Page 2 of Mountain Daddy

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“What?” I look down at the paper in my hand, then back up at him. “What warnings? What are you talking about?”

“You’ve had four months. Even when you pay up on the rent, you still gotta go.” He shrugs. Fucking shrugs. Then turns away and walks down the hall.

I step back into my apartment, letting the door swing shut.

I don’t understand.

What the hell is he talking about?

My hands start to shake as I unfold the paper.

They shake even more when I read the words.

He said it.

I heard him say it.

But seeing it…

Eviction Notice

I shake my head.

This doesn’t make sense.

I’ve been paying rent.

I’ve been…

Embarrassment and shame make my throat feel tight.

I’ve been paying my roommate.

I’ve been giving money directly to Lizzy for half the rent.

She already lived here.

She told me she had the rent set up on auto pay. That it came right out of her account.

So I just gave her money.

Cash.

The paper vibrates in my trembling fingers.

She kept my money, but she didn’t use it to pay rent.

My eyes lift from the letter, and I look down the short hall toward her bedroom.

She said she quit her job at the office. Said she got a better one. But that was five months ago.

It’s been four months.

My heart thuds loudly in my chest.

No one at work ever asks about her.

No one ever said anything about her quitting to me.

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