Landlord Wars(14)

“Because you have me to take care of everything.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.

I never wanted my sister to feel bad that I’d taken on an adult role at a young age when it came to finances and other responsibilities around the house. It wasn’t Elise’s fault. And if our mother could have been different, she would have.

Elise blinked, then looked away. “I depended on you when I couldn’t depend on Mom because I was young.” She looked me squarely in the eye. “But I’m a grown woman now.”

She was right. I knew this, and yet it was hard to let go without worrying everything would fall apart. “You’re a young grown woman.”

“Twenty-three, to be exact. Four years younger than you, Sophia, and you’ve been caring for me the last twelve years, so what does that say about you? You are young, and you should be taking it easy and not carrying all the responsibility. I don’t have much money, but there’s something called student loans. Not sure if you’ve heard of them?”

I straightened my skirt and sighed, agitated at the direction this conversation was going. “So you can live with debt for the rest of your life? No.”

“You graduated with debt. And pay Mom’s mortgage plus what you owe for school. You can’t afford my expenses on top of your own, which is why you’re sharing an apartment with a guy you just met, and why I’ve taken out student loans.”

There went the knot tightening in my stomach. “I never wanted you to take out those loans to begin with. At the very least, don’t take out any more. I’m moving home, and you won’t need loans because I can use the rent money I’ll be saving for your tuition.”

Elise shook her head slowly and stared. “You’re super annoying. You missed the entire point.”

I did see her point; I really did. But it went against everything inside me to not protect my sister.

I glanced at my phone. “Let’s talk later. I really do have to go.”

Elise roped the thirty-pound tote onto her shoulder. “I don’t need your money, so don’t move back home for me.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Okay?”

I glared at the bag. “What about a backpack?”

“Oh my God!” she said as she hurried out of the shop. “You’re doing it again. Stop mothering me!”

I raced out behind Elise and punched in a request for a ride from the app. But it wasn’t until later that I thought more about our conversation.

Elise was a grown woman, but I was used to taking care of her and didn’t know how to stop.

Maybe I should learn.

Either way, moving home served two purposes: I could pay Elise’s tuition, so she’d stop threatening to take on a second job or more loans, and it would relieve me of the stress of being around Landlord Devil.

I hated the idea of moving home. But living beneath the devil’s roof was worse. My mom’s house was a lot to handle, but at least she meant well, and she loved me.

A person could put up with a lot when there was love involved.

Finding Jack’s place had been a stroke of luck, but like most things that came easily, it had been too good to be true.





Chapter Seven





Sophia





I held the red blouse to my chest, then switched it for the blue and huffed out a breath. What was I thinking, agreeing to this? I had no time for dating. I should be packing. Instead, I was going out with a stranger.

My boss, Victor, whom I’d grown close to these last several months, had been so excited to set me up with his son’s friend that I couldn’t say no. I mean, I could have said no, but I’d been wanting to meet new people and start dating again. At least now I could say my shallow ex-boyfriend wasn’t the last guy I’d been out with.

After jamming my bare feet into fluffy slippers, I tucked my hair turban more securely on my head and shuffled down the hallway, holding up both blouses. “Which one?” I shook the offending tops in front of Jack, who was sitting on the couch.

He looked up from the soccer game and squinted. “What? Oh, um, the blue. No—red. Go with the red.”

“Are you sure?”

“Hell no, but you needed someone to make a decision.”

True fact. I’d turned to race back to my bedroom when a knock sounded at the front door, and I froze.

I looked over at Jack. “Crap!”

He set the remote on the coffee table and stood. “Your date picking you up?” he said, heading for the front door.

“No.” And thank goodness. I’d told my boss I would meet this guy at the restaurant. But his showing up here wasn’t what had me panicked. I was experiencing flashbacks of Landlord Devil showing up unannounced. I had that kind of timing when it came to him: my house in disarray, running into him punishing his ex, you get the picture. I’d avoided him over the last couple of days, and I wanted it to stay that way until I was gone.

I hid inside the hallway, and Jack opened the front door.

“Hi, I’m Elise,” I heard my sister say.

She entered the house, smiling cheerily. Her hair was swept forward over one shoulder like a dark curtain, and her chest rose and fell as though she’d run up the stairs to our apartment. She dumped her book bag by the entry.