by Sandi Lynn
“Thanks, bro,” I said as I stood from my chair.
“Thanks, Elijah. I appreciate your advice,” Sara spoke.
“You’re welcome. I’m here anytime you need me. Let me know what you decide and if either one of you want to proceed with a lawsuit.”
We walked out of the building and stood at the curb while I grabbed us a cab. We sat there in silence for a few moments until I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Sara, we have to talk about this at some point.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m not leaving.”
I sighed as I turned my head and looked out the window. It was going to be a long day.
When we arrived back to the apartment, we both took out our keys, but mine made it first into the lock. I opened the door and motioned for her to go in first.
“Like Elijah said, we’re both adults and we need to have an adult conversation about this”, I spoke as she sat down on the couch. “Didn’t you already have an apartment?”
“Didn’t you?” she spoke in a harsh tone.
“No. My apartment building burnt down. That night Olivia was brought to the ER, she lived down the hall from me. I lost everything that night in the fire. Pretty much my entire life was reduced to ashes.”
“Oh. I’m sorry about that.” She looked up at me. “But you have your family you can stay with. I have nobody. I just moved here, and I have nowhere else to go except some damn hotel for god knows how long.”
“I’m not living with my family. I’m staying here, in MY apartment I’ve waited for, for the last six months. I’m sorry they screwed you, but that’s not my problem.”
“I know exactly what this is and why you’re doing this.”
“Enlighten me, please.”
“You’re using this as revenge against me because I wouldn’t go out with you.”
“HA!” I laughed. “Is that what you really think? I don’t do revenge, Sara. I’m not leaving because this place is rightfully mine.”
Chapter 10
Sara
“Rightfully yours?” I stood up. “Who the hell do you think you are? Oh wait. That’s right. The great Captain Mason Wolfe who saves children from burning buildings.”
“Wow.” He stood there with a narrowed eye. “I am so happy I dodged that bullet.”
“What bullet?”
“You. I’m happy you turned me down for a drink. Because in all honesty, I don’t even want to get to know a person like you. For a doctor, you sure as hell aren’t caring or compassionate.”
Ouch.
I wanted to scream at him, lash out, but I didn’t. He had no idea what I was going through. I could feel the sting in my eyes as the tears came to the surface. I turned away from him and stared out the window because I couldn’t let him see me cry. He was wrong about me. I was caring and compassionate. I was just angry. Angry about this whole mess I was in. I didn’t want to move to New York, but I didn’t have a choice. I was doing the right thing and somehow, it seemed to bite me in the ass.
“You’re just going to stand there and not say anything?”
“I’m sorry for what I said. The apartment is yours,” I spoke without turning to face him.
Wiping the tear that fell down my cheek, I walked over to where my suitcases sat, grabbed them and my purse and headed towards the door.
“Are you crying?” he asked.
“No.” I lied as I sniffled.
I felt his hand lightly grab my arm as he turned me around.
“You are crying. Sara—”
“Don’t, Mason. Enjoy your new place.”
He let go of my arm as I struggled to open the door.
“Tell Victoria that I left and to please refund me my deposit. I have to go call the movers and have them deliver my things somewhere else,” I walked out.
“Sara, wait.” I heard his voice as I began walking down the hallway. “Where are you going to go?”
“I’ll find somewhere.”
“For fuck’s sake. Get back inside.”
I pushed the button to the elevator and prayed the doors would open quickly, but they didn’t. Mason walked over to me and grabbed one of my suitcases from my hand.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Taking your suitcase back inside. At least stay the night.”
“No, Mason. Give me back my suitcase.”
He walked inside the apartment with it and shut the door. I sighed as I hurried back to the apartment and opened the door.
“Wolfe, give me back my suitcase!”
“I’m not letting you walk out of here without a plan. It’s not happening. Not tonight. Stay the night and make a plan.”
“I can do that from a hotel room.”
“I wouldn’t feel right. It’s not your fault this happened.”
“Damn right it’s not.” I stood there with my arms folded.
“Just take the rest of today and tonight to make a plan.”
“Fine. I’ll stay, but don’t expect me to be social. I’ll just go to one of the bedrooms and decide what I’m going to do. Which bedroom did you already claim?” I asked.
“The one over here. Both rooms are the same size, so don’t accuse me of taking the bigger one.”
“I really don’t care if you did. It’s not my apartment anymore.”
I took both my suitcases, went into the bedroom and shut the door. Throwing myself on the queen-size bed, I looked up at the ceiling, letting the tears roll back into my eyes. My phone rang, and when I pulled it out, I saw Karen was calling.
“Hello.”
“Sara, it’s Karen. I thought you should know that your mother is having a good day, and she’s asking for you.”
“She is?”
“Yes. I thought maybe you’d want to come see her.”
