Page 48 of Love Decoded

I wasn’t lying when I told Lucas I contacted my landlord. Regardless of my reason for leaving the apartment, I needed to try something to get out of my lease. So once I was at the office, I sent him an email with pictures of the mold—heavily implying that the paint covering it might suggest wanting to hide the problem. I told him I had vacated the apartment, as this was now a direct risk to my health, and that I expected a refund on my deposit. His only response was that he was sending someone out today to check on it.

“Hello?” I answer the phone.

“Hi, Charlotte, this is Richard. I just wanted to call and give you an update.”

I take a deep breath. “Okay…”

“My maintenance guy went out to your apartment and, while he did find some mold, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. Once he cleans and ventilates the apartment, you’ll be able to come back next week.”

My stomach drops. This should be good news, but I was really hoping he’d just let me out of the lease completely.

“I appreciate the quick action, but I’m still worried about the effects on my health,” I try anyway. “I have asthma”—a lie—“and I’m not sure I can continue staying in the apartment.”

“Well, like I said, we’ll be removing the mold entirely, so there will be no effects,” he says cheerfully. When I don’t match his excitement, he sighs and says, “I’ll give you a partial refund for the days you’re not in the apartment. To apologize for the inconvenience.”

I almost choke on my next breath. The inconvenience. That’s a laughable description of this situation.

“Can I just cut my lease short?” I try again. “You can keep the money for this month, but I’d really appreciate it if I could get the other two months back. I’m really not comfortable staying in the apartment…”

“I’m sorry, no.” There’s not an ounce of regret in his voice. “I understand this is frustrating, but I’m taking steps to correct it in a timely manner and offering reimbursement for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, your lease still stands.”

My eyes slide closed, my face dropping into my hand. I was afraid this would happen.

What do I do now? There’s no way I can go back to that apartment next week. I just can’t.

I’m rubbing my temples to soften the incoming headache when there’s a soft knock at the door. I mute the phone just long enough to call out, “Come in.”

Lucas pops his head in, his mouth already opening to speak, when he sees me on the phone. I give him the universal signal for hold on a minute.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” I tell my landlord. “I guess I’ll be by next week to grab my things then.”

His non-apologetic apology doesn’t register as much as Lucas stepping into the room with a quizzical look does. “Yeah, okay,” I say miserably into the phone. “Thanks for the call.”

When I hang up the phone, Lucas is already giving me a knowing, pitying look. “Bad?”

I collapse back against the couch with a defeated sigh. “Yeah.”

He hesitates, wanting to ask but also clearly trying not to push. “What’d he say?”

I chew on my bottom lip, debating how much to tell him. I only mentioned the mold piece yesterday, but now that this has blown up into a bigger issue, I might need to tell the whole truth.

“You know, if he’s being difficult, I could always take a look at your lease for you,” Lucas offers. “You have tenant rights, especially with something like this that’s a threat to your health. And even though the courts favor the landlord, I have…ways to make him see the light. I could always⁠—”

In the end, I simply cut him off with a sigh. “Lucas, I have a confession.”

His mouth snaps shut.

“I wasn’t lying about the mold in my apartment. But…there was a bigger reason I couldn’t stay there this weekend.”

His brow furrows. “Okay…”

Another sigh, my hand drops, and I meet his eyes. “I had an…unfortunate encounter with my neighbor that made me realize I didn’t pick an apartment in a very good area. It…scared me.” I glance over at Milton, who’s snoring happily in his chair. “So, yeah. The mold isn’t great, but it’s not the real problem. Or not the only one, at least.”

At first, I don’t understand why Lucas won’t meet my eyes, or why his jaw clenches. But then he asks, “What kind of unfortunate encounter?” And I understand his tension.

“Nothing happened,” I reassure him. “I promise. It’s just not an environment I want to be in.”

Another snap of muscle in his jaw before he finally sighs and turns toward me. “I’m telling myself the only thing that matters is that you’re here and safe.” He drags a hand down his face. “Okay, so…your landlord only knows about the mold. Does he give a shit? Is he doing something about it?”