“I know it has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. What else do you want to know?”
I laugh to myself, peeking my head around the corner to a short hallway where I spot a bedroom and bathroom right away.
“Thought you were trying to sell me this place,” I tease, looking back at him with a quick smile.
“I just needed to get you in the door. I knew it would speak for itself.”
I nod, but he doesn’t see me as I’m walking in and out of bedrooms because he’s still in the common area. I can’t believe I love this apartment. I also hate that I love it because it means Liam would be my neighbor. That alone should be a reason to turn it down, but for some reason all it does is end up in the pros column. I want to feel safe in my own home again. And as much as I hate admitting it, I’ve always felt safe near Liam.
The master bedroom has one big window that has a partial view of the city, and the rest shows off the glistening water of the bay. It looks like I can see a small portion of a handrail on another balcony too.
There’s a good size walk-in closet and a gorgeous bathroom with a giant bathtub as the focal point.
The sound of knocking grabs my attention, and I twist my head back and forth trying to determine where it’s coming from.
“Yeah, that’s Walt.” Liam’s deep voice pulls me toward him.
He’s standing against the doorframe, leaning with both hands in his pockets and one foot casually placed over the other.
“And Walt is?” I ask.
He blows out a loud breath, lifting himself from the frame and strolls over to the window.
“A fucking menace, that’s what.” He peers out the window and then lightly pounds on the wall beside it. “I was hoping he would’ve waited to introduce himself to you until after you were already moved in.”
I still don’t know if Walt is a ghost, a rodent, or something else. My eyes widen at him, an urge for more information.
“It’s a bird. Knocks on the building sometimes.” He pauses. “Okay, all the fucking time he knocks on the building. Kind of surprised you hear it here, though, actually. I can see him from my bedroom window so I thought he was closer to my place.”
“I love birds.”
“Really?” The look of confusion and slight concern rises on his face.
“Yeah. I grew up with birds as a kid, I’ve always liked them.” Shrugging, I continue walking around as I head back to the common area. “I’m just glad it’s not a rodent of any kind,” I call out behind me. “A bird is fine with me.”
I’ve officially seen all that I need to see and now have to ask the soul crushing question of how much it costs.
“All right, so I’ll admit the apartment is great. But let me down easy with the price, okay?” I lean against the island in the kitchen, studying the beige and gray swirls in the marble.
“Take a guess.” Liam nods his chin in my direction as he’s walking toward the kitchen. He leans his back against the counter next to me and stares down.
“Is everything a game to you?” I scoff, with a laugh.
“Noteverything.”
I roll my eyes as I consider the pricing. It’s almost twelve-hundred square feet, two bedrooms and bathrooms, private floor in a fancy downtown building, with security and water views. I nearly choke on the amount as it leaves my chest.
“Easy five-grand a month.”
The smile on his face grows, and I know that look. He’s just dying to prove me wrong.
“And how would you like it for an easy two a month?”
“Liam, there is no way in hell this apartment goes for two grand a month. The place I’m staying now is two grand a month and it’s smaller, older, and uglier.”
“Two grand, that’s the price.”
I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously.
