She sighs and leans back against the cabinets. "That's the thing. Not really. I'm happy like 85% of the time. The other 15% I just feel kind of moody and uncomfortable. Which doesn't sound like a bad ratio when I say it out loud. I mean, no relationship is perfect, right?"
"I don't know, Hailes," I tell her honestly. I tighten my arms around my legs and study her thoughtfully. "The only thing I know is that you deserve all the happiness in the world, so if he's not giving you a massive amount of that then he isn't good enough for you."
I see her swallow roughly as she nods and looks down at her hands again. I can sense she wants the conversation to be over, so I try one last shot at honesty.
"But what do I know, I'd jump ship the second Bennie the Bat entered my mind," I shrug.
Hailey laughs and I swear that sound makes my heart happier than any other.
Still chuckling, she reaches for the box that she’s been packing my kitchen utensils into. I take her cue and stand to finish my own boxing.
"So, when are the movers coming?" Hailey asks as she tapes up the box, ending our heart to heart. I let her, knowing it's not the last we'll talk about it, but also that I won't push until she makes her own decision.
I can't help the laugh that bursts out of me. "Movers? I practically live at a gym full of massive men. I have the pick of any muscle I want." I reach for the half-filled box of plates.
She flashes a big grin at me. "Yes, you do."
I glare at her over a stack of boxes. "Don't even start. Jax will lose his shit if he hears you’re ogling any of the guys again."
"Trust me, I know," she mutters.
"Plus, I'd rather just pay the guys," I continue. "Aiden and Dane are both college students so I know they could use the money. They're coming on Saturday to move most of my shit to a storage locker, and a few boxes over to Jax's place. Once I have the keys to the new apartment, I'll pay them another few hours to move it all." I roll my eyes, once again reminded how inconvenient this whole double-move thing is. "Again."
Hailey winces when she has the same thought. "Hey, at least you got a great deal on your new apartment. Your new place is so cute, I'm actually jealous that you found it so cheap."
I sigh, propping my hands on my hips and looking around my apartment. "Yeah, but I think I'm going to miss this place. This was the first apartment I ever got on my own. It's weird to think I've been here for almost three years. I feel like these walls have seen the biggest phases of my life: post-college existential crisis, moving from the arts to Corporate America, God knows how many shitty boys, all of it." In a moment of uncharacteristic emotion, I pout at the sudden sadness that overcomes me from reliving those memories. "Fuck, I really am going to miss this apartment. Goddamnit, Dan."
Hailey stops wrapping bubble wrap around the mug in her hands and gives me a sympathetic look. "Just think of it as a new chapter. A better one. You've always said your life gets better with every year, maybe what comes next will be even better than the memories you have right now. Starting with that insane kitchen and the wall-to-wall windows in your new apartment."
I sigh and drop my hands in defeat. "I hope so," I mutter.
* * *
A week later, I'm parking in front of Jax's house and dragging my last suitcase behind me.
I stop in front of the door and take a deep breath. "It's just ten days," I mutter to myself. "I can do this."
When I finally push the door open and walk in, I immediately hear that the guys already have the fights on. They've also started drinking, which means they're bothscreamingat the TV.
"Ah come on, I saw that head kick coming from a mile away! I can't believe you just got caught with that!" Jax throws a hand up in annoyance. He chugs the rest of his beer and slams it on the side table, which is littered with empty beer cans.
I roll my eyes at their dramatics as I hang my jacket up and walk into the kitchen. "You want another one?" I ask Jax over my shoulder. For the first time in a while, it's only the three of us. Typically, there's a whole horde of fighters lounging on the couches.
"Yeah, thanks," he mutters, distracted.
"You're not going to ask me if I want one?" Tristan teases. "If we're gonna be roommates then we should at least be amicable."
I glare at the back of his head as I grab two beers from the fridge. "As far as I'm concerned, you and I will live entirely separate lives for the next ten days and will try as hard as we possibly can to ignore the other's existence." I walk around the kitchen island and hand Jax his beer. "Basically, every man for himself," I declare as I throw myself on the couch.
Tristan grabs the beer from my hand. "I don't know if I can abide by those rules," he grins. "You're way too fun to infuriate." I try to take the drink back from his hand but he's too damn long for me to even come close to my target.
I scowl and cross my arms over my chest. "How is it possible for you to be this much of a child?" I jump over the back of the couch with a huff and stomp into the kitchen for another beer.
"I'ma child?" Tristan says, his hand placed mockingly over his heart. "I'm the one who's trying to put our differences aside and be civil to each other!"
I hear Jax groan and drop his head into his hands. Honestly, I feel the same way. Both of us can see right through Tristan's charade. There’s not an ounce of him that actually wants to be friends, he's just enjoying pissing me off.
"Sorry, asshole, that ship has long sailed," I snap as I drop back onto the couch—this time as far away from Tristan as I can be without actually sitting on the armrest. "You said goodbye to our friendship the second I walked into the gym and assumed that just because I was a girl, that I was lost."