Page 89 of The Route to You

She could only imagine how things had changed for him as a result of the awful events from winter.

“So, I take it your family has been a bit overbearing after the accident?”

“Putting it mildly. I swear, those first days after they took my chest tube out, my mom considered chewing my food for me so I wouldn’t have the possibility of choking on it.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ew.”

He laughed and sipped his soda. “Sorry. But yeah. It’s been a lot. It doesn’t help that I’m staying at my parents’ for now. But I went looking for an apartment this morning, so it shouldn’t be for too much longer. I love my family, but they’re all driving me crazy.”

Apartment?

The wheels of her mind turned, and not in a great way, so she shut it down. “Did you find anything?”

“There were a few places I liked, but most had a wait list. I did find one that has a unit coming available in forty-two days, so I might just sign the lease and be done with it.”

“That’s . . . not bad.”

“Not great either. I might lose my mind if my parents or sisters ask me how the job search is going again.”

She bit her lip.

She shouldn’t suggest it. She should let the half-baked, not-fully-formed idea die before she did something stupid like—“What about staying here while you wait for the unit? I have a few spare rooms.”

Kyle coughed lightly, as though he’d just choked. “Here?” He raised a brow.

Heat flooded her cheeks. “Yeah, I mean . . . it’s a three-bedroom house. And I have an empty basement if you need more space. I’ll probably need to find a roommate or two since I don’t have a job right now. And we know each other already, so it’s not like we have to go through an interview or something. I don’t have to worry about you harboring secret serial killer tendencies or hating my dogs.”

“True. Well, I don’t hate one of them anyway. One of them owes me a sub.”

“I’d let you stay rent-free.” Why was she still talking? Stop. Sloan. Just stop. “To repay some of the massive debt I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” He finished his half of the sub and crumpled up the paper.

“Yes, I do.” Sloan set her sub down. “I owe you everything. If you hadn’t been there for me in Vail, I honestly don’t know what I would have done.”

“Don’t be in a rush to knight me. Half the time I was helping you, I was one breath away from telling you no.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t, which is all that matters in the end.”

He was quiet as he chugged from his soda can, avoiding her gaze.

Now you’ve done it. You’ve convinced him you’re nuts.

Because that’s all this could be described as. Asking Kyle Winnick to be her roommate was so not the definition of learning to be independent—and she didn’t need Penny’s voice in her head to tell her that.

It might just be a temporary arrangement, but it definitely wasn’t safe.

But Sloan had said it anyway. Impulsively blurting out the offer before she’d given real thought about the consequences. The first of which was how she might ask the universe to please let the floor open up and swallow her if Kyle said no.

He drummed his fingers against the counter.

Wait. Is he actually considering this?

“I know what you said, but there’s no way in hell I’d move in here rent-free, Sloan. Especially considering you just told me you need the roommate income.”

It sure sounds like he’s considering it.

“So . . . is that a yes?”