Page 62 of Lucky Mother Pucker

“No, she’s someone I met off campus.”

Zoey frowns. “She?”

I sigh. “Yes. She.”

“Don’t tell me you moved in with a girl you’re hooking up with?”

I toss a protein ball at her, and she makes a face. “Of course I didn’t.” I huff out a breath. “It’s a long story.”

Zoey crosses her legs as she sits on the floor, still petting Wally. “I’m listening.”

“I met her randomly. She works at the diner that the guys and I go to all the time. She’s homeless.”

Zoey’s brow hits her hairline. “Wait, you just met this person?”

I huff out a breath, annoyed at her reaction.

“Where’s she staying? There are only four bedrooms in this place.”

“I let her have my bedroom. I sleep on the couch or in one of the guys’ rooms when they’re over at their girlfriends’ place.”

Zoey’s mouth hangs open in shock. “What? Leo, that’s crazy. Why are you letting a person you barely know move into your bedroom? Aren’t you worried that she’s taking advantage of you?”

I exhale sharply. I hate when Zoey pulls the big sister act on me, like she knows better than I do.

“She’s not taking advantage of me. I offered to help her. And it’s just for a little while, until she finds a place of her own.”

She tugs at her ponytail. “Leo, don’t be naive. This sounds like a textbook situation of someone getting taken advantage of. What if she’s planning to squat here forever? Do you have any idea what a pain it’s going to be to evict her?”

“She’s not like that. She’s a good person. Even just trying to help her is like pulling teeth because she refuses to accept help.”

“Leo, come on. What if that’s an act to get sympathy from you?”

I grit my teeth. “It’s not an act.”

My sister starts talking some more, but I cut her off.

“I got her fired, Zoey.”

She leans back. “What?”

“She got fired because of me. She lost her job because of me.”

I tell her about that morning at the coffee shop, how I was pissed after meeting with our dad, so when they messed up my order, I complained to the manager.

“He fired her right on the spot.”

“Crap,” Zoey mutters.

“I saw her working at the diner, so I thought everything was okay. But then her car got towed, and that’s when I found out just how shitty things were for her. And I’m the reason why.” I push away my empty glass. “Because of me, she lost her job. Because of me, she got that other job at the diner, where the parking is shitty, and then she got towed.” My shoulders slump. I still feel guilty about all that. “I owe it to her to help her out.”

Zoey’s quiet for a second. She watches Wally as he turns on his side and rests his head in her lap. She smiles softly at him before looking up at me. “You’re right. You do owe her. Sorry I went into big sister mode on you.”

“I’ve spent my whole life dealing with you bossing me around. I’m used to it.”

She grabs the protein ball from the floor and tosses it at me. I catch it easily, laughing.

She sticks her tongue out at me, but a second later, her expression turns warm. “You’re really sweet for helping her out.”