Page 54 of Finding the Forward: Part Two
“If I moved in, I could have friends over?” Mercy looked around. It was a pleasant space.
“I mean, it would be your home, too. All your friends are Maimers, right? If anyone’s a dick, we’ll tell Rusty on them.” AJ laughed. “We want you to feel comfortable.”
“AJ.” My free arm slid around his waist as gratitude filled my chest. I hadn’t expected this.
“Not all my friends in New York are Maimers. Though the couple who aren’t I’ve known forever, and Verity would have no problem calling their moms. But this… you thought about me?” Her face lit up. “Thesearemy favorite colors.”
“It’s mostly Dean. Come see what he did to the guest room. Well, your room. The idea wasn’t to exile you upstairs, more to give you some privacy,” he added.
“Whoa.” Mercy looked over at a glass wall, which showed us a beautiful view of the city, a lattice-covered deck with some patio furniture and a barbeque.
“Firepit’s on the roof. Yes, you can put a greenhouse or garden there.” AJ grinned at me. “Just be nice to the neighbors, since they have rooftop patios, too. We’re not the only penthouse up here.”
“No topless sunbathing. Got it.” Pity.
We entered a spacious room that was not only done in all her favorite colors but also one of her black and white nature photographs, one that was taken on a family vacation. It took up an entire wall. Several plants hung around it, making it feel almost real. There was anotherstunningview and glass double doors led out to a balcony.
“Oh shit, this is beautiful.” Mercy walked up to the wall, enthralled. “Who tinted it?”
“Dean. He’s not finished. Sorry the room isn’t put together. We weren’t expecting you to move in so quickly. It’s a good thing we started when we did.” AJ nodded to the bare bed that had bags from the home store on it.
Blankets and Beyond. Fancy. I usually went to Home Things because of their coupons. Oh, wasthatwhat they were doing at the home store when Jonas talked dirty to me?
Baskets and shelves filled the closet. It was small for a walk-in, but larger than what we had at our apartment or in the room we’d shared growing up. The freshly painted bathroom featured a shower with beautiful tiles and double shower heads.
“Someone knows my favorite brands?” Mercy stood in the shower holding a shampoo bottle.
“Dean’s been stalking your socials to figure out what you like. Grif thinks it’s creepy.” AJ laughed.
“In this case, it’s sweet.” Mercy grinned. “This… this isallreally sweet. Though a lot of work, considering I’ll be eighteen in six months.”
“It is,” I nodded. Clearly, the guys had paid attention.
AJ shrugged as we left the bathroom and went back into the bedroom. “This would be yourhome.The last thing we’d want is for you to feel like youhaveto move out when you turn eighteen. Especially since your birthday is during the off-season. You’ll want to relax and see everyone you haven’t seen all season. This way you have a base and don’t have to worry about finding a new place right away and can go spend a month or two in London, or Rockland, or wherever.”
The thoughtfulness overwhelmed me.
“Oh, I… I could go to London for a month or two, couldn’t I?” Her eyes got misty as her plum scent went salty with sadness. Shereallymissed Dad.
“You could. I want to go for a week or two, to see Dad and the littles. But you could stay for however long you want. Same with Grace. Or even go back to Research Circle. See Hale. Visit Mom in jail.” My voice grew soft. She hadn’t seen her since last summer, though they talked on the phone sometimes.
Mercy gulped. “Yeah. Dare’s trying to get into a summer music program in London. It would be fun to be there together.”
“You should do that,” AJ said. “We spend a lot of time at Dean’s cabin in the summer. There’s hiking, a lake, rivers, waterfalls–and a backhouse that you would love. Not to exile you, but so you have your own space.”
“Backhouses are great. We lived in Grace’s this summer. I like hiking. Also, water.” She nodded as she checked out the closet.
“You can stay even after you’re eighteen, if you want to save to buy a little starter place you can use as an income property later, instead of renting,” AJ added.
“That sounds like a great and very generous option.” It wasn’t that I didn’t want her to go off and live her own life. I didn’t want her to feel like I was pushing her out so I could be with the guys. After all, I’d lived at home until May.
“Right. You know rich people things, like investments and property and hiding money and stuff,” Mercy poked around, examining the dresser. “Teach me?”
“I only do legal things,” he warned.
“Fair.” She nodded. “I like the idea of saving up and then buying something. I’dloveto get a cute little townhouse, like where we live on campus.”
“There’s so much you can do with them, too. From making each floor into a unit, like where you live, to buying two or three next to each other to make a nice, big place,” he told her, eyes gleaming.
