Chapter Three
Oswald
I pulled into the parking lot of the Oliver Creek municipal building, tiny compared to those in the big city and even to other towns I’d been to but well-kept. The town even had its own flag waving on a pole, depicting animals, humans, and diversity.
I’d chosen my new residence well.
Phone in hand, I texted Troy, my contact for everything librarian-job related. I told him I’d made it to town and would be at work the next morning bright and early. A surge of enthusiasm and energy swelled within me at the prospect. New town. New job. New places to explore.
Hopefully, a new me. Rather, not a new me but an evolved me. One that no longer ruminated about why Maxwell had cheated on me. I’d dispelled the thoughts of not being enough early enough, but sometimes they crept in.
But not today. Today, I was choosing to accept this new chance in life.
Now to get settled in my apartment. Thank goodness for GPS. It was a small town but until I got my bearings, I would have to rely on my phone to guide me.
I thought about calling the landlord and telling him I was on the way, but he’d told me he lived on the premises. That made things easy.
There couldn’t have been more than a dozen apartments in the whole building. They were “tiny,” the landlord’s word, but the electricity and internet were included in the rent, so that would stretch my money further. When Maxwell moved out, I did not renew the lease, sold what I could online, and emptied my savings. I wished I had saved more, but there was no way I could have known that Maxwell would leave me. He’d insistedon paying most of the bills. He said it was his duty as an alpha. I didn’t argue.
Apparently finding another omega and cheating on me was part of being an alpha as well. He left that part out.
Asshole.
From the online images, the apartments were cute. Looked to be freshly painted pale blue. Each had shutters and awnings in different colors. At least they kept the place up, even if the units were small.
I put my car in park and got out, eyeing apartment D, the one I’d rented. A belonged to the landlord, so I knocked on the door, excited to get this new life started.
“Can I help you?” an older man asked with a smile.
“Hi. My name is Oswald Kenner. I rented apartment D? We spoke on the phone.”
The man paled. “I see. Didn’t Troy call you? I asked him to call you.”
“About what?” My heart sank into my stomach. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.
“I told Troy that the apartment isn’t ready. The last tenant left it a mess and I had to have some things repaired. Painted as well.”
“So, I can’t live in it? Is there another apartment available?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t have another one vacant, and it will be a while before your apartment is livable. I refunded your deposit and first month’s rent this morning so you could find another place.”
I sighed. “Do you know of anywhere?”
“I don’t. But Troy might. He—”
As thought the mention of him conjured him, my phone began to ring. It was Troy. “Excuse me,” I said to Henry. “Hello?”
“Oswald. I’m sorry I didn’t call you before. I have some not-so-good news about your apartment.”
I took a long breath, trying not to say anything I regretted. None of this was their fault, but Troy should’ve contacted me earlier. “I’m standing here with Henry, at the apartment, getting the bad news now.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. The good news is that the city will put you up anywhere until the apartment is ready. You can stay somewhere on us for this mistake.”
Huh. That was something. More money in my pocket, or less out of it. “Do you know a place? I passed a small motel but…”
“I don’t know. Check the motel. Maybe there’s another apartment available? Some people in town rent out units over their garages or have an ADU. You can ask around.”
I sighed. The sun was already dipping in the sky. No matter how friendly the town, no one would want me asking around about a place to stay. I was a stranger to them.
