Page 42 of Cruel Delights
I slam the door in his face. While he might be right, the fact that he’s bold enough to say it tells me I have to prove him wrong.
For real this time. Last night was the last time Grady willevertouch me.
I pivot from the door and stomp my way into the kitchen with what must be a moody expression. Taviar stands at the counter pouring creamer in his coffee mug.
“You’re up early. For you,” he adds.
“Gee, thanks. I’d wake up early if I had a real job to go to. Turns out, nobody wants to hire me.”
“You’ll find something. You always do.”
I grunt my thank you as Taviar hands me his coffee and then sets to making a second cup.
“Grady spend the night again?”
“You saw me kicking him out?”
Taviar nods, tearing into a sugar packet. “You need to stop inviting him over.”
“He tends to… invite himself over.”
“That’s when you put your foot down, Ly. Stop falling for his game.”
I sigh and hold up the coffee mug for a sip. “It’s so hard. Grady… he helped mea lotwhen I was younger.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’ve repaid your debt to him five times over. Just say no. Like that drug campaign. DARE or some shit?”
“None of us said no to that. Not even you.”
A glimmer of humor passes over Taviar’s face. “Careful, Ly. I’m still successful.”
“True. How’s the business going?”
“You know better than to ask. You got your rent money? It’s due today.”
My stomach flutters with an abrupt case of nerves. “I’ll get it to you this afternoon. I wanted to ask you… now that Jael’s all but disappeared… what does this mean for the rent? I can’t afford more than the twenty-five percent, Taviar.”
“Jael who?” he asks before he walks off with an air of dismissiveness.
“That’s not funny! You know who and you know what I mean. Now that she’s gone, how much do I owe you?”
I follow him out of the kitchen and halfway down the hall before finally he stops and turns around.
“We’re doing what we always do. Waiting ’til we get a third roommate. I have the room up on social media and the roommate rental sites. Somebody’ll bite eventually.”
That’s the most I’m getting out of Taviar for the time being. He returns to his room, and I return to mine. He’ll likely be busy with his online shop, and I shut the door to my room with my gaze falling on my phone.
Kaden texted me and I never responded. I set down the coffee Taviar made me and pick up my phone. My fingers hover over my keyboard, torn between my temptation to respond and my urge to delete his number.
He’s just some guy I met at a vegan spot.
He seemed nice and he was cool enough when we had lunch, but there’s something about him I don’t trust; somethingoffabout him.
I do neither—I don’t respond but I don’t delete his number. I simply… leave him on read.
I have enough issues going on without dealing with what to do about a guy like Kaden.
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