I'm scrolling through rental listings when Shane's voice startles me.
"Planning on moving?" he asks.
"Uh, yeah," I say, not sure how much to tell him. I feel like we have gotten close, but I still like to keep a firm line between professional relationships and personal ones. "I need to move out of my mom's." I can tell him that much, at least, without going into detail. I've already told him I don't get along with her.
"Any reason why?"
"Yeah, I...she and I are on the outs right now."
"Ah," Shane says. "You're not the first kid who's had to leave their mom's. Don't worry, we'll find you something."
I breathe a sigh of relief. At least he understands.
"So, what are you looking for?" he asks, pulling out a notepad.
"Well, ideally, something close to campus. But I'm willing to compromise. As long as it's reasonably priced and not too far."
"And what's your budget?"
"I'm not sure," I admit. "I have a little saved up, but not much. I can't work anywhere full-time right now. Not between school, this, and what little freelance I do."
"Well, actually. I can probably help with both of those things."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. You're doing a great job here. Beth has nothing but praise for you, and I've seen your work myself. It's impressive. Just the kind of worker we are looking for. What would you say to a part-time job here? You can come in the same days and hours you are for your internship, but we can't hire you full-time until you actually graduate. You'd be making a decent wage, and we can even provide a housing stipend. It's a temporary apartment complex. It isn't close to campus, but I could show it to you today."
"Oh my god," I exhale, not sure what to say. "That would be amazing. Thank you, Shane!" I jump out of my chair and hug him, then immediately pull back. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."
"No worries," Shane laughs. His hand flattens against my lower back before stepping away. "Let's go look at this place. If you like it, we can start the paperwork."
Shane's car is a black BMW, and he drives us to the complex. It's not in a sketchy part of town or anything, but it isn't the nicest area.
"The apartments are a bit older, but the units are in good condition," Shane explains. "There's a pool and gym on-site, and the rent is pretty reasonable. It's a great place to live when you're saving up to buy a place."
"It sounds perfect," I say. I'm not picky, and honestly, anything is better than living with my mom.
Shane pulls into the parking lot, and we get out of the car. He leads me to one of the buildings and unlocks the front door.
"Here we are," he says, ushering me inside.
The apartment is small, but cozy. It has a kitchen, a living room, and a single bedroom. The floors are carpeted, and the walls are a plain white. It's perfect for me. I can already picture all of my things here.
"The bathroom is just down the hall," Shane says, pointing to a door on the right.
I follow Shane through the small apartment as he shows me around.
"What do you think?"
"I love it," I say. And I really do. I can taste the freedom. The only obstacle now is going to be moving my stuff out without my mom noticing. I'll have to figure out a day that her and Archer will be gone and have Alex and Skylar help me.

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Older || 18+
RomanceAge gap step-uncle romance. When twenty-four year Emma reluctantly takes on the role of maid of honor for her mother's wedding, she's anything but thrilled. To escape the stress, she finds herself at a bar the night before the rehearsal, where a cha...