His brow furrowed. “Okay…”
I crossed my arms and leaned against the bathroom doorframe. “If we’re going to live together, we need some boundaries.”
“Like what?”
“We don’t bring up Omaha. That never happened. We’re just two guys sharing a house.”
“Well, we’re more than that.”
I pushed past him and started back toward the livingroom. “Sorry I wasted your time. I don’t think this is going to work.”
“Wait, Angel.”
I continued toward the door.
“Hold up!” He tossed his laundry on the table. “I didn’t mean it how you think.” He cut around the other side of the recliner and stepped in front of me, ducking his head to catch my eye. “Flynn’s my best friend, and you’re his brother. We can pretend Omaha never happened, but you can’t just be some stranger living in my house. It’s just not possible.”
He seemed sincere. I hesitantly nodded. “Okay, that’s fair, but no calling me Angel. That’s the guy in Omaha. Not me.”
“Right. Sorry. It’s just habit because I spent so many months thinking of you that way. You never told me your name.”
My stomach fluttered. I’d assumed he nicknamed me Angel because he didn’t remember my name. It never occurred to me he’d spent months thinking about that night. Maybe even as much as I had.
“I’ll work on it,” he said. “I promise to respect your wishes. That night in Omaha was hot as fuck, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I need a roommate. I’m in danger of being evicted. So are you in?”
“Show me the bedroom first,” I said. “And tell me how soon I can move in.”
His smile was blinding, erasing that edge of danger that lurked in him and bringing out the cute little boy he once was.
“Hell yes! You can move in whenever you want, but I’ll be at work till six.” He whirled around and led me to the other end of the trailer. “This is your bedroom.”
He waved toward the doorway. I gazed in to see a full-sized bed, nightstand, and dresser.
“It’s already furnished?”
“Uh, yeah, my last roommate couldn’t take it with him. But you’re free to replace anything you want.”
“No, this is great. I thought I’d have to take my brother’s futon.” I went and sat on the edge of the bed. It was a decent mattress. I bounced a couple of times and stood up again. “You’re sure you don’t mind if I use it? I could pay you for it, but not right away.”
“Nah, it didn’t cost me anything. It’s yours if you want it.”
“Okay. I’m in. Tell me how much to write the rent check for.”
He sagged against the doorframe. “Shit, Aiden, you’re saving my ass. Seriously. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Hey, it’s saving me from watching Flynn and Bailey make out again. So, we’re even.”
Knight laughed. “Fair enough.”
We hashed out the details and the rent and utilities split.
Fifty extra bucks a month to get all the amenities the studio lackedplusmy own bathroom seemed like a good deal.
“Okay, I guess we’re set then,” Knight said. “I agreed to do some maintenance work around the park to cover my late fees. So this should get everything squared away.”
“The park looks like it could use some help,” I said.
“Yeah, I know it’s a little rough and we’re out on the edge of town. Not everyone around here is…” He trailed off as if he didn’t know how to quantify that. “But I haven’t seen any crime, aside from casual drug use and domestic disputes. I’ll obviously be here most nights, too, and no one fucks with me.”
