Chapter 5
Denise
Steam follows me out of the bathroom before I come to a hard stop. Isaac is standing by the kitchen peninsula.
It’s unusual for Isaac to let himself into the basement uninvited. He hasn’t even stepped foot down here since the day he helped me and Matt move in. If he wants to speak to me while I’m home, he’ll either text me first or knock on the door.
I recover from my surprise and smile.
“Hey, you’re back.”
“Where’s Matt?” he demands.
“He’s gone to meet a friend,” I say, moving toward him. I stop when I’m an arm’s length away.
He’s wearing a loose-fitted forest green shirt that hints at his toned body underneath, and black cargo shorts. He’s barefoot too, his slides neatly placed by the basement stairs in contrast to the chaos of other shoes nearby.
He recently showered judging by the damp spikes in his hair and the crisp scent of his body wash still present on his skin.
Now that I’m closer, I realize he’s angry.
His eyebrows pulled close, his lips a firm line of displeasure, his blue eyes darker too.
When he looks me over with a stony expression, I’m more aware I’m only wearing a towel.
“When I gave you the key to my place, what was the only rule you had to follow, Denise?”
The chill in his voice saps the pleasant heat from my hot shower. Dread tightens my body.
“Isaac—”
“Answer the question.”
“No guests,” I say reluctantly.
“And yet, you broke that rule when you had your boyfriend over.”
“I didn’t have him over. I didn’t want him there either. When he showed up, I told him to leave. He wouldn’t.”
“Is that right? You looked pretty happy for him to be there when the two of you were kissing and dry-humping on my bed.”
My eyes widen, heat rising to my cheeks. How did he find out? He must have read the question on my face because he answers it.
“I saw everything on my hidden security camera.”
The most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me was when I tripped and belly-flopped into a pool in front of some cute guys. This moment is worse. Isaac seeing a video of me and my boyfriend being intimate is as bad as if he were right there in the room watching us.
“But wait. There’s more,” Isaac continues in his icy tone. “You left the room to answer the door for my delivery, and your boyfriend stole one of my pieces from my watch box while you were gone.”
“No,” I say in dismay, but Isaac must have assumed I’m defending Matt. He sneers, his response a snarl.
“Yes. I have video proof.”
As much as this revelation horrifies me, I don’t doubt Isaac. Matt has done this before. Back in high school, when Matt and I had just started dating, he broke into a friend’s house and stole two grand from the friend’s parents’ safe.
Matt said he stole the money to help pay for his mom’s car repairs.
Later, I found out only half went to the repairs, the rest he blew on a game console and a pair of loudspeakers to go with it.
Over the years, he would get things he can’t afford.
Whenever I ask him how he got it, he would say a friend gave it to him, and I always believed him.
He’s never been in trouble for theft since his lone conviction, but maybe that’s because he’s gotten good at hiding his crimes. Maybe I’ve been too stupid to realize the truth: my boyfriend is a klepto. And I was an even bigger fool to let him into Isaac’s house.
“I’m really sorry, Isaac. I didn’t know—”
“I don’t accept your apology. You disobeyed my only rule, showed great disrespect for my home, and caused the theft of something valuable to me. If you want to make this right, start by getting my watch back from your boyfriend, or I’m calling the cops on his thieving ass.”
Shame weighs my shoulders down and twists in my gut. I lower my gaze from Isaac’s frosty expression and nod.
“I’ll call him right now.”
I hurry over to the bed and grab my phone. Matt left a few hours ago to see a friend about a job opportunity. This had put me in a great mood. I had some time to myself and Matt might be earning money again soon. It’s turned into another ruined day off thanks to Matt.
Isaac’s stare burns my exposed skin as I call Matt, and I can’t wait for this to be over so I can dress and feel less vulnerable. Matt answers and I demand he come home immediately. When he asks why, I keep the reason vague in case he tries to avoid the crappy situation he created.
“I’ll be there in half an hour,” he says.
I hang up the phone and approach Isaac again. It’s hard to meet his gaze but I force myself to do it. My throat feels tighter when I speak.
“He’ll be home soon. I’ll make him give the watch back. I promise.”
“And when I do get it back, you and your boyfriend should start looking for a new place to live.”
I recoil, my eyes wide.
“Are you kicking us out?”
“Yes. I want you gone by Friday.”
“But that’s in two days! That’s not enough time.”
“That’s not my problem.”
He turns to leave. I grab his forearm, stalling him.
“Please, Isaac. Don’t do this.”
He sneers. “I’d be a special kind of stupid to let a thief and his enabler continue living rent-free in my house.”
I swallow the hurt from his insult and focus on changing his mind.
“Isaac, think about this. We have nowhere else to go. We’ll be homeless.”
“You don’t have to be. There’s always my mother and Gordon’s place.”
“You know I can’t go back there!”
“Yeah, because of the fucker who stole from me.” He tugs his arm free and shakes his head. “You threw your future away for him and what does he give you in return, Denise? Nothing but problems.”
It’s bad enough I’m already grovelling to keep a roof over my head. There’s truth to what he said but his judgmental attitude feels like salt in the wound.
“At least he doesn’t try to control me,” I retort. “He loves and accepts me for who I am.”
He makes a sound of derision.
“That’s cute. Let’s hope his love and acceptance keeps you warm while you’re living on the street this winter.”
Appalled by Isaac’s callousness, I don’t know how to respond. We stare at each other in the oppressive silence. His maturity always impressed me, but the way he’s blowing this situation out of proportion disappoints me.
Matt did something terrible, but it’s not as if the watch is gone forever. There’s still hope for Isaac to recover it. For him to treat me this way over jewellery is awful. It feels worse than when my dad told me that if I left his house to be with Matt, don’t come back.
Isaac turns to leave and I almost let him go. Panic animates me, and I grab his arm again. He glares at me and clenches his fist until his flesh is hard muscle under my fingers. A silent demand I release him. I tighten my grip, and even hold on with both hands. My towel starts to come untucked.
“Let me go, Denise,” he says in a stern voice.
Desperation smothers my dignity, pushing words out of my mouth before I can think them through.
“Please, Isaac. Please. Let us stay. I’ll do anything you want if you let us keep this apartment.”
My promise hangs between us, thickening the silence. Isaac’s resistance fades. When he slides his gaze down my body then up again, the burning anger in his eyes is gone too, something else alive in their blue depths.
“Anything?”
His voice is too soft, too casual, especially after his blatant once-over. Am I misreading the energy here? I don’t think so, and it’s too shocking what that means. I release his arm as if it’s suddenly too hot and give him a wary look.
“Depends on what it is.”
Isaac steps closer, and I retreat until he grabs my waist and turns me, pinning me against the fridge. My towel comes fully untucked and I clutch it before it falls.
“You can’t say you’ll do anything, then turn around and have conditions,” he says, his voice silky. “If you want to stay, you’ll pay my price.”
“What’s your price?”
He releases me and takes a step back.
“Let go of your towel.”