AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Careful there, Ben. You sound like you actually think this will work.”
His snort of cold mirth pulls my lips up into a half smile.
“There is hope.”
Nodding, I remain there for what feels like hours but is only minutes more, lost in thought.
But Ben is right. We need to prepare. The moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived, and while it is sooner than anticipated, that doesn’t make it any less real.
10
EVER
My trainers are silent against the red-bricked road of this fancy square that looks like it’s straight out of some old English movie. It’s all a bittooposh. Our side of the large square is where the faded grandeur sits. An enormous piece of immaculate grass separates us fromthem. The autumn chill nips at my skin in the growing night, and I tighten by hand on the holdall strap that weighs a ton. Alex has my book bag slung over his shoulder like it weighs nothing, even though I know he has at least three monumental tomes in there that belong to the Uni Library.
He doesn’t slow down, only a determined stride, as if he has purpose, and I have to pick up my pace to keep up with him.
As we turn right, instead of left off the square, my eyes bug out. We are headed into serious elite territory here. The very air seems to scream its protest at a commoner like me. My mouth goes dry as Alex leadsme to the biggest, fanciest townhouse on the square. It’s a mansion with three stories, balconies and wrought iron gates that lead onto a short path.
“Erm,” I mutter, staring up at it as Alex pushes the gate open and waits impatiently for me to catch up. It’s beautiful and imposing, and for a second, I feel like I’m in over my head.
The thought of living in this place, even for a few nights until I sort out something more permanent, sits heavy and uncomfortable in my stomach, like I’ve swallowed a rock.
“Alex, wait,” I call out, and he pauses, turning back with a questioning arch of his eyebrow.
I gesture to the imposing structure before us. “There’s no way I can afford to stay here.”
He steps closer, bright blue eyes locking onto mine as he runs his hand through his dark hair. There’s a reassuring intensity in his gaze that almost makes me believe everything will be okay. “Ever, relax. My friends know the score. They won’t ask for more than you can afford. If they ask for anything.”
“What?” I baulk at the thought of living rent-freeanywhere.
He shrugs. “This place is old family property. No rent, no mortgage. They’ll probably ask you to buy your own food, but that’s it.”
My sceptical snort cuts through the tension between us. This whole scene feels like a setup for a joke where I’m the punchline.
Again.
I back up two steps with a shake of my head.
“Seriously, they’re fine with you staying here... while your house gets fixed.” His hand finds my shoulder, grip firm yet somehow comforting.
The pause in his sentence catches my attention, but I don’t have anything to say right now. I feel sick. There is no way these guys are going to let me stay here for free or even my meagre housing allowance. I’ll be able to stay one night, and then I’ll have to move on.
“You need a place to stay; they’re offering one.”
Reluctance gnaws at me as I glance from his face to the townhouse and back again. But Alex’s words, laced with that charismatic certainty of his, chip away at my resolve. I let out a sigh, knowing deep down that options are slim. “Okay, but only because I’m desperate.”
“Trust me,” he says with a ghost of a smile. “This is the right move.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mutter, but my protest dies as I realise I’ve already started to give in. I’m tired, hungry, and in need of a good cry in private. This place will offer me those things.
Tonight.
“You won’t find anything else this close to campus. Not without selling a kidney or something.”
A bitter chuckle escapes me, and I shake my head because it’s true, painfully so. The hours I pour into work and study leave no room for house hunting, let alone the energy to move again. And yet...
“Ever, you’re overthinking this,” Alex says as ifreading my mind. His hand hovers near mine, an offer of support I’m not sure I should take.
