Page 10 of Reckless Liar

The envelope was addressed to Alexander Eberhardt from Peninsula Rental Management. I read the enclosed letter three times before looking back at Xander. “They’re raising our rent by two hundred dollars? Can they do that?”

He leaned against the counter with his ankles crossed. “I guess so. I asked a client who’s a real estate lawyer, and he said that all they have to give you is a thirty-day notice.”

“But we could barely afford this place before...” I scanned the letter again, hoping for a line I missed. Shouldn’t there be a grace period for us?

“That’s not the worst part,” he said. He grimaced as he ran a hand over his face, his calloused hand scratching against his unshaven cheek. “I guess Max didn’t pay a few months, but he talked Mrs. Jarett into letting us stack it onto the new lease when it came around. He made her promise not to tell us.”

Max could be so damn charming when he wanted to be. We were constantly getting up-sized drinks, extra portions at restaurants, better service at stores. He knew exactly how to play a woman to get what he wanted. I wasn’t the least bit surprised he could get the owner’s wife to do that for him. I’m sure he thought he’d deal with it when this came around. Not having any idea that he’d...

“So how much would that be?” I asked, grimacing.

“With the rent increase and the back rent, it’d be almost three grand.”

Sighing with exasperation, I scrubbed my face with a hand. “I don’t have that kind of money. You know, I had to ask my parents for money to pay my portion of the rent.”

He frowned at me. “You didn’t tell me that.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I screwed up my mouth, pouting to the side. “I didn’t want you to know. I was embarrassed.”

“But if you would’ve told me I would have...”

I chuckled, “What, Xander? You’re broke all the time, too. You bought all that new equipment for the business. I know all your money is tied up right now. There’s no way you could’ve covered both our rent by yourself.”

“But you should have told me,” he urged on.

I put my hand up to stop him. “I’m not your responsibility. As embarrassed as I was asking my mom for money, it was fine. I think she feels guilty since she never really liked Max, and I always knew that. Oh, God.” My eyes widened at him. “Oh, shit.”

“What?”

“She’s finally going to get her wish. I’ll have to move back home now. Shit! I so did not want to have to do that.”

“You don’t think we could try to swing it? Stay here? I mean, it’d be tight, but we could try to make it work.”

“No way. There’s no way,” I sighed. “But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.” He scratched his nose. “You couldn’t move into your own place?” he asked.

Shaking my head, I answered. “Maybe, but it’d be tight. God, I was feeling like such an adult. I was almost back on track here.”

“Well, we could always...” He glanced away from me as he spoke. “I’d totally get it if you don’t want to be my roommate anymore. But I know a guy. He’s moving away and needs someone to take over his lease. It’s not as nice as this place, but it’s cheaper. No water view, no yard. It’s a little condo. Way smaller. But it’s two bedrooms. Not that much farther from your work than this place.”

I sighed, relief flooding through me. Xander had already made a plan. “Do you think you could ask him about it?”

He nodded, smiling a little. “Yeah, I’ll be working at his building on Friday. He likes to come up and ask for tips for his mother’s hydrangeas.”

“Are you sure you want to move in with me? It’s a little different from when we all moved in together before.”

“It has two bedrooms, right? All the annoying things you do, I already know about. I can handle you. I’m not sure about anyone else.” This was absolutely true. Xander was always a respectful roommate. If he was messy, he quickly tried to clean up. He was quiet like me, paid his bills, he didn’t eat my food. He didn’t steal my shampoo.

I had an awful roommate in college who used my tweezers to pluck out her nose hairs. When I found out by walking in on her in the bathroom, I threw the tweezers away. I knew Xander would never do something like that. Xander, I could trust. Xander, I knew.

“I was thinking you’d be happy to leave.”

I looked away, embarrassed at how obvious I must have been. “I wouldn’t say happy, but it might be good for me.”

“Ana, you won’t walk up the stairs. You know that’s not normal, right?” I knew that. But I couldn’t discuss whatever these little panicked episodes were with him. “A clean break from this place might be a good move for both of us.”

Excusing myself, I went to my room, changing into sweatpants and my ‘I like drugs and I’ve got the grades to prove it’ T-shirt from when I finished pharmacology.

---