“Of course, I’ll be right there.”
I grabbed my purse and flew through the apartment.
“Where are you going?” Mason asked.
“Out. I’ll be back in a while.”
Even though my mother was in a state of reality for a short while, it was good to be able to hold a conversation with her, even if it was only for a few hours. Days like these were far and few between anymore. She recognized me the moment I stepped into her room and she gave me a hug. We went for a walk outside and took in the beauty mother nature had to offer. I treasured every second I was with her until she slipped away, back into the cracks that filled her mind and into the fog that consumed her well-being.
After I left Easton Gardens, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. I was starving, so I stopped and picked up a pizza. I wanted to ask Mason what he liked, but I didn’t have his number. When I walked through the door, I set the pizza on the island and Mason came from his room.
“Hey,” he spoke.
“Hey. I brought a pizza home. Well, to your home. Have a piece. There’s plenty there.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, of course. Do you have any plates?”
“Yeah. They came with the apartment. Four of everything, including the silverware,” he said as he reached up into the cabinet.
After he handed me my plate, I put two slices of pizza on it and took it over to the table.
“How about a bottle of beer to go with your pizza?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He handed me my beer and took the seat across from me. We sat there in awkward silence for a few moments while we ate.
“Is everything okay?” Mason asked.
“Yeah. Why?” I picked up my beer.
“I don’t know. It’s just the way you ran out of here. Like there was an emergency or something.”
Did I tell him about my mom? Dare I open that door? It didn’t matter because after tonight, I probably wouldn’t see him again. Maybe only in passing at the hospital or at the bar.
“I went to see my mom.”
“Your mom lives here?” he asked with a confused look on his face.
“Yes. She lives over at E
aston Gardens.”
“The assisted living home for people with Alzheimer’s?”
“Yeah. You know it?”
“Yeah. We get called there a lot. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Thanks. She was having a good day today and was asking for me, so Karen called to let me know. It isn’t often she has days like that, so I take every opportunity I can get.”
“How long has she had Alzheimer’s?”
“It started four years ago and just this past year it got really bad. Easton Gardens is one of the best in the country. That’s why I brought her here.”
“I know it is, and it’s only a couple blocks away. May I ask how old she is?”
“She’s fifty-nine.”
“Damn. She’s still young.”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Mason got up and when he opened it, Nathan stepped inside.
Chapter 11
Mason
“Nathan, when did you get back?”
“A while ago. Allison and Ruby are with Aspen and Mila, so I came by to check out your new place. Is that Dr. Davis?” he whispered with a smile as he glanced over my shoulder. “So you did manage to score with her.”
“God no. It’s been a clusterfuck of a day and you won’t believe it. Come on in.”
“Dr. Davis, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Hi, Nathan. You can call me Sara.”
“So, what’s going on here?” he asked. “By the way, great place.”
“I’ll let you tell him the story,” Sara said as she got up and placed her plate in the dishwasher. “I’ll go make a plan. It was nice to see you, Nathan.”
Nathan gave her a smile and then turned to me.
“What the fuck is going on? What did I miss? This is why I hate being gone for more than a day.”
I sighed as I sat down.
“Go grab a beer and a slice of pizza and prepare yourself.”
“So, what is doctor hottie doing here?” he asked as he brought his plate back to the table.
“The landlord inadvertently leased the apartment to both her and me. One of us has until tomorrow morning to let them know who’s moving out.”
“You can’t be serious, bro.” His brow arched.
“I’m dead serious. We talked to Elijah about it. There isn’t anything we can do.”
“So I take it you kicked her to the curb?”
“I did. She’ll be gone in the morning.”
“Where will she go?”
“I don’t know. I told her she could stay tonight so she could make a plan.”
“And she just accepted that?”
“Hell no. There was a lot of arguing, yelling and tears on her part.”
“I’m sure there was. She doesn’t seem like the type that would give up without a fight.”
“She’s not. But ultimately, she did, and I’m not sure why.”
“You know, bro, if you’re having second thoughts you can stay with me and Allison until you find another place.”
“Nah. This apartment is rightfully mine. I’ve been on the waiting list for six months, and I am not giving it up because the landlord fucked up. Welcome to my new bachelor pad, bro.” I grinned.
“I love it, and I know there will be many sexually fulfilled nights here.” He tipped his bottle to mine.
His phone dinged and when he pulled it out of his pocket and read Allison’s text, he immediately got up from his seat.
“Gotta go. Allison and Ruby are home.”
“Do you always jump when she texts you?”
“Of course. I love her and I missed them.”
“You’ve only been gone a couple of days.”
“Doesn’t matter. Even a few hours without them is enough to drive me crazy.”
I rolled my eyes as I got up from my seat and gave him a bro hug.
“I’ll talk to you later. Love the place, bro,” he said as he walked out the door.
