Page 16 of Landlord Wars
“Forget the landlord. Why do you do this, Sophia? Do you remember when Mom started collecting newspapers? You threw up for a month due to stress.”
“That was a special situation,” I said. “Mom had blocked the windows. I had vitamin D deficiency.” I tried to shove the cash into my sister’s bag, but she darted athletically to the side.
“You know that’s not why you were ill,” she pointed out. “You took it upon yourself to prevent wayward newspapers from reaching Mom’s hands so she couldn’t add to the piles. Good thing people stopped getting delivery around that time.” Her expression softened, and she touched my arm. “The point is, I’ve had to deal with Mom’s neuroses too, and you don’t see me overcompensating.”
“Because you have me to take care of everything.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
I never wanted my sister to feel bad that I’d taken on an adult role at a young age when it came to finances and other responsibilities around the house. It wasn’t Elise’s fault. And if our mother could have been different, she would have.
Elise blinked, then looked away. “I depended on you when I couldn’t depend on Mom because I was young.” She looked me squarely in the eye. “But I’m a grown woman now.”
She was right. I knew this, and yet it was hard to let go without worrying everything would fall apart. “You’re ayounggrown woman.”
“Twenty-three, to be exact. Four years younger than you, Sophia, and you’ve been caring for me the last twelve years, so what does that say about you?Youare young, and you should be taking it easy and not carrying all the responsibility. I don’t have much money, but there’s something called student loans. Not sure if you’ve heard of them?”
I straightened my skirt and sighed, agitated at the direction this conversation was going. “So you can live with debt for the rest of your life? No.”
“You graduated with debt.Andpay Mom’s mortgage plus what you owe for school. You can’t afford my expenses on top of your own, which is why you’re sharing an apartment with a guy you just met, and why I’ve taken out student loans.”
There went the knot tightening in my stomach. “I never wanted you to take out those loans to begin with. At the very least, don’t take out any more. I’m moving home, and you won’t need loans because I can use the rent money I’ll be saving for your tuition.”
Elise shook her head slowly and stared. “You’re super annoying. You missed the entire point.”
I did see her point; I really did. But it went against everything inside me to not protect my sister.
I glanced at my phone. “Let’s talk later. I really do have to go.”
Elise roped the thirty-pound tote onto her shoulder. “I don’t need your money, so don’t move back home for me.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Okay?”
I glared at the bag. “What about a backpack?”
“Oh my God!” she said as she hurried out of the shop. “You’re doing it again. Stop mothering me!”
I raced out behind Elise and punched in a request for a ride from the app. But it wasn’t until later that I thought more about our conversation.
Elisewasa grown woman, but I was used to taking care of her and didn’t know how to stop.
Maybe I should learn.
Either way, moving home served two purposes: I could pay Elise’s tuition, so she’d stop threatening to take on a second job or more loans, and it would relieve me of the stress of being around Landlord Devil.
I hated the idea of moving home. But living beneath the devil’s roof was worse. My mom’s house was a lot to handle, but at least she meant well, and she loved me.
A person could put up with a lot when there was love involved.
Finding Jack’s place had been a stroke of luck, but like most things that came easily, it had been too good to be true.
ChapterSeven
Sophia
I heldthe red blouse to my chest, then switched it for the blue and huffed out a breath. What was I thinking, agreeing to this? I had no time for dating. I should be packing. Instead, I was going out with a stranger.
My boss, Victor, whom I’d grown close to these last several months, had been so excited to set me up with his son’s friend that I couldn’t say no. I mean, I could have said no, but I’d been wanting to meet new people and start dating again. At least now I could say my shallow ex-boyfriend wasn’t the last guy I’d been out with.
After jamming my bare feet into fluffy slippers, I tucked my hair turban more securely on my head and shuffled down the hallway, holding up both blouses. “Which one?” I shook the offending tops in front of Jack, who was sitting on the couch.
He looked up from the soccer game and squinted. “What? Oh, um, the blue. No—red. Go with the red.”
