Page 5 of Arden and the Girl Downstairs

“Sorry you have to work so many days straight. I promise I’m looking for some help. It appears that good help is hard to find these days.”

“That’s because I’m delightful and no one will ever come close to being as awesome as me, right?” I laugh at his eye roll.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, El.”

I throw my elbow into his ribs. “Asshole.”

He chuckles and starts to walk out the back.

“Wait, was Arden here last night?” Curiosity gets the better of me. I worked the early shift yesterday, and I really want to know if he comes in when others are here. “Nope, I haven’t seen him here in a few weeks. Why’s that?” He eyes me suspiciously.

Okay, that’s weird.

Why does he come here every night I work, but not when Chad does the close? Where does he go on those nights?

“No reason, just heard the girls talking this morning about how they had no idea where Arden had disappeared to last night, and I wondered if he had come in here.” I think I cover pretty well.

Is there a reason no one other than Ralph knows exactly where he goes?

Chad gives me another strange look and leaves the room.

Arden

I don’t know why I’m here.

Again.

I’ve known Chad almost my entire life, so it makes sense that Grumpy’s would be my preferred bar. But last night when I saw he was here, I didn’t even come inside.

I walk—okay, well, I kind of stumble in and take my usual seat. I’ve been drinking at home alone in my room for hours. I know I should stop . . . I just can’t . . . I can’t shake the guilt. Everyone has tried to talk to me about it, but I shut it down. I wasn’t there when I should have been.

Ella is chatting to someone, and I sit and listen. There aren’t many people here tonight, so I can hear their conversation.

“How’s Steve going?” the older guy she is talking to asks.

“He’s good. I tried to get him to come out of his room today, but he didn’t want to, so I just talked to him through the door.”

Who the hell is Steve? There was no mention of a housemate in the agreement, and I know it states that all tenants must be approved by me.

“Has his appetite improved?” the guy asks again.

“A little, but it’s hard. I just wish I could do more for him.” Her voice is sad. She cares for this guy.

But this could be what I need to get her out of the apartment and my life for good.

I pull out my phone and message my dad’s assistant, asking for her to urgently prepare a breach notice to be issued first thing in the morning. I really need to get my own assistant for these things.

The breach notice won’t get her evicted; however, it will help my cause later on.

I zone out the rest of their conversation but continue to watch her work.

I’m aware that staring at her every night from my seat at the bar is borderline creepy, but I can’t seem to stop. There is something about the infuriating woman that keeps me coming back. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t know who I was before we moved to New Hope, so she can’t look at me with sad eyes like my friends do.

I know they miss me, and I feel like shit that I keep disappointing them, but guilt changes a person. I don’t know if I will ever be able to go back to the Arden that they know so well.

“Earth to Arden...” Ella’s sweet voice breaks through my thoughts.

“What?” My tone is snappier than usual, but the nightmares were bad last night, so I’m running on even less sleep than normal.

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