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My ears burn at the mention ofhim, but is Piper right? Is this too fast?
I’m lost in my thoughts as I hear the hinges of my front door creak on the other end of the phone. Piper has just walked into my apartment back home. She promised to check up on it for me before I left because there is no way I trust my roommates to keep a tidy home.
“Oh no… Oh, babe… I hate to tell you this…”
“What? What have they done to my beautiful houseplants?” I bark, shooting upright in bed.
Piper laughs restlessly as the noise on the phone scuffles beneath her movement. “Your precious plants are fine. But the apartment…”
I grimace and smack a palm against my face.
“It’s a fucking mess, babe…”
“Urgh!” I grunt, scrunching the sheets. “Assholes! Well, that’s it. That settles it. It’s final. I’m staying here.” I throw a hand in the air. “I’m not coming back to California to be a fucking housecleaner for those pigs.”
“Babe…”
“No!” I cry out. “I’m tired of it. Piper, I don’t have anything there. He wants me. Hewantsme, babe!”
There’s a brief silence.
For the first time all day, the images in my head aren’t of the handsome features of Aiden Frank. My lovesick mind has been ruined by images of trash bags and flies circling my living room. I might be laying butt naked in the comfiest Egyptian cotton sheets on the entire planet, but my skin is crawling with irritation and disgust.
The thought of returning home feels even more uncomfortable than it did five minutes ago.
“I don’t have a job,” I continue. “I don’t have any family. You’re my only friend there, babe. What’s the point? What’s the fucking point?”
More silence. Maybe I’m starting to make sense?
My heart is beating, racing as I try to convince not only my best friend that staying in Vancouver is the only option, but perhaps I’m convincing myself too.
On the surface, it sounds perfect. It’s been the best weekend of my life and I’ve barely left this room in two days. Imagine what it’s like on the other side of this door. It just makes sense to stay here – doesn’t it?
Those pesky sex goggles could be part of it. It might be the sweet honeymoon period Piper has gone over with me, but so what? Maybe that doesn’t matter.
Nothing about this feels temporary.
“Um, Ness,” Piper says, her voice suddenly lingering down the line.
“Please, babe. I know you’re concerned, but I think this is something I need to decide for myself…”
I hear her swallow down with an audible gulp. “Well, then this isn’t going to help…”
My throat tightens. “What? What is it?”
“There’s a letter on the table… They’ve opened it, but it’s addressed to you,” Piper says.
“Yeah, sounds about normal.” My eyes roll. “It’s fine. It can wait. It’s probably just another bill with a big red ‘overdue’ stamp on it…”
I can hear the faint sound of paper scrunching. It’s just another reason to stay here as far as I’m concerned. Screw my roommates – they can pay the bills. That’s what they get for opening mail addressed to someone else.
“I don’t think so,” Piper says, her voice suddenly thick. “Now don’t go mad… But I think you’re going to want me to read this out before you decide whether you’re staying or not.”
I gulp down.
“Ok… You’re scaring me.”
Piper clears her throat. “It’s a job offer, Ness.”
