Chapter 90 - Clean Loan #2
"And if it becomes repeated?"
"Then we revise the arrangement."
"No automatic compounding?"
"No."
"Collateral?"
"No."
Miguel frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I don't need collateral for one-fifty."
He looked uncomfortable.
Lia immediately added—
"But if having a formal security term makes you feel better, we can discuss one."
Miguel thought.
Then shook his head.
"No. Written personal loan is enough."
"Okay."
"First payment?"
Lia looked at us.
"When are you moving?"
"If we secure the unit, probably within six weeks."
"First payment sixty days after disbursement."
Miguel nodded.
I looked between them.
This was the least romantic conversation in human history.
Perfect.
Then Miguel said—
"One more thing."
Lia waited.
"If we fall behind, tell us."
"Obviously."
"No treating us differently because Jane is your friend."
Lia went still.
I did too.
Miguel continued.
"If this is a real loan, I want it treated like one."
Lia looked at him for a few seconds.
Then nodded.
"Fair."
"And don't forgive the balance as a wedding gift."
I covered my mouth.
There.
He knew.
Lia actually looked offended.
"I wasn't going to."
I stared at her.
Miguel stared at her.
Lia lasted maybe two seconds.
"Fine. I had considered it."
"Lia."
"I said considered."
"No."
Miguel shook his head.
"No."
She sighed.
"Fine."
"Put it in writing," I said.
Lia stared.
"You want a clause saying I cannot give you money?"
"Yes."
Miguel nodded.
"Yes."
She leaned back.
"This is the strangest loan agreement I've ever written."
"You started this."
"True."
We had the agreement drafted properly.
Nothing extravagant.
Simple private loan.
Principal: ?150,000.
Interest: 0.5% per month on the declining principal balance.
Term: up to 24 months.
First payment: 60 days after release.
No prepayment penalty.
No collateral.
Written record of every payment.
And, because apparently we were insane—
a clause stating that any remaining balance would not be automatically waived as a gift without written agreement from all parties.
Lia read that part twice.
"This clause is offensive."
"Sign."
She signed.
Before we did, though, she looked at me.
Serious.
"You're sure?"
I nodded.
Then looked at Miguel.
He nodded too.
"Yes."
"This doesn't change anything between us."
"I know."
"No favors attached."
"I know."
"No access to wedding planning."
I stared.
"You absolutely do not get access to wedding planning."
"That was a joke."
"Your face wasn't joking."
Miguel laughed.
Lia pointed at him.
"Don't."
He smiled.
I liked that they could do this now.
No weirdness.
No rivalry.
Just—
people.
We signed.
Then Lia transferred the money.
Not to me personally.
To the account Miguel and I had been using for our move expenses.
Clean.
Traceable.
Boring.
Exactly right.
I stared at the balance afterward.
Relief came.
Not because somebody rich had rescued us.
Because we had taken financing we could responsibly repay for a specific purpose.
There was dignity in that distinction.
Maybe nobody else would care.
I did.
Miguel did.
Lia clearly did too.
As we were leaving, I stopped at Lia's office door.
"Thank you."
She looked up.
"You're paying interest."
"Still."
She shrugged.
"Use it properly."
"Bossy."
"Lender."
"Worse."
Miguel lifted the copy of the agreement.
"We're prepaying."
Lia looked at him.
"Good."
No—
don't rush.
No—
keep your money.
Just good.
She respected him enough to let him repay her.
That mattered.
In the elevator, Miguel looked at the agreement again.
Then at me.
"She likes paperwork."
"You have no idea."
"She really offered point three first?"
"Yes."
"And you rejected it?"
"Yes."
He shook his head.
"What?"
"We could've had cheaper financing."
I slapped his arm.
He laughed.
"I'm joking."
"You better be."
"Point five is still good."
"I know."
Then he took my hand.
Wedding still ours.
Savings still ours.
Debt ours too.
Honestly—
romantic.
In a very ugly adult way.
We moved six weeks later.
Small apartment.
Closer to work.
Not luxurious.
Not Lia-level anything.
But ours.
The deposit came from the loan.
The advance came from the loan.
The refrigerator came partly from the loan.
The bed too.
Wedding money stayed where it was.
Slowly growing again.
And on the first month payment date, Miguel sent the transfer before breakfast.
Then immediately messaged Lia.
Miguel: First payment sent.
She replied—
Lia: Received. Recorded.
That was it.
I stared at his phone.
"No congratulations?"
"For paying debt?"
"Yes."
Miguel looked at me.
"That would be weird."
Fair.
Later, Lia messaged me separately.
Lia: How's the apartment?
I looked around.
Boxes.
Half-built shelf.
Curtains still wrong.
Miguel fighting with the internet router.
Home.
Jane: good
Then—
Jane: thank you
Pause.
Lia: 0.5%.
I laughed.
Jane: fuck you
Her reply:
Lia: Pay on time.
There.
Clean loan.
Clean boundary.
No rescue.
No romantic debt.
No one owing anyone a life because money changed hands.
Just one friend with resources offering another option—
and two adults deciding to take it on terms they could live with.
For once, Lia solved something without trying to solve us.
That might have been the most mature thing any of us had done.