I blew out a slow breath and did some mental math.
“You could always pick up a roommate with the extra room. It won’t stay listed long, Erica, so if you think you might want it, I can make a call right now.”
I’d have bay windows, a bathtub, and a second room to do with what I wanted. I was flying by the seat of my pants lately, so why stop now?
“Where do I sign?”
* * *
I stuffed the last of my clothes into a black trash bag and tossed it next to the others. Alli and I had barely spoken all day except to negotiate who would claim joint purchases. It felt strangely like a breakup, and in much the same way wreaked havoc on my already frayed nerves. Both finished, we each settled on the bare dorm mattresses, the springs squeaking below us. I wouldn’t miss these.
“Have you heard from Heath?” I asked, anxious to break the silence and the tension between us.
She raised her eyebrows slightly and nodded. Great, I was getting the silent treatment.
“And?”
“And what?” she snapped. “It’s not like you give a shit, Erica.”
“Listen, I’m sorry. You caught me at a bad time, and I just—” a tear slid down my face and I immediately wiped it away. “I wish you didn’t have to go, but I want you to know that I understand why you do. I—”
She crossed the distance between us and hugged me hard.
“I want you to be happy, and I know you will be,” I whispered.
She pulled away and held my face in her hands. “You’re my best friend, Erica. A couple hundred miles isn’t going to change that. And don’t think for a minute that you can’t rock this business without me. This is your baby. There isn’t anything holding you back now.”
“You make it sound like it’s going to be so easy.”
“You’ve made this whole thing look easy from day one. I have no idea how we pulled it off, but I know we couldn’t have without you.”
I wanted to believe her, but now that her leaving was a reality, the weight of my responsibilities hit me hard. Thankfully I had a lot more time to manage them, but I started to question my decision to stay in Boston when it seemed like everyone who mattered to me was leaving.
* * *
Fiona met me at the door looking as polished as she had before in a colorful sundress.
“Congrats!” She smiled and gave me a quick hug.
“Thank you for finding me such an amazing place.”
“Anytime.”
When she glanced over at the SUV that had delivered me, her smile faded a bit. Brad stepped out and joined me on the sidewalk in front of the building. Brad was a friend of a friend. I didn’t know him really well, but he was nice enough and clearly he spent some time in the gym, so I didn’t feel too bad asking him to move my futon up a flight of stairs to the new place.
He did so with expert grace, leaving the immaculate walls of the stairwell unscathed. Fiona seemed nervous when she handed me the keys to open the door. After I did, Brad passed through the threshold toward the room that would be my bedroom. Before I could follow him in, someone came down the stairs.
Oh, a neighbor! I thought excitedly, until Blake Fucking Landon turned the corner and faced me with a heart-melting smile.
“What are you doing here?” The tone of my voice revealed more panic than I wanted it to. I’d just gone through three regretful days believing I’d be rid of him for good, while simultaneously questioning why I had permanently sworn off the best sex of my life.
“I live here.”
I shifted my glare to Fiona who visibly cringed, revealing that she was in on this the entire time.
“Sorry,” she mouthed before turning to leave us.
“You live here.” It wasn’t a question, but more of a confirmation of the worst-case scenario.
“Well, actually I own the building, but yeah, I live here too.”
I crossed my arms and my foot started tapping, a telltale sign I was about to flip out. How could I best articulate the absolute rage I felt toward this excruciatingly sexy man who could not keep himself from interfering with my affairs?
“You look angry. What can I do?”
He had the decency to look a little tentative, which was wise because I was considering physical violence to make my point. Words were wasted on him.
“For starters, you can stop meddling in my goddamn life, Blake!” I poked my finger into his rock hard pectorals. “What makes you think you can swoop in here and conveniently plant me in your downstairs apartment and think that’s totally fucking normal?”
“For a Harvard girl, you’ve got quite the potty mouth.”
“Cut the shit, Blake.”