“Fine. I’ll move out. Just let me in, and I’ll start looking for a place tomorrow.”
“No, Flynn. She wants you outnowbecause she doesn’t think you’ll ever leave unless we just kick you out. And she knows about the money, so she said you can stay at a hotel.”
“I don’t have a credit card. Do you know how hard it is to find a hotel that accepts cash alone?”
“Give me the cash, and I’ll book you a room with mine.”
“They’ll ask to see the credit card when I check in. Are you coming with me?”
He sighs. “Fine.”
“Great. Now let me in.”
“Promise to just get your stuff and go quietly?”
“Jeez, yes, you dumb ass.”
Monroe closes the door to unlock it and then opens it again.
“Way to knock her up,” I grumble, collecting my belongings. It’s going to be great fun showing up to a hotel with everything I own in a dented trunk with rusty hinges.
“Dude, I love her. You don’t know her like I do. She’s actually pretty great when you get to know her.” He follows me around the apartment like a dog that just destroyed my slippers and wants forgiveness with a pat on the head.
“She’s mental. Sweet one minute, raging the next. Good luck with that.”
“It’s just hormones. And I want you to be my best man at our wedding.”
“Whatever.” I dump my toiletries into a duffel bag. “You know where to find me.”
“Come on, Flynn. Just because you’re not sleeping on my sofa doesn’t mean our friendship has to end.”
I turn and peer down at him because he’s a couple inches shorter. “Get on your knees and sayplease.”
He squints for a second, then he starts to kneel on the floor.
“Get up, dipshit.” I grab his shirt and pull him back to his feet. “You have nine months to grow a pair. Don’t be a little pussy of a husband and father. Be the man of the house. Piss standing up. Shit wherever you damn well please. But never lay a hand on her or your kids. Got it?”
Monroe swallows hard and nods.
I release him and gather the rest of my stuff. Then I drag the trunk toward the door.
“You know I’m not a pussy. I just care about you, man. And I don’t want you to hate me for choosing a chick over you.”
I stop at the door and bow my head while closing my eyes. “I bought June a car today. Spent half my paycheck on it. Then I refused to have sex with her because I like her so much, and I don’t know how to do the whole relationship thing. No fucking clue how to tell her about my time in prison because I’m scared of losing her. So who’s the pussy now?”
Monroe grabs his keys and shoves his feet into his Jordans. “You should live with her.”
“She has a roommate.”
“So?”
“So, I can’t buy her a car and then confess that I need a place to live.”
“Why not?” He shuts the door behind us before lifting the other end of the trunk.
“I don’t know,” I mumble on the way down the stairs.
After he helps load the trunk into my car on the street, I playfully punch his shoulder. “Just go back upstairs. I’ll figure something out.”
