Page 85 of The Roommate Remodel

Here I am complaining that Brax hasn’t kissed me, and she’s dealing with an injury that’s kept her bedridden for months.

“You should lie down. Sleep it off,” I insist, grabbing her arm so she doesn’t faint on me. “I’ll take over at the stove.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not sitting this out. I was looking forward to tonight. The last thing I want is to go to bed.”

Sloan hasn’t been this happy in ages. Asking her to miss the party is like a slap in the face.

She clenches her jaw. “These guys make me feel like family. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve felt needed? For once, I want to have some control over my life. Even if it’s just tonight.”

I can’t win this argument. Sloan wants to stay. Who am I to take her joy away?

“I won’t send you to bed, sis. Just don’t push too hard, okay?”

She rubs her hand over her eyes, forcing back the pain before she turns to me. “I got a call from a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, the one I’ve been waiting months to see. He’s doing a new medical treatment for patients with brain injuries, and the initial patient response has been incredible.”

I step back just enough to see the hope in her eyes. “That’s great, Sloan. You should do it.” A miracle drug is what Sloan needs at this point. This injury hasn’t just altered her life, it’s killing her spirit.

“Really?” Her face brightens. “But it’s so far from South Carolina. And with our situation...”

I grasp her shoulders, leveling my gaze. “I’ll make sure you get to Cleveland for this treatment. I’ll move the world to take you there myself.”

Her smile drops. “But I told them I couldn’t.”

“What?” I gasp. “Why?”

“Because it’s still experimental, insurance doesn’t pay for the cost, and it’s twenty-five thousand dollars. There’s no way I can afford something that might not work.”

I shake my head. “I can’t let you turn down this opportunity. Call them back. We’ll find a way to get the money, even if we have to rob a bank.”

Sloan doesn’t even blink at my joke. She’s still staring at me in shock. “But what about...”

“I’m not arguing about it.” I take the spoon and stir the sauce, which is now boiling out of control. It splatters my pink silk blouse, leaving a spray of dots across the front, but I don’t even care. I just want to see my sister well.

Sloan frowns. “You sure about this? How are you going to get that much money?”

The pot of sauce settles to a simmer, and I bang the wooden spoon on the edge before setting it down. “I’ll figure it out. But I’m not letting you miss this chance at finally getting back to normal.”

Alex won’t like me traipsing off whenever my sister needs to go to Cleveland, but right now, I’m unconcerned what Alex thinks.

Sloan narrows her eyes. “I’m not going to let this affect your life too. It’smyproblem.”

“It’sourproblem.Remember our pinky promise?” I wrap my pinky around hers, like we did when we were kids.

Even though we fought like crazy in middle school, we were also attached at the hip. There’s nothing like a sister to have yourback while you deal with mean girls and boyfriends who break up with you in the middle of third period.

“Here for you always,” Sloan and I say together.

Her lips curl into a bright smile that makes her face radiant. Some things never change. Sloan’s grin is one of them.

“Right back at you.” I tap my sister on the nose with the wooden spoon, which leaves a spot of sauce behind.

“Hey!” She laughs and wipes it away with the back of her hand.

So much is riding on what happens in the next few months. Sloan’s health. The team surviving. Keeping my job. This roommate situation which was never supposed to be permanent. But without the guys’ rent, I can’t afford both this homeandSloan’s medical bills. And that doesn’t even include the expenses for this experimental treatment.

It’s like a perfect storm of problems, and I’m drowning in the flood.

The doorbell rings, and before I can reach it, Lucian, Dawson, and Rourke burst into the entry, laughing about something that happened at last night’s game. To my disappointment, I’m not allowed to attend away games since Tom told me no one but the top staff travels on the team dime.

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