Grant is quick to jump in with an answer. “Because I knew you would see it as me trying to help you and you don’t like to accept help.”
“Oh.” I guess he does know me and he has a point. I do hate accepting help, especially something major like rent, but an extra thousand dollars a month would be awesome. I could finally start saving money. Something I’ve never been able to do.
“I sold the houseboat so I’m mortgage free. If you don’t want to pay rent you don’t have to,” he sounds flippant, but it’s a huge deal to me.
I can’t stop the smile from growing on my face and I sit back on the couch. “I’ll think about it.”
Drew walks toward the kitchen thinking he’s dodged a bullet, but I’ll get him back, eventually. When he’s left the room, I turn back to Grant. “I really don’t have to pay rent?”
Grant laughs. “I told you no, but you can pay me back in other ways. Fun ways.”
An exaggerated, “Ewww,” comes from the kitchen. “Make sure that shit happens behind closed doors,” Drew yells from the other side of the breakfast bar.
“You have to admit it’s a bit stalkerish –” What man in his right mind buys the house where his one-night stand lives?
“I told you I knew from the moment I saw you. I was hedging my bets.”
“And exactly when were you planning to tell me?”
Grant laughs but it comes off as nervous. “Absolutely never.”
I laugh throwing my head back until I hit the arm of the couch. So much has changed in the last few months. There were times it didn’t feel like I had any control over what was going on in my life, but like so many optimistic quotes promise, at the end of the day everything turned out okay.
Between the lively group of new friends and the boyfriend who doesn’t know when enough is enough, I’ve ended up exactly where I was meant to be.
