Page 97 of Deeper

Victoria exhaled through her nose. “Let’s talk about this eviction. We were supposed to meet up yesterday and you blew me off, and when I called you,hepicked up and told me you weren’t feeling well. I was in the parking lot when I found out why; there was a notice on the ground.”

That was another thing about Lakeside Manor, other tenants could be pigs about their trash. We had a row of three dumpsters and it was often full of discarded furniture and other things, and though it was against the policy, when the dumpster was full, some would pile their trash against it. Stray cats were known to linger around the back of the building picking at things they could in the garbage.

I sat back against my sofa and thought of my plight and the day I’d had. “It came out of nowhere.”

Victoria frowned with sympathy. “What now?”

“I have nowhere to go, and it’s such a short notice so I’d more than likely end up ass-out,” I said. “Zander wanted me to move in with him or give me money, but—”

“You and that pride of yours wasn’t havin’ it,” Victoria finished for me. She knew me well, as once Rod had offered to pay my bills for me and I’d declined, something Tori thought was wild. She was just as headstrong and independent as I was, but when a guy wanted to do for her, she had no issue with letting him.

“Right,” I admitted. “So I suggested going to live with my father, which Zander didn’t like either. He wanted to go with me to Lindenwood today while I asked, for support.”

Tori blinked rapidly, completely shook. “Zander went to the ’Wood?”

“Girl.” Even I was still tripping over that aspect. Maybe if things hadn’t gone sour, I would’ve been able to show him around, my old stomping grounds so to speak. “Needless to say, my father was my father, and well…I literally have no one now.”

A stinging sensation met my arm at the surprise slap Victoria was quick to give me. Hurt hung in her dark eyes, and I knew why before she even spoke up.

“I am pissed at you for lying to me about Zander, I’m hurt that you hooked up withmycrush, and yeah, jealous too, but I love you like a sister, Bia. If you had come and told me about the eviction, I would’ve been there for you. I would never let you go without anything. Don’t you know that?” She shook her head, annoyed with me. “God, and you sit up here and tell me to my face you have no one like I don’t mean anything to you. Like you think I’d really push you to the curb over this Zander shit.”

Maybe it was dramatic of me to assume the worst of Victoria like that. We’d been friends too long to just give up on her that easily. “I’m sorry.”

“I mean it,” Victoria went on. “Your dad and brother are shitty, and I wouldn’t have let you go grovel either. I wish you would’ve called me.”

I blinked back tears, happy to know that things weren’t too fucked up between us that I couldn’t depend on her. “I wish I did too.”

“Move in with me. I’ve got the extra room,” Victoria mentioned. “The north side of Hemingway Park is so much better than this side. You’ll like it there. We can go half on everything. We should’vebeenroommates.”

Living with Tori would’ve been a breath of fresh air versus giving in and living with Zander. It was still new, still fresh. Outside of my not wanting to be a burden, I didn’t want to rush it. “If it won’t put you out, it would really mean a lot if I could live with you.”

Victoria waved me off. “Just promise me you won’t move in just to move out and live with Zander. I’d hate to expect your half of the rent just to be ditched.”

“I have been spending the night there, but I don’t want to live with him just yet. I like having my own space.” I raised my hand, to declare an oath. “I won’t abandon you.”

Victoria pressed her hand to mine. “Deal. You can move in whenever you’re ready.”

I took her hand in mine, holding it gently. “About Zander, I’m really sorry I didn’t come out before. I wasn’t trying to sneak around on you. It all just happened. It was supposed to be a one-night stand, but then he wanted more,” I confessed. “I was in a bad mood after seeing my dad, after being rejected from Pryor, and seeing Rod again, and I just wanted to escape.”

“But the weekend wasn’t enough,” Victoria concluded.

“No, it wasn’t.”

“I can’t pretend I don’t feel betrayed, because you didn’t like him, Bia. You talked shit and judged me for being a Whatter. So, you can’t expect me not to feel a way about this. It’s going to be hard for me, but I’m not going to throw our friendship away because of it,” Victoria swore. “This type of shit never happens in real life, and the fact that it did for you is just crazy, and a little unfair. I can tell he makes you happy. I seen y’all’s live on Instagram.”

The side-eye she snuck me had me blushing. “I’m trying to help him push this new album and music.”

“You’re his muse.”

I shrugged. “I guess.”

“And the sex is that A1?”

I bit my lip, questioning if she could handle the details, and if I should disclose any. We told each other everything in that regard, but this was different. “Not sure you want to know.”

She shoved me. “Spill!”

“He definitely lives up to his lyrics.” I looked her in the eye, letting her know I wasn’t embellishing Zander’s abilities. “He fucks so good I want to payhisbills.”

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