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“Well, to be frank, they’re not so great. The town is struggling, sweetie, and Nora mentioned that you were also struggling over there in New York, and well…I just wondered if you’d consider coming back to help us out, that’s all.”
I was already shaking my head, because regardless of how much my life sucked, and how much I hated New York, going back wasn’t an option. Unlesshehad moved.
“Mom, I—”
“Just think about it, honey, please. No pressure, okay?”
I paused, biting my lip because the pain lacing her voice was too much.
“I don’t want to be a burden on you guys. I wouldn’t be able to get my own place for a while.” Or ever, if the housing market was as horrific back home as it was here—although nothing was as bad as inner city New York. Macon was likely extremely reasonable; maybe Nora would want to get a place together. Ideas began taking flight in my head as I imagined getting on a flight back home.
That’s when my heart squeezed tight. I didn’t have enough money for groceries, much less a plane ticket to Oregon.
“Honey, your room is still exactly how you left it. There’s plenty of space here, you know that.”
I wouldn’t bring up the plane ticket, especially if she already had admitted that things were difficult.
“Well, what about Nora, did you ask her if she could help with the deliveries?”
Another heavy sigh left my mother’s lungs, like this was a taxing conversation for her, which made me feel like shit.
“Nora is stepping in to helpherparents, while trying to start her interior decorating business.”
My best friend was a kick-ass designer, so that made me feel proud and happy she was pursuing her dreams. Meanwhile, I’d be here, dodging rats and ignoring roaches because acknowledging them would send me spiraling into paranoia and I’d never sleep again.
A tiny tendril of curiosity wound its way through my mind, wrapping around my heart. An image of working on my laptop from my parent’s back porch, staring at the outline of Mount Macon while maple leaves fell across the green lawn. If the small businesses in town were hurting the way my mom mentioned, this could be an amazing opportunity to test out my marketing degree and help the owners revamp their businesses.
“Well, anyway, think it over, honey. We have airline miles to get you here, and we’d love to see you. But we support you staying there too, whatever is best for you.”
“Love you, Mom,” I said, unable to get that image of me on their back porch out of my head.
Once we hung up, I slowly left my perch on the counter and briskly checked the floor. Usually when the lights were on, I was fine, which was why I left on several lamps at night, but every now and then one of the suckers would run across the floor.
I could withstand the roaches—they were fairly small—but the rats or mice, whatever the fuck they were? Yeah, I couldn’t deal with them.
Eyeing the wall that separated my apartment and Darrow’s, I suddenly had the best idea ever.
2
RAE
A knockon my front door brought my head up from where I’d been staring at my laptop. I’d been researching plane tickets, connecting flights, and whether or not a certain someone from Mount Macon was on social media.
Peeling myself away from the screen and out of the nest of blankets, I walked over and pulled open my door.
Darrow stood there, all muscles and smoldering jawline perfection.
“Hey.”
I dipped my head. “Hey.”
“So…how did it go last night?”
It went fantastic. I brought the cat over and let him hunt for three hours while I binge watched Vampire Diaries.
“Really good. Fed him, cleaned his litter box, and then peeked in on him this morning.”
Darrow shoved his hands in his pockets, “Cool, thanks.”
