ear as I walk around the house, nodding along, yet not quite listening. My gaze goes to Rachel, watching her eyes widen in shock at the fine detail on the staircase’s banister and the way she strokes the windowsills. I want this place for us. This will be great. I will be using the money for good. It doesn’t matter if I’m doing something a bit immoral, so long as I can make us happy. That’s all I want. Every man wants to be able to provide for his family.
We follow Tina up the stairs, finding a small half-bathroom and then a larger one positioned between five rooms. Seth opens the doors to each, walking inside for approximately two minutes before running out and into another. I peak into one, looking around at the large window and the small bed positioned in the corner. Well, small isn’t really my style, but it won’t be the worst thing in the world if this becomes my room. At least, we can all be together.
“And here,” Tina begins with a smug smile, her hand pressed against the door at the far end of the hallway, “is the master bedroom.”
The moment the door opens, we are all greeted by the sight of a large room painted in white. I watch Rachel slowly step inside, her mouth agape as she takes in the room. The windows are huge and line the corner of the walls. The large canopy bed sits in the center, with a vanity resting next to it. A chandelier dangles above us as we all enter. As I approach the windows, I can see they open onto a balcony overlooking the garden below.
“What do you think?” Tina asks, still lingering by the door with an amused smile gracing her lips.
“It’s amazing,” Rachel breathes, her eyes filled with awe as she looks around the room.
I can’t stop watching Rachel, hoping with everything I have that she will say yes to us moving into this house. When looking at the photos of the place, I originally intended for this room to be hers. It’s the perfect little nook for her, unlike the tiny, dilapidated room she has now. There’s lighting for her to create her masterpieces, and I’m sure there’s enough space to put a sofa inside for me and the other bros to chill on while she’s painting or drawing. If not, we can use the living room downstairs. I want her to want this house as much as I do—to have a place for all of us to call home, including Hunter.
“Alright,” Tina starts. All of us turn around to face her in unison. Tina’s gaze lands on me and she begins to turn, her smile widening as if she’s suspecting us to take the house here and now, which I’m all for. “I’ll give you all some time to talk. I’ll be waiting downstairs in the foyer if you have any questions.”
“Thank you, Tina,” I say with a tight smile, watching her stride down the hallway towards the staircase.
“Okay, once again,” Seth says, wagging a finger towards me, “how much money did you make from your book?”
I shrug, not wanting to go into details. “Enough.” The less they know, the better. I’m sure everyone will have something to say about me writing about my family. I’ve already made my decision. I’m not going back. We need this place. It’s been difficult having Hunter living separately from us.
“Nope, nah-uh,” Seth says while shaking his head and crossing his arms. “That’s not gonna cut it.”
I roll my eyes. “Does it really matter?”
“It kinda does,” Seth insists, looking at me sternly as if he’s about to scold me about keeping secrets.
I turn to Rachel, seeing her scrunch up her nose, looking both awkward and worried. “Rachel?” I say sweetly. “What do you think of the house?”
Rachel looks between me and Seth before sharing a look with Hunter and Alex. Alex looks curious. There’s no worry evident in his gaze. Hunter looks hopeful. I know he’s been wanting to move back into our tiny apartment.
“It’s lovely,” Rachel says, her words giving me hope, but her expression making me worried. “But, can you really afford this?”
“It’s definitely not going to be cheap,” Seth pipes in.
“Well, maybe I can put some of my savings towards it,” Hunter adds.
Seth scoffs. “You have no savings.”
“I have savings,” Alex says while raising his hand.
“No, I don’t need anyone’s savings,” I say, unable to contain my frustration. “This is my gift to the group. We’ve all been stepping on each other for a while, and this place will be good for us once everyone’s graduated. I know it’s a bit far from campus, but Hunter has his car, so he can drive to campus with you, Rachel, and there’s plenty of space to train, Alex and Seth, during the summer.”
Seth’s face softens, making me feel as if I am finally getting somewhere with him. It’s not like I haven’t thought this through. We need a place for all of us to live in. Together. Like one big family. So what if I’m writing terrible things about my family? Rachel and the bros need the money. It’s for us.
“But,” Rachel begins, looking very uncertain as she stares at me, “isn’t this too much? I can help out, Lucas. I may not have much, but I don’t want you to pay for everything.”
“No, it’s fine.” I take her hands and pull her toward me, unable to stop smiling. She looks so worried, but there’s nothing to fear. This is a good thing, I keep telling myself, ignoring the twisting of my insides and that sick fluttering of my heart. “Save your money. We can put it towards our future, or you can put it towards your art.”
Rachel’s brows pinch together and she frowns up at me. “You haven’t told us a thing about your book,” she says, her tone accusing.
I drop her hands as if the mere feel of them in my grasp burns. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Yet, I can’t help worrying about it,” says Rachel while placing her hands on her hips. “Lucas, what are you writing about?”
I shake my head. “Nothing,” I say hoarsely.
