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I heard the sound of Forrest moving around, then the quiet squeak of his bed, which I now knew rested along the wall near mine.
“Play it for me?”
“Not tonight,” I said. “I’m…I just need a moment.”
Forrest said nothing for a long while, then he knocked twice—a gentle tap of a knuckle. “Have you eaten?”
I laughed. “No. Well, I ate something for lunch, but I don’t think I can even feel hunger right now.”
“Jules…”
“I know. But I swear I’m not starving to death.”
“Jules,” he said again. “Just go eat something. For me. I need to run out for an hour, and I want to know you’re taking care of yourself.”
Once again, Forrest proved that in a short span of time, the neighbor who’d once hated me and made my life miserable—the neighbor who’d made me beg and bargain for just a little bit of peace—was also now the man I’d do anything for.
It felt dangerous.
Swinging my legs over the bed, I sighed and pushed myself up to stand. “Fine. But you owe me.”
“Whatever you want,” Forrest said.
I wished more than anything that could be true, but I knew better. So instead of giving into the urge to rush out and watch him leave his building so I could know who he was, I listened to him put on his shoes and rustle around the room.
And eventually, after a short forever, I heard his front door close.
With a weight in my chest, I headed into the kitchen, and just as I was sliding one of the frozen containers into the toaster oven, my phone started to buzz. I’d forgotten about it on the table next to the now-empty bags, and I picked it up, not entirely surprised to see my uncle’s name on the screen.
Part of me wanted to ignore him, but I couldn’t accept the gift he’d given me without at least saying thank you.
“Good afternoon, Julius,” he said, oddly formal for a man who oversaw buildings like this one. “I wanted to speak to you about Christmas.”
I winced. “Let me guess. Joy called you?”
“She’s gone out of her way to help you after the situation you got yourself into,” he said, and I bit back a salty reply because I hadn’t asked for any of this. “I think the least you can do is give her a day.”
“It’s not on purpose,” I said in a rush. “I have an audition with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra on Christmas Eve, and there’s no way I’d be able to get a train out to her place that late. And I can’t let this opportunity pass by. You have to understand that—”
“No,” he said, then sighed. “No, I understand. In fact, I’ve been thinking, and I have another place I could rent you. Not for free, but trust me when I say you won’t find rent like this anywhere in the state. I don’t like taking financial hits, but I’d be willing to with this. You’re my nephew, and despite what you and your sister think, I do care.”
Panic threatened to overwhelm me. All I’d done since setting foot in this place was dream about getting out. Now the thought of losing Forrest was enough to make me scream.
“Not yet,” I said in a rush.
“I don’t understand…”
“Just…Look, I appreciate the offer, Uncle Raymond, and if you really need me to pay, I’m happy to pay rent here.”
His silence was overwhelming.
“I just don’t know if I can deal with one more move is all,” I said, scrambling to explain without telling him the actual truth. “I’m in a precarious position with work, and I just need more time. After the holidays, maybe we can talk about it,” I pushed.
He blew out a puff of air, then said, “Until after the holidays. I won’t charge you for that place, Julius. I understand the condition it’s in, and honestly, I’m probably going to sell the building.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “Oh. Uh, when?”
“Soon. Likely in the spring,” he answered. “That bastard Ash Byrne has been up my ass for the last three years trying to buy the property. He owns the building next door,” he added as though I cared about anything except not losing this odd little paradise I called my own. “I had someone come in to assess repairs and maintenance last week, and the cost isn’t worth it.”
