New year.
New start.
CHARLIE
End of September
“Who was that?”Seb looks up at me as I walk back into the living room, phone in hand.
“Estate agent. They want to do a viewing this weekend.” I grimace at the mess surrounding us and sigh. “Two, actually.”
Seb laughs, the wanker. “Well, fuck.”
“Yep.”
I kind of lose track of everything else when I’m writing after work. Words have been flowing this past week, and my home has taken the brunt of it.
The flat’s been on the market for almost six months. Not gonna lie, I’ve sort of given up at this point. It’s not that there hasn’t been much interest, but they don’t want to pay the asking price. And Dan won’t agree to lowering it. Not yet anyway. He wants to give it a couple more months. I agreed with him to start with—it’s already five grand lower than what it was valued at. But that was four months ago. Now I just want it gone.
“Hey.” Seb nudges his thigh into mine when I sit down next to him. “You never know, maybe one of them will put in an offer.”
“That Dan won’t accept.” I let my head fall back against the sofa and sigh. Neither of us wants to get solicitors involved, but I wonder if it might come to that.
Seb huffs beside me. “Want me to have a word with him?”
That startles a laugh out of me. “Fuck no.” The last time they were in the same room together, I had to separate them. Seb still hasn’t forgiven Dan for leaving me stranded at a pub in the middle of the countryside last New Year’s Eve.
If I’m honest, I know I didn’t leave him much choice, and that wasn’t even why we broke up. It was everything he said before we got to that point.
Anyway, that was months ago. The only thing still tying me to him is this bloody flat, and I just need it to be done with.
“Seriously,” Seb says, nudging me again. “My other offer still stands.”
Yeah, I don’t want to take him up on that one either. After the first few times of Dan refusing to accept a lower price, Seb offered to buy out his share. I know Seb has money saved up, but he’ll still need a mortgage to do that, and I don’t want to pull him into this mess. I’m not even sure how easy it would be to transfer it over, and even thinking about it gives me a headache. “No,” I say quietly. “Thank you, but no.” I sigh again and pick up my phone. “I’m gonna talk to him like the adults we are and see if we can’t sort this mess out. I don’t get why he doesn’t want this over and done with as much as I do.”
Seb snorts. “You knowexactlywhy that is.”
Ugh.
Maybe.
Dan hasn’t been subtle in his hints about wanting to get back together.
“Well, that’s not happening.Ever.” You’d think he’d have got the message by now, considering our home—which he no longer lives in—is up for sale, but apparently not.
He also insists on coming here a couple of hours before the estate agent brings people round to help mestagethe flat. “I really can’t deal with seeing him this weekend.”
“Tell him no then,” Seb says pointedly. “You’ve done it enough times by now. I bet you can get this place ready without knob-face’s input.” I laugh and Seb grins at me, a glint in his eye. “Or better yet, why don’t you go away for the weekend and let him have at it? Tell him he can come round but not that you won’t be here.”
“Where would I go?” It’s already Wednesday, and I’ve never been one for spontaneity. Well, except for in my writing. I never seem to stick to a plan as far as that’s concerned.
Seb opens his arms wide. “Literally anywhere you want. Within a three- or four-hour drive, I’d suggest, unless you’re thinking of the train or flying?”
“I’m not bloody flying anywhere.” I shudder at even the thought of getting on a plane.
He grabs my laptop and opens it up. “There’s still a thousand places you could go if you fancy it.” He glances up, waiting for my nay or yay.
Do I fancy it?
