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“He barked me in.”
She shrugs. “Yeah well, that’s the Reeves brothers' way.”
“Anyway, I called a truce and agreed to all this planning business with him and…I think he accepted but only if I kept all the food? I don’t know. It’s like he doesn’t know what to do with me.”
She grins knowingly. “Sexual frustration.”
“Unresolved anger,” I mutter.
I get home after dinner with Chase and Pepper and can’t shake the idea of Pepper’s proposal. Add one more thing to my pre-two-five bucket list.
It’s tempting. But not with Landon. Not with anyone.
The thought of being with anyone but Noah isn’t something I’ve let myself accept yet. Even after all this time, my heart knows what it wants. And it’s not another man.
It’s the one I let get away.
It’s close to ten o’clock and I’m emotionally drained. Which is probably a good time to pack up more of mom’s things. I’ll be too tired to stop and cry over the sentimental value of it all.
I scan the clutter, wondering where to start when a knock on my door makes me jump.
Who would be at my door this late?
I lift onto my toes to look through the peephole. Seeing a friendly face, I release a breath and unlock the door.
"Mike,” I breathe. “Hey, thanks for all the bubble wrap for my Mom’s china. Bob’s Antiques was thrilled to have it.”
Mike is the Super and my landlord’s oldest son. He’s the most respectful human on the block. He’s been supportive and helpful during my mother’s last years. Always offered to bring up packages and park her car for us when he'd see us pull up to the house—usually from the hospital.
“Oh good. Did you get a lot of money for them?”
I wave him off. “Oh please, that man has given me so many quills for my calligraphy hobby over the years, I couldn’t possibly ask him for money. I was just glad someone valued them as much as mom did.”
Mike steps around nervously, looking at all the contents I have spread over the living room. He sticks his hands in his pockets, and I realize it’s an odd hour for him to be up here.
“Is something wrong?” My eyes widen. “Did I forget to send the rent check? Gosh, I’m sorry, here let me write one now.” I scratch my head because I could have sworn I did.
“No. Uh, no, Charlie, we got your check. It’s…well, my father wanted me to slip this under your door.” He holds up an envelope. “But… I couldn’t do that. You’ve been here practically your whole life and we’re friends and—”
I frown, lifting the thin letter envelope from him. “What is it?”
“You see, since your mother's been living here, we couldn’t raise the rent on her. I mean we could have, by like two percent, but I’ve been fighting my dad on that because it wouldn’t be right to do that to Sara when she was…”
“Mike,” I snap. “Slow down. Just let me read this.”
I look down but all the words are a blur because this can’t be anything good. And my mind and heart can’t handle it.
He sighs heavily. “It basically says the rent for this apartment should be three thousand a month. But he’s only raising it to twenty-eight hundred.”
“Only?” I shriek. “That’s double.” I know mom and I have been lucky to avoid an increase in the last few years, but this is insane. “And for what? Did you put in a new tennis court I don’t know about?” I move frantically to my kitchen and point to the dark spots growing over my counter. “You guys haven’t even fixed this leak that’s looking more and more gross every week.” I look down, skipping over the legalities and running right down to the figure that is my monthly salary if I put in overtime.
“Well, it's a good thing I'm leaving in a month because there's no way I could afford this.” But looking at this number now sure as hell makes me doubt I can make it in the city if this truly is the market.
Mike tears his gaze off the water damage on the ceiling and lowers his head. “I know. I asked him to give you another month since you’re dealing with a death in your family.”
“What do you mean?”
Mike rubs his palms nervously. “He…uh…he refused unless you can pay the difference you sent on your last check. So…” His eyes dip to the envelope and it makes me peek inside.
