Page 65 of Always a Roommate
“Then, do it.” There was so much conviction in her voice I laughed.
“That simple, is it?”
“Yes.”
I looked to the sky again. Was it that simple? My mom said I had to realize I couldn’t always help, but Rae…
“I’m moving out,” I said suddenly.
Her brow scrunched. “That’s been the plan all along.”
“Tomorrow.” I made the decision right then. I couldn’t be around her and not want to kiss her, not now.
“Oh.”
We didn’t speak again, both lost in our own thoughts, and after a while, she got up and walked inside.
I didn’t own much. A couple of suitcases worth of clothes, a few boxes containing books and things. The furniture had been here when I moved in. It belonged either to Finley or Rae.
Most of my things were in storage until I moved into the house.
So, I walked out with Johnny, our arms only half laden with boxes. We piled them in the bed of my truck and tied the cover down.
In a perfect world, one of my brothers would have a spare room. But they both lived in apartments with little space. And there was no way I’d stay with Finley and Knox when they were in the honeymoon stage of their relationship.
So, at thirty-six years old, I made the short trek to my parents’ place. It was only for a few weeks, I told myself. Just until I moved into the house I was buying. Because I was an adult.
A grown adult with an adult job and soon a house.
Repeating this in my head made it easier to breathe as I dropped my stuff in the guest room that smelled like my grandmother’s perfume. She was normally the only person who slept here.
Johnny leaned in the doorway. “At least you’ll get to eat Mom’s cooking for a few weeks.”
I scowled at him.
He laughed. “She’s probably going to make you stay up late playing cards. Oh, and she’s definitely going to have you mow the lawn and do some repairs.”
Stuff I’d have done if she’d asked me to anyway, but now I felt trapped.
“You sure you don’t want to stay with Finny?” Johnny quirked a brow.
“Positive. Would you want to deal with her and Knox staring at each other all the time?”
“Gross, you’re right. Better to be Mom’s—”
“Watch it.”
“I was going to say helper.” He grinned.
Liar.
It wasn’t until I was sitting in my truck again with Johnny that I realized how little I’d talked to Tanner over the last week or so. We hadn’t had a full conversation since the hurricane weeks ago.
“Have you talked to Tanner today?” I asked.
Johnny lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I called, but he didn’t answer. I swear, he’s avoiding me.”
Yeah, me too. “Something is up.” I went back to the conversation I’d overheard him having with Rae. Something was definitely up.
