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“Yeah, I did too.”
“Are you pressing charges?”
I sighed. “No. He needs help. He needs to learn how to treat other people better. But will ruining his life accomplish that?”
She shrugged. “I think he’s depressed.”
“He has been for a long time. He’s on medication, or supposed to be, but I’m pretty sure he stopped taking it.”
“I think you’re right.” She frowned. “I don’t remember seeing him take anything, though he could hide that from me. It’s not like I pry into his business or snoop in his medicine cabinet. I wouldn’t want to embarrass him or make him think I’m kicking him out.”
I added soap to the dispenser. “Will you now?”
“Nah. We’re on good terms. As long as he pays his rent and keeps the house clean, I have no reason to make him leave. He’s actually the best roommate I’ve ever had.”
“Huh.” I closed the dishwasher and set its cycles. “He never picked up around here. Rarely helped with dishes or cooking, and definitely never offered up a dime toward expenses.”
“Ugh. It’s like there’s two sides of him. You must hate him.”
“No. I probably should, but I just feel sorry for him.” I started the dishwasher. “I know what a fucked up childhood he had.”
Tobias and Aithan came into the kitchen.
“Tristan?” Tobias asked, picking up on the last of our conversation. I nodded, and he added, “You’re a better person than I am. I’d bust his chops for the shit he’s pulling.”
“You’ve been burned by Maeve,” Candace pointed out. “You’re still licking your wounds.”
“Exactly. Don’t put up with it, Zel. He’ll just push harder if you cut him any slack.”
Candace cocked her head at me. “What was the last straw?”
“Before what?”
“Before you kicked him out.”
“He didn’t tell you?” When she shook her head, I told them about the fatkini insult and how it made me realize what a turd Tristan was.
“What a shithead,” Tobias muttered.
“Yeah,” Candace said.
“Absolutely.” Aithan grinned at me. “But I wanna see this bikini.” Candace snapped the wet towel at him.
I bit my lip and looked down, suddenly feeling insecure. “I’m not comfortable wearing it in front of anyone.”
Aithan’s expression fell, but he came and leaned against the counter beside me. “Remember when you were a kid and you fell off your bike or busted your butt roller skating?”
“Yeah?” Where was he going with this?
“That bikini is just like that. Tristan knocked you down, Zel. He kicked the confidence out of you.”
Candace nodded. “You gotta put that thing back on and flaunt what you’ve got in a great big fuck you to him.”
Tobias nodded. “They’re right.”
I shook my head. “He’s never going to see me in it.”
“Of course not,” Candace said, “but that’s not the point. You bought it because you knew it would make you feel sexy, right?”
