Page 2 of Crave Thy Neighbor

I’m sorry about this. Please let me know if I can do anything.

Best,

Dan Ford

Danford Apartments Owner

Like it did the first, second, and third time I read his email, my heart sinks.

Hell, it breaks for him.

Katlyn and my son, Sam, are the same age. I can’t imagine watching Sam going through anything that would cause him pain.

I’d sell the damn building too.

It’s hard to be angry at him, which sucks because I could use someone or somethingto be angry at right now.

“Crap, crap, crap,” I chant, bouncing my head off the back of the couch a few times.

I lay my head against the cushion, stretch my neck toward the sky, and blow out a long breath.

What am I going to do? I have nowhere to go. Either nobody has apartments available or, if they do, they are out of my price range or out of the school district. I’ve checked out a few houses, but most are on the outskirts of town and not in the best shape or are owned by people I donotwant to be renting from. If all I had to worry about was myself, fine. I could manage it. But with Sam in tow, I can’t take on a potential problem like that.

I wish I could afford to buy us a house, but I don’t have money for a down payment.

My best friend, River, offered to let Sam and me move in with her and her boyfriend, Dean, until I could find a place, but three adults, a teenager, and two pets—one being a cat who is a major asshole—sharing a small, two-bedroom apartment? So not a good idea. We’d all kill each other within a day or two.

Since my parents are out of the question entirely, my only other choice is my ex-husband, Patrick.

If I needed to—like I had zero other options—I could go to him. He wasn’t the best husband, but he’d never reject me if I needed help. Except the last thing I want to do is go running back to him and show him I’ve failed on my own. Just picturing the satisfied grin on his face has my stomach aching.

Tears sting my eyes, and I do everything I can to fight them off. The last thing I need is for Sam to walk in here and see me crying. I’ve worked hard to be strong for him throughout the years, and I’m not going to change that now.

That’s right.

I’mstrong.

Hell, I managed a teenage pregnancy all on my own when my parents wanted nothing to do with me.Finding a place to live with the deadline inching closer and closer? Piece of cake compared to that.

I lift my head, determination coursing through my body.

I can fix this.I’m not sure how, but I can.

“Yo, Mom, what time are you leaving?”

Speaking of my teenage pregnancy…

I snap the laptop closed before he can see what’s on the screen. I don’t need to bother Sam with this stuff. It’s my problem, not his.

I push up off the couch and move toward the kitchen, shoving the computer back into my bag where it hangs off the chair at the bar. Sam knows getting into my work bag is prohibited, so I know it’s at least safe from his prying eyes in there.

“Why? Curious how much longer you have on your GameStation?”

“Mom.” He huffs, rolling his eyes. “It’s aPlayStation, not a GameStation.”

“Roll your eyes at me again and I’ll take yourGameStation right back to the store.”

He starts to lift his eyes skyward again, then thinks better of it when I raise my brow at him.

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