Iwas cut off by Kylie’s girly squeals erupting beside me, as she jumped up,synchronizing perfectly with Brooke, and the two of them grasped hands andjumped around on the spot. A rousing chorus of “oh my God, oh my God” commencedas I stared disbelieving at my cousin, one of my closest friends.
Thefucking traitor.
All ofthat shit aboutresentment before, well …
Iresentedhimthen.
“Iam so excited for you!” Kylie enthused, wrapping her arms around Brooke,squeezing her tight as I swirled my straw in slow circles around the glass. “Ohmy God, this is amazing!”
“Iknow!” Brooke didn’t even try for modesty as she finally pulled herself fromKylie’s deathgrip, andsat back down. “Ky, I’m sosorry I didn’t say anything. I mean, the apartment and all … I feel like thisis screwing you over, but—”
“No,no! You have to do what’s right for you!” Kylie encouraged, sitting down andreaching across the table to grasp Brooke’s hands.
Andas Kylie continued to encourage Brooke, I wished I could be as enthusiasticabout being left high and dry.
?
“Idon’t know what the hell I’m going to do,” I groaned, wiping a hand over mymouth.
“Cheerup, buckaroo. It’s not so bad,” Kylie said, folding her legs underneath herselfon the couch. “I’m more confused about how this is going to fit into theiropenlifestyle.”
Ilooked toward her TV,Friday the 13thwas playing and Iignored her comment. Despite my need for sleep, she had invited me over afterthe unexpected announcement to watch a movie, but I couldn’t focus. Nor could Ilaugh at her sarcastic joke. All I could think about was my cousin ditching me.
“It’snot the same,” I grumbled, shaking my head. “You can afford this place byyourself, but what the hell am I going to find intwo weeksin my pricerange? I have some money in the bank, but after buying the new truck, there isn’tmuch left in there. We were supposed to renew the lease, but no, Trent had togo ahead and fuck me over.”
Shepropped her chin in her palm. “I know, Dev. But, I mean, he just wants to geton with his life, you know? You can’t expect him to live with you in thatapartment forever,” she said gently, wincing her sympathies.
Therewas an irony there somewhere, if I dug long enough. Something about me beingthe reason Trent knew Brooke in the first place. Something about me never beingable to get on withmylife, because I was too busy with …
Well,pretending I didn’t have feelings for someone when I very, very much did.
“Hecould’ve given me a little more notice. That’s all I’m saying. He didn’t haveto go ahead and do this shit behind my back.”
“I’llgive you that.” She nodded. “Bothof them should’ve said something, but… it’s going to be fine.”
Shesaid it, but the fact of the matter was, I didn’t know how it could be. Theonly way Trent and I were affording the apartment, was with both of our paychecks.Without him, I was royally fucked. With only two weeks left to renew the leaseon the place, I knew I couldn’t swing it alone, and that left me with verylittle time to find myself into another apartment.
Kyliesqueezed my shoulder reassuringly before climbing off the couch and walkinginto her kitchen. I listened to the faucet as I tipped my head back against thecouch. My hands covered my face and I tried to encourage my brain to relax andaccept that things would turn out the way they were supposed to. They alwaysdid. But, fucking hell, sometimes life throws us lemons and you’re all out ofsugar to make that lemonade.
Thefaucet shut off abruptly and Kylie walked into the living room. “Devin.”
Idropped my hands from my face, taking in the sight of her in that tight littletank top, and those fucking shorts that should’ve been illegal. The daisiestattooed to her thigh, the elegantly scrolled ink of black and grey over herforearm. Lastly, the portrait of Edgar Allan Poe encased in raven wings on herbicep.
Ibit my inner lip and urged my hormones to calm the hell down. I had a datecoming up that weekend, I just had to make it until then.
Notthat it ever helped.
“What’sup?” I asked.
Sheclimbed onto the arm of the couch, perched next to me, and clasped her handsover her knees. “Move in with me.”
Iblinked my response for one, two, three beats of my pounding heart, before Ishook my head. “Wait, what?”
Kylienodded enthusiastically, dropping herself into my lap. My gasp was audible, andI prayed I could keep my body under control. “Move in with me! I have an emptyroom now, and I’d even cut you a deal on the rent. I mean, it’s the least Icould dofor the amount ofwork you’ve done on thecoffee shop—”
“Iownpart of that coffee shop though.”
“Iknow that, but Dev, you need a place to go and I have a room. You can stay hereas long as you need to, until you find your own place.”
