“I don’t really cook. Eating alone makes me feel worse, so I usually mooch off the other guys. We used to do dinners as a pack every night, but our numbers dwindled as everyone paired off. Connor and I have been eating meals just the two of us.”
“Romantic,” I drawled.
“I know, right? I’m so jealous of Zoe.”
“As you should be.” I grabbed a few bags of gummy candy and started opening them up. It was kind of gross to just leave them open, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make for the perfect candy. “You didn’t tell me you have fuck-you money.”
“The money fucks me? I wasnotinformed.”
“It’s just a saying.”
“I think I get the gist of it. And yeah, I guess I do.”
“How?”
“A bunch of drama happened when I was a kid, and I sided with my mom. My grandma was pissed about it, so she gave me all the money when she passed when I was seventeen. The stipulations prevented me from giving it to my mom or brother, so I invested it. When I started making money from the investments, I split it between the three of us.”
“So it’s generational wealth.”
“I guess.”
I nodded, putting the bags of candy back in the pantry and grabbing one I actually wanted to eat. “What was the drama?”
“It’s also complicated.”
“That’s fine. You don’t have to tell me.”
He shot me a small smile. “I was just warning you so you could take a seat if you want.”
Ah.
“Lead the way. I might get lost in here if I’m left to my own devices.”
He snorted. “It’s three thousand square feet, Muffin. I think you’ll manage.”
“My apartment is like seven hundred, and the house I grew up in was only nine hundred, so I wouldn’t bet on that.”
He put a hand on my back and guided me toward the couch. “On your right, you’ll see the hallway that leads to the front door. There’s a coat closet in the middle of it.”
“Ooh, fancy.”
“To your left, you’ll see a very nice sliding glass door that really screams,I live on a lake.”
“Verynice,” I agreed.
“In front of you, you’ll see an average-sized sectional with above average heart. It’s the definition of comfort.”
“Moves me to tears.” I lifted a hand to my eye and feigned wiping one away.
five
MAYA
We sat down.I took the side of the couch, crossing my legs under me while Ethan sprawled out in the corner a few feet away from me. His long legs took up most of the space between us, but his sock-covered feet didn’t touch me.
“Alright, where were we?” he checked.
“You mentioned drama.”
