“If not your mom and dad, then who?” Larissa pried gently. Because sadly, we all knew I didn’t exactly have enough savings to pay first and last months’ rent on an apartment by myself, plus utilities and all the rest.
“Well…” I sniffled. “Flynn said I can keep living in the apartment for now.”
Silence.
Music played in the background, Post Malone brooding away about running in circles, and my girls just looked at me. Then their eyes slid around the table, from face to face, as they decided telepathically who was nominated to kick my ass.
Shayla, of course.
She’d just taken a swig from her sparkly pink travel mug—she’d been dumping her cocktails into it—and slammed it on the table. It said, rather fittingly,Big Dick Energy. “What, in his bed? He thinks he can break your heart, then keep helping himself to the all-he-can-eat lady buffet? Hell no!” For such a wisp of a human, she was damn loud.
“Not in his bed,” I hissed quietly. “Of course not. And say it a little louder. I don’t think the DJ quite heard you.” I glanced at my sister’s table, way across the club, but they weren’t looking at us. “He, uh, cleaned out the second bedroom. You know, his gym-slash-office-slash-man-cave.”
“Already?” Larissa said.
“Yup. He’s sleeping in there. You know, neither of us wants to…”Sleep in the bed we shared while the other one is still in the apartment.I couldn’t even bring myself to say it, knowing the dam would probably burst again if I did. “And he made me a little nest on the couch last night. After our fight.”
The girls all looked at each other again. It was getting mildly annoying.
“I guess… that’s nice,” Courteney offered. But the look on her face saidLike fucking hell I’d be sleeping on a couch nest if Xander broke up with me.
They were right to hate the idea, probably. But what choice did I have?
I slumped over my drink. The purple ones had been replaced by blue ones, a while ago. Maybe there were green ones too, in between. “Guys, I know. As nice as he’s trying to be about it, it blows.”
“Well, thank Christ we don’t have to break it to you,” Shayla said. “But let me be clear. You cannot, and I repeat,cannot, live with your ex.”
“It’s only for now. You know, until I land on my feet.”
“Land on your feet?” Larissa said carefully. “He ripped the rug out from under you, Angie. It may take a while to, you know, land on your feet again.”
“You’re staying at my place,” Shayla announced.
“I am not.”
“Babe. This is not the time to get stubborn and independent.”
I laughed. We all knew I was the last thing from independent.
I didn’t even realize how entirely dependent on my boyfriend I was until this afternoon, when Danielle told me I had no job. Flynn paid for the apartment, all the taxes and utilities and whatever. He paid my credit card bill. I didn’t even know what he paid for.
I didn’t even have an income.
Somehow, with Flynn, I never felt like I needed anything. Including a job. I was free to enjoy our life together. He took care of me financially. I took care of him in other ways; cooking, massages, doing his laundry, looking after the apartment. Making things nice for him. He never complained about that part. It worked for us.
But now I was a woman with no job, no work history, and virtually no money. Worse, I was a woman with no purpose and no idea what she was doing with her life when she woke up tomorrow.
“I mean, he told me I can stay as long as I need to.” My tone was growing uncertain. “Although that was when we both thought I was getting a job offer today. In reality, ‘As long as you need to’ probably meant ‘Until your first paycheck comes in.’ You know, the paycheck I’m not gonna have anytime soon.”
“Shayla’s right,” Courteney said slowly. “You should move in with her. She has the space. I’d welcome you into my home anytime, you know that. But Xander and I have such a small condo. You’d be on a couch nest, for sure. You’re welcome to, of course, but that’s all I can offer.”
“I know,” I assured her. “It’s fine.”
“And you know Jason and I don’t have the space, either,” Larissa said. “I’m so sorry we can’t help.” I knew that, too. Larissa and her boyfriend had moved back in with his parents while they both finished their advanced degrees.
“It’s okay you guys, really. I don’t need a bed. I’ve got the couch for now. All my things are there. I’ll move out as soon as I can. I’m not even worried about that part.” I wasn’t. Mainly because I was just trying not to think about it. “It’s just… I’ve never been on my own before.”
“Pfft, it’s not half bad,” Shayla said. “I’m telling you. You’ll be just fucking fine.”
