Page 114 of The Roommate Remodel

“I don’t know if we can pull this off without Jaz.” I cross my arms. “The fundraiser was supposed to happen next week. It would be impossible to do this without her.”

Vale looks at me. “Then we invite her and bring Brendan back. He said he wants to see the cute girl named Scarlett at the coffee shop again. Let’s give him a reason to return.”

Tate furrows his brow. “How do we stop the cancellation announcement that’s going out tomorrow?”

Leo lifts his hand. “I’ll talk to Aurora in the office. She’s got a crush on me and, conveniently, can’t stand Alex. She’d love to be part of our scheming.”

Vale fist-bumps Leo. “Never thought your flirting would come in handy.”

“Keeping this from Alex won’t be hard,” Tate says. “I overheard her say that she’s leaving for a trip. By the time she comes back, it will be too late for her to stop it.”

“Perfect,” Vale says.

“I’ll call Brendan.” I glance at my phone, pulling up his number. “Maybe I could get my sister’s husband to perform for the event. Jace Knight is a huge country star.”

“That would be incredible. But what about Jaz?” Tate asks. “Don’t you think she should know?”

I glance around and realize all eyes are on me. “Don’t look at me.” I shake my head. “Things between us are rocky.”

“Let me talk to Sloan,” Vale says. “But you need to think about what you’re going to say to Jaz when she finds out.”

I’m not looking forward to that conversation. “I’ll tell the rest of the team tonight. Sound like a plan?”

Vale smiles. “No, sounds like arevolution.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

Jaz

The rest of the week is strangely quiet. Maybe it’s because I no longer have a job and I’m stuck at home all day while the guys return late, exhausted and quiet. Even Brax goes straight to his room, avoiding any conversation, while the others are strangely tight-lipped.

The only person who seems to care is Sloan. Her awful headaches are gone, and for once, she has more energy than me. She credits the new treatment, and my heart is holding on to this tiny bright spot, because it’s the last scrap of hope I have these days, especially with the thought of Brax leaving. They haven’t told me when they’re moving, and I feel left out. In some ways, not knowing is worse than having a departure date.

That’s why I put aFor Rentad in a local online newspaper a few days ago—just to make sure I have a backup plan in case the guys bail. Almost immediately, someone wanted to check out the rooms.

“If they decide to take the apartments, it’s not like they’re leaving right away,” Sloan reminds me as she hands me a bag of Brussels sprouts to put in the fridge after her grocery run. “Vale told me they’re still deciding. Have you seen their rooms? They’re not packed.”

I hold a green pepper in my hand and peel off the sticker. “That’s not exactly helpful. Guys can pack in like five minutes.”

“So you’ll have five minutes’ notice.” She shrugs. “If you’re so worried about it, why don’t you ask Brax?”

As much as he’s gone, it’s like he’stryingto avoid me. “Brax barely says two words to me all day. He won’t even look at me.”

She turns to face me. “I catch him looking at you all the time. You just don’t notice.”

A rush of warmth runs through me.He still looks at me?

I don’t want to hold on to false hope. It’ll hurt too much when Brax moves and the fairy-tale ending gets ripped off like an old bandage.

“All I want to know is when they’re moving,” I mutter, plucking a cucumber from the bag. “If they’re too afraid to confess, then I’m going to force the issue. I have a potential renter coming over today.”

Sloan stares at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you don’t like the idea of somebody new living here. But I can’t sit around and wait for our savings to dry up. We need renters.”

She hesitates for a beat. “Could you tell the guys when they get home? I’m heading out for a few hours, so I won’t be here to meet the new renter.”

I spin on my heel and head to the basement, digging out theFor Rentsign and hanging it on the front door. If that doesn’t communicate that I’m moving on, then I don’t know what will. Maybe it will finally force Brax to talk to me about his plans—and whether I’m included in them.

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