Page 66 of The Roommate Problem
“I was thinking my friend asked for my help in saving her shop, the one that’s been in her family for years, that she loves and planned on leaving to her grandson. I only wanted to help.”
Russet brows climbed high on his forehead. “Help. Help? You think digging herself deeper into debt is going to help Grandma? You think risking your own financial safety is going to help?”
“I think,” she said, uncrossing her arms and poking him in the chest as she spoke, “that investing in a savvy business move will help my friend get what she wants and even provide a nice compromise for her stubborn grandson who is being a giant ass right now when all I’m trying to do is make sure everyone is happy.”
August scoffed, knocking her finger away. “Really, Moira? Because I don’t think you really know what makes people happy. You know what makes you happy, and you assume everyone else will be satisfied by the same things. You put on this air of live and let live, but you’re always pushing people out of their comfort zones. Trying to get them to live their lives the way you think is best. That’s not compromise. That’s bulldozing.”
She rocked back on her heels, his barb hitting her directly in the heart. Her jaw dropped. She tried to respond, but the words kept getting stuck in her throat. How dare he accuse her of not thinking about others? She loved helping people, making them smile, bringing them joy. Yeah, she might be a little pushy, but some people needed a bit of a push. And she was about two seconds away from pushing August right off the apartment balcony.
“You said if I came up with a compromise, you’d give it a fair shake,” she argued.
August held up the paper still clutched in his fist. “This isn’t an idea you came to me with. This is you and Gran going behind my back to set a plan in motion so I have no say in the matter whatsoever.”
Okay, yes, she supposed it could appear to look like that. But it wasn’t like Agatha had secured the loan yet or anything. There was still time to alter the plans.
“You didn’t even ask me what I thought about it.” He shook his head, sadness filling his eyes. “You two just made a decision without me. I’m her grandson, her family, and she didn’t even care about my opinion on this.”
Shame crashed over Mo, threatening to drown her. How could she have been so naive? The conversation they’d had a few weeks ago, the one about his family and how he never felt a part of either of them, played over in her memory. Oh no! Had she and Agatha done the same exact thing to August that his parents always had? Had they cut him out? Made him feel unimportant?
Yes, you did. Now apologize.
“Oh, August. I’m sorry.” She reached out a hand toward him. “I didn’t mean to—”
He reared back from her touch, the clear rejection slicing through her like a knife to the heart.
“How could you do this to me?” He glanced from the paper back to her. “How could you lie to me?”
“I didn’t lie.” She winced. “Technically, I just withheld information from you.”
His eyes narrowed. “A lie of omission is still a lie.”
She supposed that was true, and he had every right to his anger, but if he could just calm down and listen to—
“Was everything a lie, Moira?” he asked. “Were you just sleeping with me so I’d be distracted while you and Gran planned this whole thing behind my back?”
Now wait one fucking minute.
Umbrage replacing the guilt, Mo stomped over to August, lifting on her toes to get right in his face as she spoke between clenched teeth. “How dare you! I don’t use sex to manipulate, August. Yes, I didn’t tell you about the loan application, and I apologize for that, but don’t you fucking dare accuse me of sleeping with you for nefarious reasons. I fell into bed with you for one reason and one reason only: because I wanted to. I felt a connection with you that I wanted to explore. I thought you felt it, too, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was just a readily available warm body.”
“I thought we had a connection, too,” August flung back at her. “But now I’m wondering how real it could have been when you were keeping something this big from me.”
She scrubbed her hands over her face, running her fingers through her hair, tugging on the strands to see if she could pull any solutions into her brain to help her out of this awful situation unfolding before her.
“Our connection is real, August. And I’m sorry I didn’t loop you in on Agatha’s plan when she asked me for help.” She reached out, encouraged when he didn’t back away. Placing her hand over his heart, she stared him directly in the eyes and spoke with all the honesty she had. “That was wrong, and I should have told you. I didn’t mean to block you out of a decision. I didn’t mean to make you feel like your opinion isn’t valuable. I care what you think. A lot more than you realize.”
She said the last part softly, but he heard. Some of the anger disappeared from his face, but it was only replaced with more sadness, and it was breaking her heart. When he placed his own hand over hers, she felt a flicker of hope that they could sit down and talk this out. Maybe it would be okay. He had a right to his anger, and she’d apologized. Maybe now they could talk it all over. Get back on track. Perhaps August would even come up with some ideas or request he co-sign instead of her. Whatever made him happy and kept him and Agatha in Denver, Mo was willing to do it.
“I’m sorry.” His brow furrowed. “I know what we do here has nothing to do with Gran’s flower shop. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just so angry, Mo. How could she have kept something so big from me? Did she think I wouldn’t be open to discussing the option?”
She reached up with her other hand to cup his warm cheek. He shaved every morning, but at this time of night, his five o’clock shadow made his jaw slightly scruffy. “Oh, August, she was going to tell you. She just didn’t want to fight about it until after her surgery, and I said—”
August reared back, out of her touch. Shock filling his face. “After what?”
Oops.
One secret had gotten out and she’d completely forgotten about the other. Dammit! This was why she hated keeping things from people. When you started hiding things from everyone, you tended to forget who knew what. Her emotions had been so charged since August came bursting into the apartment, she completely forgot about keeping Agatha’s surgery a secret.
“My grandmother is having surgery?”
