She wipes a tear from her cheek. “I don’t want you to move out.”
“I know. I love you guys.” I really do. “We’re looking at places close by so we could still do our morning walks, and I’ll definitely go out with you when you want. I….” A wave of emotion comes over me. “I really love you guys.”
“We love you too.” Robbi isn’t crying, but she does look angry. “I’m sorry I complained about the bathroom.”
“No. It’s fine. It is fun being upstairs with you all, but I can’t really sleep up there.”
“We’re sorry.” Susanna’s turn to sniffle.
“Stop, you guys.” They’re making me feel terrible. “You haven’t gotten rid of me.”
“Good.” Kat stands first. Making her way closer, she wraps her arms around me. “I saw the spider. I don’t blame you.”
Patsy laughs. “Weallsaw the spider. I took a picture for the landlord. No reply.”
“Did anyone kill it?”
Kat shivers next to me. “Fuck no. You know the second you try to kill it, you’ll miss and it’ll freak out, run up your arm, and eat your face.”
I giggle and nod at everything Kat’s saying because those were my thoughts exactly. “Right?”
As the girls disband, I pull Patsy aside. “You sure this is okay?”
“Yeah. I meant what I said. You’re paying the same as the rest of us, but you don’t even have a bedroom.” She pats my arm. “We’ll figure it out, Quinn. No worries.”
As she starts to step away, I ask, “What about your mom? Is she okay?”
“Yeah.” Patsy laughs. “She got a promotion and a raise.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t know what went down with you and Mr. Becker, but thanks.”
“I didn’t—”
“Kara’s going to Iowa in the spring term.”
“Oh, wow. I should feel bad for them, but then again….”
“I know.” Patsy laughs. “Kara has gotten away with a lot over the years thanks to her dad. I’m just glad she won’t be around here anymore.”
I hope she’s right.
* * *
I haven’t heardfrom Cooke in so long. I know he’s busy playing a tournament—or a fixture, as they call them—but that’s not the reason he hasn’t called. Part of me still wants to reach out to him, update him on the changes in my life, but he sounded so angry that night of his fancy party. He hasn’t tried to talk to me, so I don’t feel I should bother him. Besides, there’s nothing pressing that I need to tell him anyway. Sure, I was in an accident and I had to go to the hospital, but I’m fine. See? It’s not pressing. I need to find a new place to live, but again, that isn’t anything he needs to worry about. I’ll just text him my new address once I know what it is. After that, it’ll be up to him to make the next move.
My shoulders slump. Everything I said just now… it’s a lie. I’m bummed that he hasn’t tried to call or text me. I’m sad because I feel like it’s over between us. It seems like it was months ago that he visited when it was only weeks ago. In those weeks, everything just fell apart.Maybe I should’ve had sex with him.Then maybe he’d—
What the hell am I doing? I need to just remember the good times with Cooke and let him go. End. Of. Story.
Chapter Forty-One
“What about that place?” I ask Tayler as she pulls out of the apartment complex.
“It was dirty,” she says glumly.
“We could clean it.” Right?
