of those perfect Cleaver family types and they probably didn’t get she lived there by choice, not necessity.
Sure, it was a shithole, but it was her shithole.
“I’m sorry about him,” Kevin said. “He’s not trying to be offensive. He’s just…honest. This is no place for you, Beth. I can borrow my brother’s truck and we could have you moved today.”
Tears of frustration shimmered in her eyes and she blinked them back. It was too much, too fast. He was bulldozing right over her. But to knowingly spend another night in an environment that was toxic to the speck of baby she was carrying? “How much is the rent?”
“We can worry about that later.”
“No. We can’t.”
“Fine.” He gave her an amount that was less than what she was paying and she shook her head. “Beth, come on. You get the mother of my child discount. You know I wouldn’t charge you any rent at all if I thought you’d let me get away with it.”
“I don’t sign long-term leases. I only rent month to month.”
“I can live with that.”
She wasn’t sure she could, but she didn’t have a choice. “Okay, but only because of the lead paint.”
His grin lit up his face, making her feel warm despite the temperature in the hall. “You might wanna get dressed then because I’m about to unleash my mother and she’ll have anything not on your body packed before I get back with the truck.”
***
He was almost right. There were still a few things left to pack by the time Kevin got back to her building with Mike’s truck. Most of it was packed in garbage bags. No points for style. They just wanted Beth out of there.
So that’s what they’d done, so efficiently that his parents were gone by suppertime. He’d worry about trading vehicles back with Mike later. Beth still had a few odds and ends left to unpack but she was more or less home. And judging by the sigh of contentment as she sank onto the cushions, she really liked the couch.
“I have to call the utility companies,” she said. “And the phone company. But I’m not going to worry about it right now.”
“Oh, the phone. There’s one here. An unlisted number and we mostly just had it so whoever was staying here could use it. Mike and Joe and the rest of them have cellphones, but not Pop. If you want you can just give that number out to your job or whoever instead of trying to get yours switched over.”
She started to speak, but he held up his hand. “And every month I’ll bring the bill over and you can write me a check.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay. It sounds easier than trying to get my number switched over here, especially since I still have to deal with the landlord. Since I left without notice, I probably won’t get my deposit back.”
“Actually, we ran into your landlord downstairs while were carrying some bags down. Wanted to know who was moving. He wasn’t very happy, but Pop had a little chat with him about lead paint and other health hazards and he’ll be sending the check to this address. As soon as you get it and it clears, we’ll find out who does housing inspections and turn his ass in.”
She didn’t look quite as happy as he’d thought she would. “Thank you.”
“No problem. So, you want to go out and find some food? We could go downstairs and grab something or we could go somewhere else.”
“I don’t think so. I appreciate everything you did today—more than I can say—but I think I’ll stay in.”
“You don’t have any food. Nothing worth eating after a day of moving, anyway. And we could catch a movie, or stop by the video store and rent one.”
Judging by her expression, she was about to shoot him down. “Kevin, I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
He couldn’t quite wrap his head around those words. “We’ll see each other all the time, since we live across the hall from each other now. Plus, there’s that whole you’re having my baby thing.”
She blew out a breath and
Sure, it was a shithole, but it was her shithole.
“I’m sorry about him,” Kevin said. “He’s not trying to be offensive. He’s just…honest. This is no place for you, Beth. I can borrow my brother’s truck and we could have you moved today.”
Tears of frustration shimmered in her eyes and she blinked them back. It was too much, too fast. He was bulldozing right over her. But to knowingly spend another night in an environment that was toxic to the speck of baby she was carrying? “How much is the rent?”
“We can worry about that later.”
“No. We can’t.”
“Fine.” He gave her an amount that was less than what she was paying and she shook her head. “Beth, come on. You get the mother of my child discount. You know I wouldn’t charge you any rent at all if I thought you’d let me get away with it.”
“I don’t sign long-term leases. I only rent month to month.”
“I can live with that.”
She wasn’t sure she could, but she didn’t have a choice. “Okay, but only because of the lead paint.”
His grin lit up his face, making her feel warm despite the temperature in the hall. “You might wanna get dressed then because I’m about to unleash my mother and she’ll have anything not on your body packed before I get back with the truck.”
***
He was almost right. There were still a few things left to pack by the time Kevin got back to her building with Mike’s truck. Most of it was packed in garbage bags. No points for style. They just wanted Beth out of there.
So that’s what they’d done, so efficiently that his parents were gone by suppertime. He’d worry about trading vehicles back with Mike later. Beth still had a few odds and ends left to unpack but she was more or less home. And judging by the sigh of contentment as she sank onto the cushions, she really liked the couch.
“I have to call the utility companies,” she said. “And the phone company. But I’m not going to worry about it right now.”
“Oh, the phone. There’s one here. An unlisted number and we mostly just had it so whoever was staying here could use it. Mike and Joe and the rest of them have cellphones, but not Pop. If you want you can just give that number out to your job or whoever instead of trying to get yours switched over.”
She started to speak, but he held up his hand. “And every month I’ll bring the bill over and you can write me a check.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay. It sounds easier than trying to get my number switched over here, especially since I still have to deal with the landlord. Since I left without notice, I probably won’t get my deposit back.”
“Actually, we ran into your landlord downstairs while were carrying some bags down. Wanted to know who was moving. He wasn’t very happy, but Pop had a little chat with him about lead paint and other health hazards and he’ll be sending the check to this address. As soon as you get it and it clears, we’ll find out who does housing inspections and turn his ass in.”
She didn’t look quite as happy as he’d thought she would. “Thank you.”
“No problem. So, you want to go out and find some food? We could go downstairs and grab something or we could go somewhere else.”
“I don’t think so. I appreciate everything you did today—more than I can say—but I think I’ll stay in.”
“You don’t have any food. Nothing worth eating after a day of moving, anyway. And we could catch a movie, or stop by the video store and rent one.”
Judging by her expression, she was about to shoot him down. “Kevin, I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
He couldn’t quite wrap his head around those words. “We’ll see each other all the time, since we live across the hall from each other now. Plus, there’s that whole you’re having my baby thing.”
She blew out a breath and
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