Page 37 of Not In The Contract

“This is the size of my apartment,” I hissed, the disbelief raw in my voice.

I walked to the center of the room and spun in a slow circle. The massive bed pushed into the furthest end of the room against a window that stretched up and extended onto the ceiling, revealing the thick blanket of trees outside. The bed itself looked as if it was floating on water.

“Is that the closet?” Tamera gasped, rushing over to a crystal door and throwing it open.

“Tamera, be careful!” I rushed after her, only to stop dead and gape at the space inside the closet.

“Holy shit, you could live in here and still have space,” she hissed.

“Can we just bring my stuff up?” I said, pulling her out of the closet.

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, letting me lead her out of the bedroom and back down the stairs.

“So, what do you think?” I whispered, waiting for her to unlock her car.

“The house? It’s phenomenal.”

“No, oh my God, not the house.” I sighed. “About Alex.”

“She’s totally your type.” She giggled, popping the trunk. “I think you might be a little screwed.”

“Wow, that doesn’t help me at all.”

Tamera laughed and handed a suitcase to me.

We lugged the bags inside and I prayed that Alex wasanywhere elseas Tamera continued teasing me in hushed whispers.

“You’ll be in this house with her for two months.” She giggled behind me. “Maybe you’ll get lucky, eh?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I groaned, craning my neck to make sure Alex was nowhere near us. “Could you be mature, please?”

“I’m super mature.” She laughed. “I’m thinking about your sex life, that’s very mature.”

“You could leave the topic at the door,” I breathed, exasperated and desperate to get her out as soon as possible.

“Well, then call me when you need me,” she said with a wink. “I’ll be here in a second- or, maybe forty-five if the traffic is good.”

We walked back down the staircase and she pulled me into a tight hug.

“Thanks, I’ll call you tomorrow?”

I waved her off and watched as her car disappeared down the gravel driveway. Once she’d left, I let out a sigh and let the door shut. I was ready to drop into an hour-long nap.

I turned around and came face to face with Alex, her arms folded across her chest, her sharp eyes trained on me.

12. Laying Down the Rules

Alex

“Settledin?”Iasked,watching Devon’s cheeks turn pink. Her long, dark hair sat atop her head, bound by a colorful scrunchie, and her denim dungaree shorts reminded me of Frankie’s eclectic fashion sense. It made her feel a little more familiar to me, and it soothed that sense of impending doom that dogged my every step.

“Not yet, but I’m sure I will,” she said shyly, picking at her cuticles. I glanced down at her ratty sneakers and her bare legs, not missing the Band-Aids here and there.

Most likely from shaving. Or clumsiness, if the bruises alongside the dark marks were anything to go by.

“We can have dinner together,” I said, secretly enjoying the flicker of surprise in her eyes. “We can talk about how this is going to work for the next two months. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” She nodded, taking a step toward the staircase. “I’ll just freshen up, if that’s okay?”