Maybe Now (Maybe #2)(63)

I look back at Maggie, and she’s looking at me. She shakes her head and says, “No, but North Austin should be fine. I’ve been here in San Antonio for a year now, and everything has been fine.”

“I wouldn’t say fine,” Warren says.

“You know what I mean, Warren. I haven’t had an emergency to the point that I would have died without you guys here. I think I’ll be fine if I’m only on the other side of town.”

Ridge shakes his head. “You would have died in my bathroom if Sydney hadn’t found you. Just because you’ve been lucky doesn’t mean it’s been a smart move.”

“Agreed,” Warren says. “You live north of San Antonio. We live in South Austin. It takes forty-five minutes from our driveway to yours. But if you move to North Austin, with traffic, it’ll take more than an hour to get to you. You might be moving to the same city, but it’ll take us even more time to get to you.”

Maggie sighs. She looks down and lowers her voice a little. “I can’t afford anything else right now. The only apartments near the hospital with any availability are too expensive for me.”

“Why don’t you get a job?” Bridgette asks.

We all turn our attention toward Bridgette. I don’t think anyone was expecting anything to come out of her mouth. She’s holding the nail file against her thumbnail, staring at Maggie.

“It’s hard to hold a job when you’re in the hospital on a regular basis,” Maggie says. “I had to apply for disability three years ago just to be able to pay my rent.” She’s being a little defensive, but I get it. Bridgette doesn’t seem to sugarcoat her questions around Maggie at all. Or anyone, for that matter.

Bridgette shrugs and goes back to filing her nails.

“Like I asked earlier, have you even checked availability in our complex?” Warren asks.

Again, Maggie’s attention is on me when this is brought up. I glance at Ridge, and he looks at me. We read each other without saying a word.

I nod, even though it seems absurd if I give it too much thought. But for whatever reason, it doesn’t feel absurd. Having her in the same complex as Ridge and Warren would make things easier on all of them. And I truly don’t believe Ridge or Maggie want to go down a road they’ve already traveled, so I surprisingly don’t feel at all threatened by the thought of it. Maybe I’m being na?ve, but I have to go with my gut. And my gut is telling me that she needs to be closer to them rather than farther away.

“I don’t mind if you live in the same complex as Ridge, if that’s what’s stopping you,” I say. “My ex-boyfriend moved into the complex with my ex-best friend after I moved in with Ridge and Warren last year. We can see right into their living room from Ridge’s balcony. Believe me, nothing can feel weirder than that.”

Maggie smiles appreciatively at me and then looks toward Bridgette across the table. Ridge puts his arm on the back of my chair and then leans over, quickly kissing the side of my head. I love his silent thank-yous.

Bridgette looks up, directly at Maggie. She doesn’t look happy. She turns her attention toward Warren and leans forward. “Shit, Warren, why don’t you just move her into one of the spare bedrooms? We can be one big happy family.”

Warren rolls his eyes. “Bridgette, stop.”

“No. Think about it. I moved in and you started sleeping with me. Sydney moved in and Ridge started messing around with her. It’s only fair that Maggie gets a turn.”

I close my eyes and drop my head, shaking it. Why did Bridgette have to go there? I glance at Maggie, and she’s shooting daggers at Bridgette.

“I think you forget that I’ve already been with them both, Bridgette. I actually don’t need a turn, but thank you for being considerate.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Bridgette says.

And…this just went from bad to worse. I don’t even think Ridge knows what just happened. As soon as that sentence comes out of Bridgette’s mouth, Maggie calmly scoots her chair back and stands up. She walks to her bedroom and closes the door. They both just took this way, way too far. My head is in my hands now, and all I can say is, “Bridgette. Why?”

Bridgette looks at me like I’ve betrayed her. She waves a hand toward Maggie’s bedroom. “How can you be okay with this? She’s ungrateful and always has been, and now she’s moving herself into our complex and twisted it to make it look like your idea!”

For a second, I entertain her thoughts. But only for a second. After two seconds, I stand up and make my way to Maggie’s bedroom. I honestly think Bridgette has her pegged wrong. I don’t see Ridge loving someone who is that ungrateful and manipulative. I just don’t.

I push open Maggie’s bedroom door, and she’s sitting cross-legged on her bed, wiping away a tear. I sit down on the bed next to her. Maggie lifts her head, looking at me with eyes full of guilt.

“I’m sorry. That was tacky. But Bridgette is wrong, I’m not trying to take over either of your lives,” she whispers. I can tell by her voice that she’s on the verge of more tears. “If it were up to me, I’d be so far out from under their thumbs, it would take hours for them to drive to me. But I’m trying to be more cooperative, Sydney. I’m trying to be more respectful of their time.”

That I believe. I think Maggie would much rather live in a place where she could get away with being lax. “I believe you. And I agree,” I say. “We’re here because Warren and Ridge are going to be your primary caregivers when you’re sick. I think we need to leave Bridgette’s feelings out of it. And mine. And honestly, even yours. This is about how we can make things easier on Warren and Ridge, and you living in the same complex as them will definitely make things easier on them.”