Page 102 of Fight
“What?” I nearly shout. “Since when?”
“I said I didn’t want kids, remember? My injection is good for another year.”
“And you’re justnowtelling me?”
She shrugs and continues brushing her teeth, then spits into the sink. “Sorry, I just thought you wanted to use condoms as an extra precaution.” She rinses her mouth with water.
“No… God, no! Nobodywantsto use condoms.”
“Oh, well, then we can stop using them.” She grins, showing off her pearly smile.
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “I’m gonna go warm up the truck,” I say, kissing her cheek.
I throw on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve tee and grab my keys. Within five minutes, she’s climbing into the cab of my truck with a fresh face and her hair in a tight bun. I’m impressed with the short amount of time it took us to go from bed to vehicle. Must have been less than ten minutes.
“Got your car keys?” I ask. I make a mental reminder to add my house key to her keyring.
She nods, and we’re pulling up to that piece of shit apartment in no time. “Can I have your apartment key? I’m going to take care of a few things today. I’ll lock up on my way out.”
“Oh,” she says with raised eyebrows. “Sure. But don’t feel like you have to do anything. I can take care of it after work.”
The corner of my mouth curves up, and I hold out an open hand while she wiggles the brass key off the ring. It’s not like she has a ton of stuff. I’ll be shocked if it takes more than one trip once I get everything loaded up in boxes.
As soon as she presses it to my palm, I wrap my fingers around hers and grasp her chin with my other hand to give her a kiss. “I’ll see you tonight,” I say. It’s a promise.
“Yeah.” Her eyes have a shine to them when she swallows. “I’ll see you tonight.”
My throat burns hearing the doubt in her voice, as if we only have a fewsee you tonightsbefore our time runs out.
“It’s going to be okay.”
Scottie weakly hums in agreement, but there’s no convictionin it. She pops the handle on her door and hops out. I watch her get into her car and back out of the parking lot.
Time to get to work.
I’m halfway through packing up the things in her apartment when my gaze lands on a piece of paper with the name of a local hotel and a room number.Jackpot.That saves me time having to call around to find where Jonathan is staying. I rip the piece of paper off the notepad and shove it in my pocket, then drop the blank pad of paper into the box next to the single pot and pan she owns. I clock a rat in the corner of the room, not sure if it’s the same one from yesterday or his buddy.
“Ya know, usually I’m not a big fan of rats,” I tell him, “but you were a great wingman yesterday, so I’m gonna let it slide. Looks like you’ll live to see another day.”
It only takes me an hour to pack up her belongings. We will have to deep clean all this shit thanks to the rodent roommates she acquired while she was absent.
Once everything is loaded in the truck and I’ve locked up her studio, I find the rental office. Naturally, there’s a security buzzer on his door but not the other apartments.
I hit the speaker button. “Dropping off keys.”
The door clicks as it’s unlocked, and I enter the office without a courtesy knock and stand at his desk. He seems startled to see me. “Does Prescott Timmons owe you anything for rent?” I’ll pay any outstanding debt she has to get her out of this place.
“Well, I’ll have to look...” He turns to his computer.
He clicks around, scrolling his mouse a few times, but at last shakes his head. “No, she’s up-to-date.”Of course she is.
“Great. Here’s her key.” I drop it on his desk and steal a Post-it Note and pen, scribbling down my address. “She’s moved out?—”
“Now wait, she needs to give a written sixty-day vacancy notice,” he argues with a smirk.
I laugh, impressed he has the balls to ask for a sixty-day notice on that rat sanctuary. “Yeah, she’s not doing that.”
I slap the sticky note in front of him. “Here’s the address you can send her security deposit to.” I glare at him until I get a reluctant nod. I’ll be watching for that check in the mail. The fact he even took on a tenant in that studio is upsetting, knowing it was Scottie? Now, that straight-up pisses me off. He took advantage of her situation.