Page 31 of Just Roommates

He nods. “Good girl. You need to get rid of the one you have now.” He rubs his hands together before ducking down and grabbing me a bottle of water. “The guest bedroom in my apartment is open, and you can work here.”

Whoa.Definitely wasn’t expecting that.

“That’s …” I unscrew the bottle cap and take a drink. “That’s …”

“An offer, Sierra. Take it or leave it.” He’s not insulted by my response. “I’m helping a friend.”

Friend.

I raise a brow. “Is that what we are? Friends again?”

“We’ve always been friends … after you quit being annoying and sneaking into my bar.”

I sigh. “I appreciate the offer but don’t know if it’s a stellar idea.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

* * *

“I swearon my shoe collection, that asshole isn’t stepping foot in my apartment,” Ellie says after I decline her offer to stay at her apartment. “You won’t need to worry about seeing him because I’ll kick his ass before he makes it through the front door.”

I called an hour ago and asked her to meet me at our favorite taco joint outside of town. She was as stunned as I was when I broke the news about Devin and Louise’s restroom field trip. I’d been nervous about going out in public, in fear of a breakdown, but I’ve stayed strong.

Each time I almost cry, I take a tequila shot instead.

It’s working perfectly.

“While I appreciate your loyalty, kicking his ass will only lead to problems with you and Corbin,” I tell her.

She lifts her margarita. “Corbin will be lucky if I allow him to hang out with a man who has no issues with banging tramps in restrooms.”

“I’ll figure something out. If worse comes to worse, I’ll be at your doorstep.”

Do I tell her about Maliki’s offer?

Nope.

She’ll go into full freak-out mode. It wouldn’t surprise me if she suggested I screw Maliki, tape it, and then send the video to Devin. Ellie loves a good revenge.

“You swear?”

I nod. “I swear.”

“What are your options then? Moving home?”

“Not if I can help it. Hopefully, I can find a rental.”

“Good luck with that in Blue Beech. Finding a rental there is like snagging a golden ticket to Wonka’s factory. The people never leave their homes. They pass them down through generations like bad genetics.”

I press my palms to my temples. “Ugh, I know.”

“Where are you crashing tonight? The offer is open for my place even if it’s only temporary.”

I chew on my lower lip, tasting the lingering tequila. “Undecided. Can you drop me off at Down Home? I told Maliki I’d help him close and then ask Kyle if I can crash at his place.”

She grins. “She runs to her prince in bartending armor.”

I throw a chip at her. “Shut up. I’m not running to anyone.”

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