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I run a hand over my face and groan, “I know. I just, I was trying to help.”
“And now you worry you made a mistake?” Conner finishes the statement, but I know I did. Being with her in her parents’ house this week with the shared looks and brief moments, I can only resist so long before I snap, and with her living here, there will be no barrier. I don’t want to go there because she is grieving and in a complicated place right now. She is also Ava’s best friends, and that always complicates shit.
Neither of us needs complicated right now, so I need to work as hard as I can to keep things clear between us.
I nod to my brother's comment, quickly realising he can't see me and answering, “Maybe.”
Silence meets me, and I wait for some kind, insightful words, but I don't expect what Conner says. “Well, good luck, brother.”
I hear the fucker laugh before he hangs up, and I stay frozen, holding the phone to my ear. Did that fucker just hang up on me?!
I throw my phone on the couch, running my fingers through my hair as my heart sinks, when there is a sudden knock on the door.
I glance at the clock and see that it's about that time.
She's here, and I've officially run out of time to fix things and figure out a plan for how I am going to handle everything.
Dropping my hands from my head, the knock sounds again, and I know I just have to wing it.
After another knock, this one with more urgency, I hurry to the door, calling out, “Yeah, I’m coming!”
Throwing open the door, I am met with a pair of blue, disapproving eyes, similar to Mia’s, but without the little sparkle she has. I cross my arms over my chest as I watch Hunter, Mia’s brother, seizing me up. “What was taking you so long?”
I cock my head. “You had to wait two seconds.”
I hear a familiar scoff from behind Hunter as Mia suddenly shoves him aside, breaking our eye contact as she exclaims, “God! Can we just get over this? I’ve still got so much shit to bring in and pack away, I don’t have time for a macho showdown.”
She shoves her small frame past me, not even looking at me as she drops the bags she was carrying in the entryway. Only as she looks around the apartment, taking in its dated decor and small size, do I take in what she just said.
“Wait? How much did you bring?”
Five huge bagsand four boxes later, and I've helped them lug up all Mia’s stuff, plopping them in the room I said was hers. She smiled when she realised it was right across the hall from the bathroom, but that smile quickly died when she saw my room was right next to hers. Hunter frowned at that as well, but proceeded to bring in the rest of her stuff.
We found her standing in her new room, already furnished with a bed and mattress covered with a plain white blanket and pillows. A dresser with a mirror stood opposite the bed, which was perched under the huge window.
Simple.
“Someone wanna tell me why there are bars on every window in this apartment?” Hunter asks, walking into the room, looking it over before looking at me with raised brows.
I shrug. “Came with the apartment. I figure it was no problem. No one can break in through the window if the window is barred.”
Hunter's brows almost hit his hairline at that, and I have to try not to laugh as he turns a panicked look at Mia. “You can’t be serious moving in here.”
Mia rolls her eyes. “Hunter, don’t start.”
“Mia-“
“No!” Mia exclaims, cutting him off, her shoulders bunching up around her ears as she finally meets his eyes, saying, “I’m here, Hunter. It’s final.”
She proceeds to pull her belongings out of boxes and puts them away as Hunter stands, seething, opening and closing his fists as he glares at me.
I just keep my face neutral, knowing that setting off Mia’s brother won’t be a good start to all of this. He tenses his jaw, grumbling as he passes me in the doorway. “I need to speak to you.”
Without another word, he walks out to the living area. With one final look at Mia, I follow and stand a distance away, my arms crossed over my chest as I wait for him to speak.
He doesn’t make me wait long. “What is going on here?”
I furrow my brow. “Going on?”
