NATALIE

A.J. crosses his arms, leaning on our kitchen counter in basketball shorts and a t-shirt with the sleeves chopped off. “Look who decided to show her face.”

“I’ve been kinda running for my life. Forgive me.”

“Nice sarcasm.”

“You weren’t exactly a huge help.”

His eyes go wide. “What the fuck did you expect me to do? It’s my livelihood, Nat!”

“Hate being called that and you know it.” I march to my room, pulling down a suitcase from the closet and flipping it open on my bed I’ve not slept in for the past four days.

A.J. plants his hands on the doorframe and barks, “You’re not sticking around?”

“I’m staying with Max.”

“The director?”

“Yes.”

“You not paying rent here anymore?”

“I already paid for this month.”

“What about for January? It’s coming up soon!”

Shooting him a look I remind him, “Our lease isn’t up until March. I’ll be paying my share until then, as I promised when I signed it! But I’m finding my own place as soon as it’s up. Are you going to stand there acting like a jerk, or are you going to ask me how I am?”

He rubs the irritation from his face. “You’re not leaving me high and dry?”

“I just said I wasn’t, A.J.”

“I thought you were going to.”

Folding my favorite jeans I shake my head. “You were wrong I guess.”

He walks over to sit on my bed, getting right in my eye-line. “Sorry, I just wasn’t sure how I was going to cover everything.”

“That’s because you’d have left me high and dry if the situation was reversed, but I’m not you.”

“Wow, Natalie. Wow.”

Walking to the dresser and tossing underwear into the suitcase from here, I grumble, “I expected you to be working.”

He picks up a rogue bra that didn’t quite make the leap, tosses it in. “Place is shut down.”

I freeze, locking eyes with him. “Really?”

Sucking his lip he informs me, “They took Paul away last night. You know he killed someone?”

My heart pounds as I take a step closer in shock. “Are you serious?”

“Evidence showed up from a cold case, and there might be more. That’s what the rumor mill is saying. Crazy, huh? The clubs are opening up again in a week, out of respect to the victim and the victim’s family, they say.”

Stunned I go back to packing and process this. Franklin pinned something on Paul that could stick, and that wouldn’t implicate his establishments. Money laundering would lead back to him.

My roommate asks, “You think he did it?”

I don’t hear him at first, distracted by the puzzle.

The first thought I had was that Franklin may have set him up because murder is a longer jail sentence. But if it wasn’t Paul who killed that person, and maybe more, he’d be let free. Or he could point the finger at his silent partner. But if he truly is guilty, there’s no way out for him.

“Natalie, you think Paul did it?”

Shuddering I close my suitcase and zip it up. “Yes, I do.”

A.J. lays his hand on it. “Were you really that scared?”

Frowning because it’s hard to believe he’s asking me, I remind him, “You just told me he murdered somebody! Of course I would be afraid of a guy like that!”

“I didn’t know that when we talked about this on the balcony.”

“You knew me, though. Have you ever seen me freaked out before? Did you think it was unsubstantiated?”

“I knew he was a jerk and might have some ghouls on the payroll. But murder is a whole different thing.”

Blinking in frustration I tug my suitcase off the bed and pull out the handle to roll it the fuck out of here. “So roughing me up would have been okay, but killing me, too much?”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” He stands up. “I thought he’d dangle the ghouls at you to keep you working for the clubs. Maybe fuck with your tires or something.”

“Wow.” Marching into the bathroom I grab my toiletries bag from the bottom drawer and stuff in it makeup, my facial soap and moisturizer, toothpaste—Max already bought me a new toothbrush—and my sunscreen which I cannot live without. As I carry them back I find A.J. grinding his teeth.

“You’re making me feel like a bad guy.”

Cocking my head, I partially unzip the suitcase and shove the nearly forgotten necessities inside. “You’re not a gentleman, that’s for sure.”

“Never said I was.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“When you go into a dark parking lot at night, what do you do to protect yourself?”

He frowns, “Protect myself from what?”

“Exactly! Because what I do is hold my keys in my hands.” Pulling them from my pocket I demonstrate with one of the sharp points sticking out between my index and middle finger. “I hold them like this in case I get attacked, so I can punch the guy and it might hurt more than my fist, because I don’t have these.” I point to my roommate’s muscles. “I also walk fast at night, look around me at all times. Quickly check the back seat before I get in to make sure nobody’s waiting in there for me.” Holding his eyes I pause. “Men don’t have to do that, A.J., but we do. And you know what I want? I want to feel safe. Because a lot of the times I don’t. But you can’t understand that since you were born a man. A large man. With an insensitivity to anyone’s needs but your own. So I will pay the rent until the lease is up, because that’s the type of woman I want to be—one who keeps her promises and doesn’t leave her roommate high and dry. So don’t worry. You’ll get your money. You’re safe.”

Grabbing the handle I roll the suitcase out. As I approach our front door, it knocks. I pause, open it, and see Max standing on our welcome mat. “Hey, just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I kiss him, tense lungs deflating with relief. “Sorry I kept you waiting. Almost forget my makeup and stuff. And I had to talk to my roommate and tell him where I’m going.”

Green eyes flick behind me and I glance back to see A.J. standing in the entrance to the kitchen. The two check each other out, but I know only one measures up to a real man.

And I’m leaving with him.

“That’s A.J. We used to be friends. Let’s go.”

“I’ll take care of her.”

My roommate calls out, “Natalie!” I look back and watch a decision flicker over his eyes. “I’ll find someone to live here before January. You won’t be stuck paying rent.”

“Thank you.”

He nods and the door shuts him out of my life.

Turns out…for good.