Jake held up his hand. “Don’t say something that you’re going to have to take back, Pru. I was there.” He gave her a grim smile. “Don’t make me prove how much I love you by going behind your back to protect you by telling him myself.”

She stared at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me,” he said. “And since I’ve got you all good and pissed off at me, you might as well remember something else as well. If you sleep with him before everything’s square, I’ll have to kill him for taking advantage of you when you’re still messed up.”

“I’m not messed up—” she started and then stopped. Because she was. She was so messed up. “Don’t even think about interfering. This is my problem to handle.” And with that, she strode into what had been her old room, grabbed one of her last boxes of stuff, and turned to go.

“Pru.”

She stopped but didn’t turn around. Instead she looked down at the box she held. It was labeled PICTURES, and she felt her heart clutch. She’d left this one for nearly last on purpose. Everything in it meant something to her and holding it all in her arms made her heart heavier than the box itself. It was almost more than she could bear, making her wish she’d grabbed one of the other few boxes left, like the one labeled KITCHEN CRAP I PRETEND TO USE BUT DON’T.

“You know I’ve got your back,” Jake said.

She sighed and closed her eyes. “Even if I screw it all up?”

“Especially if.”

Chapter 9

#RealWorldProblems

In the end, Pru and Thor and Pru’s big box of stuff took a cab back to the Pacific Pier building. They had to get out a block early because of traffic, which meant dragging Thor on his leash and carrying the box, which got heavier with each step.

In the courtyard she stopped by the fountain and set the box down for a minute to catch her breath.

Thor plopped down at her feet, panting like he was dying even though he’d barely had to walk at all and he certainly hadn’t had to carry a heavy box.

“Hey,” she said, “this adulting thing isn’t for the faint of heart.”

Thor gave the dog version of an eyeroll and huffed out a heavy sigh.

She took pity. “Look, I’m just trying to keep us in shape. Some of us are supposed to be in our prime.”

Thor was unimpressed.

She was about to coax him up to her apartment with another bribe when her phone rang. Tim.

She’d met him and his brother Nick after the accident, in the hospital. They’d spent a few days there with their mom, who’d needed surgery to repair her badly broken leg. Michelle had been unable to work for months afterward, a huge strain on the family. They’d lost their apartment and had lived in their car until Pru had been able to sell her parents’ house and help.

Michelle had easily accepted her friendship but not the money. In the end, Pru had made an anonymous donation through her attorney. All Michelle knew was that someone in the community had come up with funds to help her and her boys out.

At the time the boys had been in middle school and Pru had been so worried about them. But Nick was working for Jake now and Tim was in college studying to be an engineer.

She was so happy for them.

“Tim,” she said when she answered. “Everything okay?”

“That lead you gave me on the apartment near campus, it might pan out,” he said excitedly. “They’re going to call you as my reference. If we get it, me and my friends will live there together.”

“That would be great, Tim,” she said.

“You know how hard it is to get a place here,” he said. “Almost impossible.”

She did know. It’d taken a hell of a long time for her to get into the Pacific Pier building.

“Anyway,” he said. “Thanks for the lead. It means a lot.” He laughed a little humorlessly. “We aren’t looking forward to living in our cars. Been there, done that.”

“No worries,” Pru said, her stomach jangling unhappily at the memory. “How’s school going?”

“Hard as fuck, but I’m in it,” he said. “Gotta go. Talk to you soon.”

Pru disconnected and looked at Thor. “We did good. They’re going to be okay,” she marveled. “All of them.” And then she called her contact and put in a second good word for Tim, and was assured they were first in line for the place. It warmed her from the inside out to know it.

Now you need to get okay . . .

But she was working on that. “Come on, let’s go.”