Page 137 of Unspoken Rules

I laugh. I can’t help it. This is all too perfect. Too unbelievable. This can’t be real.

When I find him watching me carefully, I roll my lips between my teeth.

“Sorry, I’m just struggling to believe this.” I shift in my seat. “You’re telling me if I move to Boston, you will pay for me to get there, for my apartment, and give me a raise?”

He grins, pointing at me. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He pats his chest, then digs into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a pack of gum. He takes one, and offers it to me, but I decline.

“This can’t be real.”

He chuckles, putting the gum into his mouth and tossing the wrapper. “It certainly is. And you should be proud. We aren’t offering this to everyone. We see potential in you. You’re young, learn quickly. I think you’ll do well in Boston.”

Wow, if this isn’t exactly the opposite of why I thought I was here.

“When do you need an answer by?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

“I guess I have a lot to think about then.”

“If you have any questions, feel free to email me.” He gets up and shows me to the door. “I hope you choose to take the job, Bryson. I really think you’ll do spectacularly there.”

It’s not like I have anything here for me, but it’s still a tough decision.

Putting three thousand miles between me and Cole? That’s a difficult thing to think of. Makes me sick to my stomach, honestly. But what’s the point of staying? We haven’t spoken. We can’t be together. Why stay? There’s nothing keeping me here.

This is an opportunity I shouldn’t let go to waste. Still, I need time to think about it.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Bryson

Everything moves so fast, it’s like a whirlwind.

One day I’m telling Charles Baker I’ll accept the position, and the next I’m on a plane back to the east coast. I never thought I’d go back, no matter how many times I considered it.

The agency was able to find an apartment building with a bunch of open apartments thanks to a new landlord taking over and finishing up some remodeling. It was in their price range, so they jumped on it. Even after the agency stops helping pay for the rent, I’ll be able to manage it myself.

There were ten of us in total who accepted the position here in Boston, and all of us are living in this building. It’s nice that people I sort of know will be close, but I’ll still have my own space. Knowing we will be working together and living near each other is both comforting and concerning. How much will we see each other? Is it going to cause problems? Will they want to hang out all the time? I seriously hope not.

We were able to choose which apartment we wanted by looking at photos of what was available, in order of who accepted the position first.

The apartments aren’t furnished, outside of a few necessities that will hold us over until we can get ourselves settled. Thankfully I have plenty of money saved from not having to pay any bills over the last couple months, and I shouldn’t have a problem ordering everything I need right away. Since I won’t be paying rent for the first few months, it’ll give me time to build my savings back up.

Another plus about working in Boston is not needing a car. Taking it with me was too difficult, expensive, and way too painful. If I’m moving to another city, the last thing I need is to bring reminders of Cole. This is a fresh start. I left him behind, and that’s where he needs to stay.

Once our plane lands and the ten of us get our luggage, we split into rideshares to get to the building. We make it there around the same time, after being stuck in ridiculous Boston traffic. I was grateful to be one of the first to choose an apartment. I didn’t care what it looked like, I just knew I wanted the highest floor available.

It’s not a penthouse, but maybe one day it will be. The best thing is it’s all mine. I’m proud that I have an apartment all to myself. A place that is just mine, that I can do whatever I want in. I can make this my safe space. Never allow anyone in if I don’t want to. It’s just for me.

It’s early evening by the time I make it to my apartment on the tenth floor. I drop my bags in the middle of the empty living room, and race to the picture window and stare out at the view.

It’s insane that this place is so affordable being where it’s at. We’re not directly in Boston, but who actually lives directly in that city? Billionaires and nutcases, that’s who. We’re just outside Boston in Cambridge. The building is on a hill, overlooking the Charles River, giving the most beautiful view of Boston. It’ll be a thousand times better once the sun goes down and the buildings are lit up.

After taking in every inch I can see from here, I check out the rest of the apartment. It’s an open layout, the kitchen and dining room area separated from the living room by a small island. The bedroom, which is a decent size, is off the living room and the bathroom off that.

It’ll take some getting used to not having my own washer and dryer in here, and also being up ten flights. It’s a big difference from what I’m used to. Living in a city like this will take some getting used to anyway, because I’m from a small town. Even Providence is nothing compared to Boston. But it’s an adventure I’m ready for. I push away thoughts of how nice it would be to share my excitement with Cole. I need to stop thinking about him. The urge to pick up my phone and text him photos is hard to ignore, but I do. He made it clear he wants nothing to do with me anymore.

There is a small box on the kitchen counter full of simple necessities, like a roll of toilet paper and paper towels. There is a six-pack of water and a gift card to a pizza place I assume isn’t far. In the bedroom is a cot. It looks super uncomfortable, but it’s better than the floor.

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