Page 37 of Mistletoe Mistake
I want to tell her I’m glad she lost the job. That I hated watching her work herself into the ground, constantly exhausted and with no real life to speak of. But I keep my mouth shut because I know my friend well enough to know all that will get me is a week of silent treatment.
“I need that money, Holly, we don’t all have rich families, you know,” she snipes.
I bite my tongue, knowing she’s only lashing out because she’s scared right now. Plus, she has a point, I have been incredibly lucky, and while my parents have always taught both Brandon and me to work hard and earn our way, I always knew I had a safe place to land if things went wrong.
Case in point, my apartment.
“At least you don’t have to worry about a place to live.”
She shifts uncomfortably before turning to lie on her back, flicking up sand from underneath her towel as she does.
“Yeah, about that, I need to tell you something.”
“Uh huh, go ahead,” I reply, already knowing I’m not going to like this.
“I know you were thinking I would sublet the apartment from you once you move in with Nick.” She rolls her eyes when the giant smile I get every time moving in with Nick gets mentioned, spreads across my face. “But I just can’t swing it. Even before I lost the pizzeria job, it would have been too tight.” Her face is full of regret. “So, I’ll be moving out when you do.” She immediately pulls her hat off her head and covers her face with it, hiding away.
I look down on her from my lounge chair and try to figure out how to broach the subject I’ve been dreading ever since she moved in with me a year and a half ago.
“You don’t need to move out.”
“Yes, I do.” She yanks the hat off and sits up to face me. “I can’t afford the rent by myself and I’ve been looking, but I haven’t been able to find a roommate who isn’t either crazy or really,reallycrazy.”
“Look, Bill, I never told you this, but Dad owns the apartment.”
She looks at me and then gives a slow blink before shaking her head. “You better not be about to suggest I ask him to reduce the rent because that is not going to happen.”
“No, see, the thing is, Dad doesn’t charge us rent.”
Confusion clouds her face. “Explain yourself.”
“Look, he bought the apartment years ago. It’s close to work and I love the neighborhood, so when it became vacant a couple of years ago I asked Dad if I could rent it.”
“Go on,” she bites out.
“He agreed, but he refused to take any money from me. I tried to insist but he wouldn’t listen, so we came up with the compromise that I would make a monthly donation to a homeless shelter in exchange for living there.”
Her face relaxes slightly. “Okay, I’m not entirely sure how I feel right now.” She chews on her lip and then takes a large gulp of her drink. “I mean on the one hand, I’m a little pissed that I’ve been living rent-free in my boss’s apartment for a year and a half, but I guess the shelter needs the money more than your dad, so…” She puts her drink down and leans back on her hands. “No, okay, I’m good with it. If your dad was happy for us to pay our rent money that way, then I’m fine with it. But it doesn’t change things now. Even if he wanted to offer me the same deal, I can’t afford that much every month, and before you say anything, no I don’t want you to speak to him for me.”
She closes her eyes and tilts her head up to the sun. God, she isnotgoing to like this next part.
“So, here’s the thing, when I found out you were looking for a place to live, I spoke to my dad about you moving in and he was all for it. He knew I was kind of lonely living by myself so he was happy for me to get a roommate. Plus, he obviously knows you and likes you and he thought we would get along well, which, you know, he was right, right? We get along really well.” I’m practically pleading with her.
“Yes.” She draws that one syllable out far longer than it should be.
“The only condition he had was that I didn’t take any rent money from you.” My body slumps as I finally spit out the words I’ve dreaded telling her since the day she moved in. I sense, rather than see her body tense beside me.
“But I gave you rent money every month.”
“Yeah, I’ve just been putting it into the bank every month, I figured when one of us moved out I would give it back to you and then it wouldn’t matter how mad you were.” I shrug and try my best to look adorable so she can’t be mad at me.
“I can’t believe you!”
Hmm... guess the adorable thing didn’t work.
“The water is amazing, are you guys actually going to get in there at some point today?” Nick flops down into the chair next to mine and shakes his head in my direction, spraying me with water and causing me to squeal.
I’m about to respond when my attention is snagged by droplets inching their way down his broad chest, the sunlight highlighting his tanned skin. My eyes trace the artwork that covers his left arm and lands on the sprig of holly he recently had inked by his wrist. The permanent mark fills me with warmth and I find myself reaching out to trace a finger along it, the urge to touch him too strong to resist.
