Page 32 of Give Me a Reason

But the more I found out about Aria, the more I wanted to understand what made her tick. And the other side of me wanted to know her in a different way. I wanted to know what would have happened if that person hadn’t interrupted our time in that back room at the wedding a couple of weeks ago.

Would we have kissed? Would it have changed everything?

Now I’d never know. Aria was my sister’s friend and roommate. That line had been drawn, and there was no way to get around it.

CHAPTER NINE

Aria

I wondered what Ireland and Finn were talking about. They stood close to each other, whispering about something. Was it me? Was it my apartment or what happened? I couldn’t even think about my stuff or whether any of it was salvageable. The idea of someone else touching my clothes freaked me out.

But the overall feeling was shame. As happy as I was that Finn showed up for me, I was embarrassed that he saw where I lived. The way Ireland and Finn had grown up, going to private schools and having trust funds, was so different from my life, it wasn’t even funny.

I wanted to start over in this new job, but my past always found a way to stain the future. It was always lurking just under the surface.

Finn hugged Ireland, and she laughed about something. Those two were sweet. I loved how close they were. I felt more like a second mother to Iris than a sister. She needed me. My parents needed me. They said they didn’t, but they did.

Then Ireland started down the walk, and I felt Finn’s gaze on me through the windshield like a palpable thing. It felt weighty, significant. Had his seeing where I lived changed his view of me? Did he think of me as someone who couldn’t take care of herself?

I shifted in my seat as Ireland opened the door and climbed inside. “Ready to go, roomie?” Ireland asked with a smile.

“Thanks for letting me stay with you. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll find out how soon I can get back into my place.”

Ireland’s face screwed up before she carefully smoothed her expression. “You’re welcome to stay with me. I’ve been wanting a roommate. I just didn’t want to live with someone I didn’t know. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“I was saving up to buy a bigger place so my sister could move in with me.”

She backed out of the driveway. “You can stay with me for a while and save up.”

“That would be nice.”

“Your commute would be better. We could probably carpool.”

“That would be amazing,” I said, relaxing more about the situation. I would help with rent, and we could share a ride to work, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. I wasn’t taking advantage of her hospitality.

Ireland lived downtown in one of the apartments near the water. It was a house that had been renovated into apartments. “This is nice.”

“I love the location. Finn wanted a yard for Paisley, but this is perfect for me. I’m close to the water, the park, and the restaurants and shops.”

Now that I’d be living downtown, maybe I could spend more time at the shops and restaurants too. Not that I had the money for it if I wanted to give money to my parents for food, to Iris for classes, and to save for the security deposit for a new apartment.

“I’m so excited,” Ireland said as she climbed the stairs and unlocked the door. It was a cute apartment with an updated kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms.

“The guest room is already furnished. Do you have everything you need to move in?” she asked as we stood in the doorway.

The room looked like it had been put together by a designer. Her stuff was infinitely nicer than mine. Besides, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to see any of my stuff again. “No furniture.”

“Let me get you some clothes to wear. You want to go shopping tomorrow? I love shopping.”

My idea of shopping was probably different than hers. I picked up quality clothes in thrift stores in classic styles that I could wear forever. “I don’t think I want my old things back. Maybe the purses and shoes.”

“We can go with you to help you salvage things.”

My shoulders lowered. “That would be nice.”

Normally, I wouldn’t ask for help, but this situation was overwhelming. Maybe I would feel better in the morning.

On Saturday, my landlord called to say my apartment was cleared by the police, and I told him I wasn’t coming back. He didn’t argue, probably because he knew security was lax.

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