“I know this town’s expensive, but you can find something around here,” Jack says.
Kylie rubs her forehead. “I called a few places that I found online. Funny thing, they want money now.”
“Your dad can’t loan you a couple hundred bucks?” Tori asks.
Kylie closes her eyes, looking sick.
“It’s complicated,” I say, hoping to keep her from having to explain her situation.
“I called him,” she says, and I wince, knowing how difficult that must have been, and fearing what that means for her…and for me, selfishly. I don’t want her to leave, and I damn sure don’t want her back with an asshole who cheats on her. “He said he’d pay for one hotel room on my drive back home.”
As the disappointment falls onto my shoulders, Tori cuts me a look.
“You’re going back to Oklahoma?” Jack asks.
She shrugs. “I don’t know what choice I have.”
Tori’s stare paralyzes me. She’s just being protective of me, but it still puts me in the awkward position of not being able to offer Kylie my place to stay any longer.
“This is bullshit,” Jack says, tapping into his phone then holding it up to his ear. “Julia. Hey. Is employee housing at capacity?” He pauses. “Can we squeeze an extra employee in somewhere? She’d be fine with a small space.” He looks at Kylie for confirmation, and she nods quickly. “Can you look again in the morning? I know, just humor me, okay? Thanks. Sorry for calling during off-hours.”
The look of hope on Kylie’s face crushes my heart. I hate that Jack made that call, trying to be the savior when he knows he can’t do anything about this.
He sighs and looks at her. “It’s not looking good. She was pretty sure. And even if she found something, she’d be obligated to give it to the next person on the list.”
Kylie’s shoulders sag, and she nods.
We all stand in silence, Tori pointing her glare at me, making sure I stay on track, and it takes all that’s in me to keep quiet.
Jack tosses up his hands. “Fuck it. Stay with me.”
The serious look on Jack’s face makes my stomach roll over like that one time I tried sushi. Kylie looks up at him, seeming like she might consider it.
“I have a two-bedroom. Stay with me till you get on your feet. I’d be happy to have you.” Jack smiles at her like a clueless idiot.
Tori’s eyes go wide, and then she collects herself, watching Kylie for a response.
“No, I couldn’t,” Kylie says, but she looks very much like she could.
“I’m serious,” Jack says. “Why not? The two of them can vouch I’m not an axe murderer.”
“I’m not vouching for jack shit,” I say.
He purses his lips at me. “Come on, man. I know I’m not your favorite person, but you know me. Tell her. She needs somewhere to stay and I don’t hear you offering.”
I’m about to wear the enamel off my teeth when Tori says, “She can stay with me.” We all turn to her with shocked expressions, none more surprised than my own. Tori frowns at all three of us. “What? It’s fine. She can.”
“What about Janelle?” Kylie asks.
“Now that she’s with Chris, she’s never there. If he wasn’t in the picture, it’d be a different story, but for now, it’s okay. I can’t offer you her room, but I can let you sleep on the couch.”
“I can offer her a room,” Jack says, because he can’t ever leave well enough alone.
Kylie looks between the two of them, considering.
“It’s fine,” Tori says. “I promise. And I’m definitely not an axe murderer.” She even tosses in the rarest of smiles. So now she’s not only asking, she’s begging. She’s as jealous of the possibility of Kylie and Jack as I am.
Kylie shakes her head, mouth open in incredulity. “I can’t thank you enough for this. I promise I’ll pay you back rent when I get paid and on my feet.”
Tori waves her off. “It doesn’t cost me anything. The resort takes Janelle’s half whether she’s there or not.”
Kylie beams at her. “Thank you.” She lets out a deep breath, her shoulders popping up, then dropping, a smile stretching across her face.
“Have a beer,” Jack says, pointing at my pitcher, and I could strangle him with my bare hands. Not that I don’t want Kylie to have any, but I just don’t want him to take all the credit for every goddamned thing around here.
“Okay,” she says with a grin. “I’m just gonna run to the restroom.” She darts off, and Jack shrugs at us. “Neither of you were offering.”
He walks away, and I turn to Tori, who is pretending to be casually moving to the music and checking out the scene. “You want to explain yourself?” I ask.
She meets my gaze. “No,” she says, challenging me with her no-bullshit eyes. I challenge right back. We’ve been at this with each other forever. She rolls her eyes. “Just leave me alone about this, okay?”
“Like you’ve been leaving me alone about Kylie?”
“There’s no threat of me falling for her.”
“You think that’s what I’m gonna do?” I chuckle, picking up my beer. “You’re high.”
“Keep telling yourself that if you need to.”
I consider her. “Are you ever gonna let him go?” She glares back at me, but the hurt in her eyes says there’s more to that story.
Kylie arrives back at the table and sets her bag on a stool. I’m not sure what to say. I’ve just completely screwed her over by not offering for her to stay at my place. But she doesn’t seem bothered by that at all. She points to the pitcher. “May I?”
I nod, and she walks to the bar and grabs a plastic cup from a stack. Tori just rolls her eyes at me and leaves.
Kylie comes back over and picks up the pitcher. “I swear, I thought I was done. I can’t believe I called my father. God, I know better.” She takes a
