Page 95 of Catch You

“Would you like me to get you anything? Call anyone … Corey perhaps?”

“No. Definitely not.”

Her brows rise. “But?—”

“I fucked it up.”

“Youfucked it up? Wow, I wasn’t expecting it to happen that way around.” She says it as a joke, and on any other day I might be amused by it, but not today.

“I tried to help, and he’s taken it the wrong way. He turned up at work earlier, pissed off.”

“What did you do?”

I blow out a breath, not really wanting to tell Brooke his secrets, but I know that I’m not going to get out of it.

“He’s been struggling money-wise. He’s got family issues, and he’s supporting them instead of looking after himself.”

“Oh God, Harlow. What did you do?” she asks again, knowing me well enough to know my penchant for helping everyone I can.

“I paid his overdue rent …”

“Harlow.”

“And another six months’.”

“Jesus. You didn’t tell him either, did you?”

I shake my head. “He stormed into our meeting, shouting about not being a charity case.”

“Fucking hell. You should have told him. Or at least offered.”

“He wouldn’t have accepted it. He was going to be evicted. I had to do something.”

“I get it. I do. But?—”

“He doesn’t,” I finish for her. “I told him about my family. About how they …” I hiccup, unable to say the words while surrounded by too much death already.

“Really?” Pride lights up her features.

“It felt good, actually. I felt lighter. He was incredible. He …” I trail off, thinking about just how sweet and gentle he was. How he gave me exactly what I needed in that moment. “I don’t want it to be over,” I admit. “I think … I think I’m falling for him.”

“You think?” she asks with a quirked brow.

“Oh, shush. Do you have to look so smug?”

“I’m just glad you’re the one with the man problems for once.”

“Great, thanks,” I mutter, making her chuckle.

“He’ll come around. It was probably just a shock. It’s not the kind of surprise that most people can afford to do for the guy they’re dating.

“Give it a few days and he’ll be begging for you to come back. You mark my words. That man is obsessed with you.”

“We’ll see,” I whisper. “He’s not exactly my top priority right now.” I look at my aunt, who’s still lying there in the same condition as when I raced through the door earlier.

Something tells me I’m in this for the long haul.

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