CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Not much has changed in my situation in the two weeks since Grant and I reignited our new relationship. I rather like it that way.
“Hell yes! That’s the way you do it, brother.” Drew stands on the couch and thrusts his hips at the TV in an obscene gesture I never needed to see in my entire life.
Grant uses Drew’s distraction to start lobbing fire grenades at his bunker. The explosions take over the volume in the living room and Drew scrambles to find his controller and get back in the position.
“Hey, Clare, your boyfriend took a cheap shot.”
I shrug in indifference. “You took too long to celebrate. Sounds fair to me.”
In truth I don’t care who wins what in this stupid game. Drew and Grant have continued to bond and their favorite pastime is making me sit on the couch and watch the two of them play shooter games. When they aren’t throwing grenades at one another, they toss insults back and forth asking me which side is right or wrong.
It makes me miss the days when Drew and I were too broke to buy the latest games. Now all he does is mention a new game to Grant and the next thing I know they’re playing it that evening. Turns out the boyfriend who bought a houseboat on a whim also spends too much money on video games. Who would’ve guessed?
“While I’m ruining your afternoon don’t forget you owe rent money.”
Drew doesn’t even look at me as he answers. “Yeah, I don’t do that anymore,” he continues shooting at Grant’s hastily made fortress in the game.
“What?” I ask.
With all the dramatics of a silly toddler being asked to pause his favorite game, Drew stops the video game and rests his controller in his lap. He tilts his head in Grant’s direction and a silent conversation passes between the two of them. I stare, a bit mesmerized until Grant shakes his head a barely perceivable amount.
Leaning against the edge of the couch with my feet planted in Grant’s lap I sit up to get a better look and watch what’s going on between them.
Grant refuses to make eye contact. “She’s too close. It’s not a good time.”
I drop my feet to the floor and sit up giving both boys a questioning look. “What the hell? Just tell me.”
“Your new landlord isn’t charging Drew rent. That’s all.”
“What?” Did Drew somehow talk Grant into paying his rent?
“Yeah, turns out the landlord sold the house and the new one is cool.” Drew flicks a hand at Grant. An impossible theory forms in my head, but I refuse to believe it.
“Subtle,” Grant says looking at me with a worried half smile.
Drew shrugs and stands up from the couch stretching his arms out. “What can I say, subtle is my middle name.”
I stare, open mouthed but without speaking while the wheels in my brain turn.
“You bought the house? This house?” I ask Grant.
“It was a solid investment.”
Drew turns around and walks to the kitchen, but he is not getting out of this so easily. “Is that why you let him move in?”
Drew spins around. “Of course not. I didn’t know until later.”
“So when did you buy the house?” My head lobs back toward Grant.
Grant takes a visible swallow and looks to the ceiling like he’s doing invisible math. “What answer would be best for me? One where I don’t get in a lot of trouble AND we don’t have a fight over it.”
With my arms crossed and my face flat, I answer. “There isn’t one.”
Drew throws his hands up in the air. “See, this is why no one told you because we didn’t want you to get upset. Can you just be happy your best friend in the entire world no longer has to pay rent?”
My face scrunches and I stomp a foot on the floor in annoyance. “How long has this been happening? And how come I don’t get free rent?”
Grant is quick to jump in with an answer. “Because I knew you would see it as me trying to help you and you don’t like to accept help.”
“Oh.” I guess he does know me and he has a point. I do hate accepting help, especially something major like rent, but an extra thousand dollars a month would be awesome. I could finally start saving money. Something I’ve never been able to do.
“I sold the houseboat so I’m mortgage free. If you don’t want to pay rent you don’t have to,” he sounds flippant, but it’s a huge deal to me.
I can’t stop the smile from growing on my face and I sit back on the couch. “I’ll think about it.”
Drew walks toward the kitchen thinking he’s dodged a bullet, but I’ll get him back, eventually. When he’s left the room, I turn back to Grant. “I really don’t have to pay rent?”
Grant laughs. “I told you no, but you can pay me back in other ways. Fun ways.”
An exaggerated, “Ewww,” comes from the kitchen. “Make sure that shit happens behind closed doors,” Drew yells from the other side of the breakfast bar.
“You have to admit it’s a bit stalkerish –” What man in his right mind buys the house where his one-night stand lives?
“I told you I knew from the moment I saw you. I was hedging my bets.”
“And exactly when were you planning to tell me?”
Grant laughs but it comes off as nervous. “Absolutely never.”
I laugh throwing my head back until I hit the arm of the couch. So much has changed in the last few months. There were times it didn’t feel like I had any control over what was going on in my life, but like so many optimistic quotes promise, at the end of the day everything turned out okay.
Between the lively group of new friends and the boyfriend who doesn’t know when enough is enough, I’ve ended up exactly where I was meant to be.