“So, what do you wanna watch?” she asks.
I’m terrible at keeping up with movies. Nate likes them far more than I do. Usually, he finds one he likes and I watch it out of duty. “There’s a new rom-com out. I can’t remember the name of it, but Nate sent it to me.” I open my phone and go through our many messages. “Here. This one.” I show her the poster.
Quinn loves a rom-com. Coincidentally, so does Nate.
If only he were here.
“Oh yeah,” she says. “I think it’s on Netflix. We can use my account.”
She pulls it up and I try my best to focus on the movie. I’ve gotten my love story, so I’m not all that interested in other people’s. But I can make an effort.
Today, however, I feel far more bitter than I want to. My own love feels like a jumbled mess. I can’t tell if it’s not seeing Rob or if it’s Nate’s words from earlier.
We’re about halfway through the movie when Quinn pauses it. “Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”
“Am I that obvious?”
She shrugs. “A little.”
“I know you’re enjoying the movie. We can continue it and then talk when it’s done.”
“I’m not worried about the movie, I’m worried about you.” She says it like it’s obvious. “What’s going on? Is my brother being dumb again?”
I wince. Quinn’s always quick to be on my side when Rob and I fight. It’s not something I ever expected when I started dating her brother, but she assured me that she knows him best, and that includes the fact that he can be a selfish moron. At the time, I defended him, but now, I find it hard to.
I don’t even want to think about what Nate’s doing, nor do I want to bring Quinn into it when it’s only a hunch. But I do have one other issue I need to talk about.
With a sigh, I stand and grab the magazine off the table and hand it to her. “He wants me to move in with him. Intohisapartment complex.”
“Oh.” She takes the magazine and flips through. “Yeah, this place is ... something.”
“And expensive. He’s offered to pay for most of it, even if we get a new unit, but I prefer for finances to be more even. And ...” I gaze around my own home. “I like it here.”
Quinn hums. “What does Nate think about this?”
“Nate? I haven’t told him yet.”
“Really?”
I shake my head. “We don’t tend to talk about relationship problems unless it’s pretty serious.”
“I’d say where you move is pretty serious. And didn’t Nate specifically choose his apartment because it’s close to you? He’d want to know.”
“You’re not wrong,” I admit. “I have a feeling he’ll tell me Rob and I should have talked about this a while ago. Or Rob should let it go, considering I own this place and he rents.”
“Rob doesn’t let anything go,” Quinn says.
“Then I should move in with him.” My shoulders sink as I sayit, and I know I don’t like that answer. Usually, I’m better about bucking up and dealing with things, but where I live is the one thing I’ve fought back on. Rob has gotten nearly everything he wanted from me. We’re getting married where he chose, on the date his mom wanted. And the honeymoon is forhim, not me.
“No, I think you should be the first tomakehim let something go.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Yes. It doesn’t make sense for you to move when you own your place. I’m not saying the two of you will be here forever, but he can’t bulldoze you over it. And you can’t afford his apartment complex.”
“Thank you.” A breath of relief escapes me as I say it. “I needed to hear that. Do you think it’ll be hard to convince him?”
She scrunches her nose. “I’d get used to the idea of living apart for the time being. You might have to outlast him on this one.”
