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“He’s a rapist now?” I shudder, remembering my dream. My brother loves to put terrible images in my brain.
“Dude,” Grady shakes his head, “this is your best, and only option.”
“This is a complicated situation, Grady. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” No if he knew the truth, he would be past understanding. He’d be raging.
“He’s trustworthy,” he holds a finger up, “he’s got money,” he holds up another finger.
“It’s not about money,” I snap. Although I really don’t have any other way of paying the rent and I know it. It’s causing me to panic even more. Bills, and more bills.
“It’s all about money, and you need it. Besides, he doesn’t have anywhere to stay. All the hotels are full, and his parents’ house is full. If you kick him out, you’ll just be putting a man out on the street. Get over yourself.” Now Grady sounds a bit condescending, and I don’t know how to feel about that.
He leaves me in the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. I know he’s mad at me, but I can’t tell him that Travis took my virginity and broke my heart. He loves him, and they’re best friends. I won’t be responsible for that falling out.
“Okay,” I say to the mirror, “you can do this. You just need to go out there and be an adult. Yes, Travis broke your heart, yes, he looks good enough to eat, but it’s not about that.”
I can keep it in my pants for sure. All I have to do is remember how it felt when he left me, and it’ll be easy. That and how terrible all my underwear looks. Taking a deep breath, I exit the bathroom and go to face my fate.
TRAVIS
I stand in the very bare living room waiting on Grady to come back. That roommate of hers really did take everything from her. It hurt a little bit to hear that many nos coming out of her mouth. I knew she wasn’t into me, but Jesus, that hurt my ego a little, and I’m usually not lacking in that department.
Gazing out the window, I try to get the image of her dancing in her underwear and a thin T-shirt out of my mind. Her toned legs moving her little body across the room, ready to wrap around my torso. Her boobs jiggling with each step, barely contained in the bra that is showing under her see through shirt. And her ass in those cotton panties, firm but soft, begging to be held on to while I take her from behind...
Yeah, probably not going to forget that.
She’s even hotter than I remembered, still sexy as hell. Oh, the things I could do to her now. Back then, we were just kids, and we didn’t know what we were doing most of the time. Only discovering and learning. Now things would be different. I could make her come so hard she would forget her name.
Shit, I can’t keep thinking like this. I don’t need to get in my own head about this. Nina and I don’t have to hang out. I just need somewhere to sleep. I can’t get obsessed with a woman who doesn’t want me. She fucked me over once, it’s not going to happen again. I’m doing this for my friend, and so I have a place to stay, that is it. Now I just have to convince Nina of it.
Stopping by the ATM on the way over had been smart. I took out more cash than she needs for the rent to hopefully sway her to my side. And no, I’m not above bribing a woman to let me live with her. A man has got to do what a man has got to do.
I can hear them arguing back and forth. For a panicked moment, I think maybe she told him about us. Probably not though, since he’s not storming out of the bathroom to strangle me.
Suddenly, the room becomes stifling, beads of sweat forming against my forehead. Does she have the heat on?
The arguing seems to stop as a hush of silence falls over the apartment.
Grady walks out of the bathroom and sees me holding a wad of cash in my hands. His sister follows just a few feet behind him. Nina stops right in front of me and stares at it for a long minute, almost long enough to start the wad of cash on fire.
“Contrary to popular belief,” her gaze collides with mine, shooting daggers straight into my face, “I’m not a whore for money, and I don’t want just anyone living here.”
“Look,” I say, holding my hands up, “I won’t even be here except to sleep and shower. My parents have me here for a huge project. I’ll be working on it most of the time. I just need somewhere to keep my things. I only have like three bags and my clothes.”
“Were you moving back?” Grady asks me, surprised.
My eyes cut to him, “No, but I was planning on being here for a couple of months, at least.”
With Sydney and me in a strange place, I had considered maybe moving somewhere else, but coming back home was not an option. Too many memories, and now I’ve put myself right in the middle of them. I’m basically swimming in memories, and the star on the main stage is right in front of me.
“Here.” I take a hesitant step forward and give her the money. “If you still hate having me here by next month, I’m gone. Okay?”
“You know it’s weird you being here and staying with me,” she says low enough her brother probably can’t hear her.
“It’s been five years, Nina. I think we can get past it.” I really didn’t think it would bother her since she was the one who ended it.
Her eyes flash with hurt and anger, and I don’t care enough in that moment to dive deeper into what she might be feeling. I need a shower, and a bed.
“I’m not helping you move in,” the words come out clipped, “and if I hate it, you will be out at the end of the month.”