Sara
The morning sun beamed through the blinds as I opened my eyes and wiped the sleep from them. Climbing out of bed, I quickly made it and then went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. After pulling my hair back in a ponytail, I got dressed and pulled my suitcases behind me as I left my room. The door opened and Mason walked in carrying a cup holder in one hand and a white box in the other.
“Good morning,” he spoke.
“Good morning.”
“I brought us some coffee and donuts. I figured you’d need some fuel before you leave.”
“Thanks, Mason,” I said as I took one of the cups from the holder.
“Did you make a plan last night?” he asked as he grabbed a donut from the box.
“Yeah. I booked a room at the Hilton, and I made an appointment to tour an apartment I looked at before. I want to see it again before I make a final decision.”
“Listen, Sara,” he spoke as he leaned up against the counter. “I think you should just stay here.”
“Really? You’d move out and let me have it?”
“No. We can be roommates.”
My heart leapt into my throat.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We don’t get along very well.”
“I’m usually gone three nights a week and with your schedule, I’m sure you’re not home much either. So, we’d barely see each other.”
“I don’t like to share,” I said as I took a bite of my glazed donut.
“Trust me. I don’t either. I’m not taking this lightly. You need to understand how hard this is for me to even offer. I don’t do roommates, and I like my personal space.”
“I like my personal space, and I don’t do roommates either. Not even in college or med school. I’ve always been on my own. Why the sudden change of heart?” My eye steadily narrowed at him.
“Because I’m not willing to move out and you don’t want to move, so I think as adults we can compromise.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I am. We can split the bills. It’ll be cheaper for both of us, and I’m willing to try if you are.”
“We’d have to come up with a list of rules.”
“Definitely.” He smiled.
I sat there and stared at him while I sipped my coffee. What was he up to?
“You’re not offering because you think I’ll have sex with you, are you?”
“No. That ship already sailed. If you reject me once, I move on and I don’t look back. The truth is, I’m sure you wanted this place because it’s close to the hospital and to your mom. You need to be close to her in case of an emergency or something.”
“Thanks, Mason. I appreciate it, but a lot of things were said yesterday between us.”
“I know, and I’m willing to put that behind me and move forward. We don’t have to be friends, Sara. We can just be two people who share an apartment that barely see each other. You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
“Can I at least have your phone number in case there’s an emergency?” I asked.
“Yes, and I’ll need yours. You in?”
I hesitated for a moment and took in a deep breath.
“I’m in. Thank you.” I gave him a soft smile.
“Okay. Let’s go to the office and tell Victoria to draw up a new lease. But first, let’s take these suitcases back to your room,” he said as he grabbed them.
Was this a good idea? Probably not. As much as he irritated me, it was nice of him to offer that we share the apartment. I could do this. Like he said, he’d be gone three nights a week and with my crazy work schedule, we’d probably never see each other much.
After we signed the new lease, we went back up to the apartment, sat at the table and made a list of rules each of us were to follow.
No touching food that doesn’t belong to you.
Take turns cleaning the apartment and stay on top of the cleaning schedule.
Do your own shopping.
Bills will be divided equally and paid on tim
e.
No borrowing of personal things without asking.
Be respectful of personal space.
Get party permission before throwing the party.
No dishes piling in the sink.
Be respectful when having overnight guests. Keep noise level to a minimum.
Respect each other’s privacy.
“Can you think of anything else?”
“I think that should do it,” I spoke.
There was a knock at the door, and I immediately jumped up.
“That must be the movers with my things.”
As soon as they stepped inside, I directed them to take all my boxes to the bedroom while I canceled my reservation at the Hilton.
Chapter 12
Mason
The thing I dreaded the most was having to tell my family what I’d done. I would never hear the end of it. The truth was, Sara was going through some shit I didn’t know about and I didn’t want to add the stress of her being homeless to it. As long as we followed the rules we set in place, and I stopped thinking about fucking her every which possible, we’d be fine.
I walked into my mother’s house for family dinner, and I braced myself for the teasing and comments I was about to receive once I told them about Sara.
“Hey,” I spoke as I walked into the kitchen with my hands tucked into my pants pockets.
“Hello, darling.” My mother smiled as she walked over and kissed my cheek.
“Well?” Elijah spoke. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you all day.”
“Yeah, bro, me too. I was going to call you when I didn’t hear anything, but I figured you had your hands full with Sara.”
I took in a deep breath.
“I told her she could stay. She’s officially my roommate now.”
“You what!” Nathan laughed and Elijah didn’t say a word.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” my mother asked.
“How did she talk you into that?” Elijah asked.
“She didn’t. I offered. Her mother is a resident over at Easton Gardens.”
“The assisted living home for patients with Alzheimer’s?” my mother asked.
