Page 15 of Losing Ansley

I LIEDto Caroline and Liv. I told them I was going to Atlanta to escape my brother and Lincoln. Well, I said half a lie. I am going to get away from Lincoln. I applied to all of the places Dylan told me about and got an offer.

I'll be working on a television show and helping with the costumes. Of course, I'll start toward the bottom, but Anita, the woman who interviewed me, loved the pieces I showed her. The pay is fantastic. I'll be making almost double what I'm making with Lincoln.

If I had any idea that costume designers could make so much, I would have done this sooner. I finally decide to talk to my brother and tell him about my financial problems.

"Ans! Why didn't you tell me?" He asks as I look through the emails bombarding my inbox about the Corvette.

"I don't know, Dylan. I was disappointed in myself for letting it happen. I was embarrassed too." I explain as I scan another email.

"But you went to Lincoln." He states. "Why is that?" He questions, and I sigh, closing my laptop.

"I don't know how to answer that, Dylan. He's always…." I trail off.

"I know. I feel like such a fuck up sometimes. I wasn't there that day, and then I didn't notice how mom and dad treated you for years. And now this." He exhales in defeat.

"Well, I have a secret to tell you if it'll make you feel better," I change the subject.

"What's that?" He asks. I inhale, not wanting to say this out loud.

"I'm going to sell the Corvette to help me move to Atlanta. I need your help, and I need you to promise not to tell Lincoln." I announce, and I'm met with complete silence. "Dyl?"

"You love that car." He says, and I swallow back the lump in my throat.

"It's the only way I can make this happen. My credit is shit, and since I got evicted, the apartment complex is making me pay the first and last month's rent plus a ridiculous deposit. And as much as I love you, I don't want to live with you. I need my space." I confess.

"What if we put the apartment in my name? Can we do that?" He asks, and I think about it for a second.

"Like, put the apartment in your name or cosign?" I question.

"Whichever works out to your benefit. Call and find out. I'm not letting you sell that car Ans." He tells me, and a tear slips down my face. I wipe it away quickly.

"Thanks, Dylan. I'll let you know." I whisper.

"You know we have to talk about what happened eventually." He murmurs, and I bite the inside of my lip. He's right but today is not that day.

"I know." It's all I can say for now. He doesn't push, and I'm grateful. We say our goodbyes, and I hang up. I call the apartment complex immediately to see what they say, and they agree that he can cosign.

Relief washes over me. I tell them my brother lives in Atlanta and can come by there to fill everything out, and I'll sign everything once I arrive.

Now, I'll need the first month's rent and the deposit to turn my power on. I call Dylan back to give him that information, but he doesn't answer. Shaking my head, I shoot him a quick text. This job of his has him working all kinds of crazy hours. It worries me a little, but I try to push it out of my mind.

Me: They said you could cosign with the apartment. You can go by anytime to complete the paperwork, and I'll fill everything out when I get there.

I don't expect an answer quickly, so I'm surprised when he does.

Dylan: Sorry. My boss was talking to me, so I had to ignore your call. We're about to start filming so I can't talk anyway. That's fine. I'll go by there tomorrow since I'm off.

Me: Okay. Don't forget not to say anything to Lincoln. I still haven't said anything to him.

He sends a thumbs-up emoji, and I want to punch him through the screen. Don't people who send thumbs-up emojis realize it's rude? It's just as bad as saying K. When I give Lincoln my two weeks' notice, he will lose his shit.

THINGS HAVEN'T BEENquite as intense between Lincoln and me since the night I made him dinner so we could celebrate the app launch and its success. It's Sunday night, and I'm sitting on his deck, drinking a glass of wine and watching him swim laps in his Olympic pool.

Lincoln was on the swim team in high school and college. He was excellent too. His parents never went to one swim meet, but I was at every single one until he went to college. Even then, I tried to go to them when I could. I always got there late and left early before he could see me.

I used to get jealous because he had his own cheering section in college. I always wondered if one of the girls was his girlfriend. To this day, I'm still not sure he ever had a serious girlfriend. He never talked about them or brought a girl home. During one of his rest periods between a set, he turns to me and gives me a goofy grin. I return his smile and arch an eyebrow.

"You should get in." He says, and I shake my head, showing him the glass of wine I haven't finished. He shakes his head and gets back into position to do his last set.

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