Sequel: Seven Days ›
Just You
Ten
“It would probably be easier if I drove.” I said, grabbing my purse and keys. We finally got my car from Brent’s house while he wasn’t there. My stuff was still there, but one thing at a time.
I half expected Brent to damage everything I owned, but maybe I was too vindictive for my own good. My car, a dark blue 2008 Ford Focus, looked and ran like it did before I left. So maybe he wasn’t really that bad of a person. Maybe he was just a shitty boyfriend.
“Alright.” We walked out of the house and I went to the car as Jensen locked the front door. Danneel had a meeting with her agent today for a role, so it was just Jensen and I for the day.
I started the car and turned on the external GPS, typing in the address of the apartment complex when prompted. After Jensen climbed in, I pulled out of the driveway and we were on the way. The fifteen minute ride to the complex was punctured only by the computerized voice of the GPS, telling me occasionally to turn left or right. It was definitely awkward between us.
Did I really expect it to be the same as before? No, I don’t think so. But it doesn’t mean I didn’t want it to be. One could always hope, right? Truth was I knew things between us would never be as they had been. And it hurt. But I made my bed, now I had to lie in it.
“Um, I think you passed it.” Jensen’s voice brought me back to the present. And he was right, I did pass it. Cursing softly, I put on my blinker and U-turned at the light not too far down the street and within a minute, we were pulling into the complex. “Preoccupied?”
“Thinking.” I said simply and mercifully, he left it at that. I took the silence as time to study the place that could be my new home. The front of the complex was pretty nice, lots of trees and foliage, giving it a welcoming feeling. I parked in a space marked for future residents and turned the car off.
“You up for this?” He made it a question.
“It’s now or never.” I said, shrugging.
“Alright.” He gave me a bracing a smile and waited, presumably, for me to make the first move. So I opened the door and stood from my seat. After locking up the car, we walked side by side to the office. He opened the door for me and I muttered my thanks. That’s just how he is, but I was too aggravated with the awkwardness between us to admire his manners at the moment. I walked to one of the desks and waited for the woman at the computer to look up.
“Hi, I’m Anjilika Greene. I’m here to see Dorothy Harding, we spoke on the phone about looking at apartments.” Dorothy Harding. I would hate to have that name.
“Oh, I’m Dorothy.” She smiled up at me. “You’re early!”
“Yes ma’am, sorry about that. I’m habitually early for everything.” She laughed softly as I smiled faintly.
“Well that’s a good quality to have. Let me get the keys and I’ll show you the layouts we have. You said you wanted a one bed, one bath, yes?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Sounds great!” This woman was too peppy for me. I shot a look to Jensen and he laughed softly as she stood and grabbed a ring of keys from a hook on the wall. We walked out of the office and toward one of the buildings to the left. “This way please.”
We followed her into one of the apartments on the first floor in silence. The living room was spacious and included a dining area, with a small bar that separated the dining area from the kitchen. I was only halfway listening to her babble on about the space until she asked, “will both yours and your boyfriend’s name be on the lease?”
“Oh, I’m not her boyfriend.” Jensen laughed as if the idea was preposterous.
“Oh…” Dorothy looked a little confused.
“He’s just a friend that I invited along today. I’ll be the only one staying here.” I said quickly.
“Okay. Well, here’s the bedroom…” I followed her around the apartment, letting her show me the odds and ends about the apartment. This was the one I wanted, I knew that, but I couldn’t get more excited.
Oh well. I guess I was just going to be a Debbie Downer today.
I half expected Brent to damage everything I owned, but maybe I was too vindictive for my own good. My car, a dark blue 2008 Ford Focus, looked and ran like it did before I left. So maybe he wasn’t really that bad of a person. Maybe he was just a shitty boyfriend.
“Alright.” We walked out of the house and I went to the car as Jensen locked the front door. Danneel had a meeting with her agent today for a role, so it was just Jensen and I for the day.
I started the car and turned on the external GPS, typing in the address of the apartment complex when prompted. After Jensen climbed in, I pulled out of the driveway and we were on the way. The fifteen minute ride to the complex was punctured only by the computerized voice of the GPS, telling me occasionally to turn left or right. It was definitely awkward between us.
Did I really expect it to be the same as before? No, I don’t think so. But it doesn’t mean I didn’t want it to be. One could always hope, right? Truth was I knew things between us would never be as they had been. And it hurt. But I made my bed, now I had to lie in it.
“Um, I think you passed it.” Jensen’s voice brought me back to the present. And he was right, I did pass it. Cursing softly, I put on my blinker and U-turned at the light not too far down the street and within a minute, we were pulling into the complex. “Preoccupied?”
“Thinking.” I said simply and mercifully, he left it at that. I took the silence as time to study the place that could be my new home. The front of the complex was pretty nice, lots of trees and foliage, giving it a welcoming feeling. I parked in a space marked for future residents and turned the car off.
“You up for this?” He made it a question.
“It’s now or never.” I said, shrugging.
“Alright.” He gave me a bracing a smile and waited, presumably, for me to make the first move. So I opened the door and stood from my seat. After locking up the car, we walked side by side to the office. He opened the door for me and I muttered my thanks. That’s just how he is, but I was too aggravated with the awkwardness between us to admire his manners at the moment. I walked to one of the desks and waited for the woman at the computer to look up.
“Hi, I’m Anjilika Greene. I’m here to see Dorothy Harding, we spoke on the phone about looking at apartments.” Dorothy Harding. I would hate to have that name.
“Oh, I’m Dorothy.” She smiled up at me. “You’re early!”
“Yes ma’am, sorry about that. I’m habitually early for everything.” She laughed softly as I smiled faintly.
“Well that’s a good quality to have. Let me get the keys and I’ll show you the layouts we have. You said you wanted a one bed, one bath, yes?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Sounds great!” This woman was too peppy for me. I shot a look to Jensen and he laughed softly as she stood and grabbed a ring of keys from a hook on the wall. We walked out of the office and toward one of the buildings to the left. “This way please.”
We followed her into one of the apartments on the first floor in silence. The living room was spacious and included a dining area, with a small bar that separated the dining area from the kitchen. I was only halfway listening to her babble on about the space until she asked, “will both yours and your boyfriend’s name be on the lease?”
“Oh, I’m not her boyfriend.” Jensen laughed as if the idea was preposterous.
“Oh…” Dorothy looked a little confused.
“He’s just a friend that I invited along today. I’ll be the only one staying here.” I said quickly.
“Okay. Well, here’s the bedroom…” I followed her around the apartment, letting her show me the odds and ends about the apartment. This was the one I wanted, I knew that, but I couldn’t get more excited.
Oh well. I guess I was just going to be a Debbie Downer today.