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“I’ve been with Alex five minutes,” she said. “I’m not going to dump myself in his life after five minutes. We’re not moving in ready yet. Where are you planning to go?”
“I’ll get a hotel tonight and check online for a new place. Anywhere is better than with Bryan.”
And it was on her that Gwen had been dealing with these stresses at home alone. “Okay,” she said. “Then I’m coming with you.”
Gwen stopped. “What?”
“If you’re going, I’m going. I just got fired anyway, and I can’t afford this place by myself. If Bryan didn’t pay in one place, why would he pay here? Tia made this bed, she can lie in it herself.”
Her friend blinked. “You… you’ll come with me?”
“Yes! Geez, woman, what did you think I’d do? Can you give me an hour to pack up?”
“Be quick. I don’t want another argument. I just want to get out of here.”
“Absolutely. There’s no point wasting the emotional energy on a fight that no one can win. And we can go to Alex’s tonight. Just not long term. I don’t want him to think I’m a crazy, you know?”
Gwen had brightened enough to smile. “Yes, I get it. Okay…” She laughed. “Go! Go get packed.”
Okay, her whole life in as small a package as possible. Moving wasn’t a great idea when she’d just lost her job. Money was tight and they probably wouldn’t get their security deposit back, not while there were people still living in the apartment.
At least staying at Xander’s was rent free. Not that she’d take advantage. She didn’t want him coming home from Sydney only to find out she and her friend had taken over his life.
Almost an hour later, she was still tossing clothes into a gym bag when her cellphone rang. She fished it out of her pocket and tucked it between her shoulder and ear to free her hands for folding. Semi-folding, she was in a rush, what else was there?
“Hello?”
“Hey, honey,” Roxie chirped. “Want to come to Crimson tonight?”
“New York?” she asked, frowning. “Didn’t we just come from there this morning?”
Roxie laughed. “Yes, but I meant Crimson Chicago. I have a meeting with the contractors tomorrow, but I want to sneak in tonight and take a look around before then, so I can freak them out with my knowledge. Not such a bad thing for them to suspect they’re being watched at all times.”
“No, that’s a good plan, and I’d love to, but I can’t.”
“Okay. What’s going on?” The thread of awareness in Roxie’s voice was wary. “Everything okay? You sound all breathy.”
“I’m packing. My roommate and I are moving out.”
“Of your apartment? Why? You didn’t mention that this weekend.”
“No, it just happened, like literally just happened. We’re trying to get out of here before our other roommate shows up with her jerkoff of a boyfriend.”
“Ah, like a midnight flit.”
“But at whatever time it is now, yeah.”
“Where are you going?”
“Xander’s, but just for a night or two, we’re not moving in.”
“Because…?” Roxie asked, drawing it out.
She exhaled a laugh. “Because I am not a crazy bunny boiler intent on taking over his life. It’s only a one-bedroom anyway and there are two of us.”
“Come over to my place.”
“Your place?”
