“Oh fuck. Oh god, Jack. Jesus Christ, I’m the worst. I’m so sorry. I want to say it gets better when you get to know me, but my friends will attest to the fact that I’ll always be a huge asshole. I’ll totally not be offended if you want to kick me out. I’m definitely going to cry all the way home because seriously this place is to die for, and I like really need this break so I don’t go completely broke, but I’ll totally understand. Fuck.”

The corners of his mouth tilt up into what just might be the beginnings of a smile. “I think you’re going to be good for me, Sadie Green.”

“Oh, I definitely won’t be. Like literally no one has ever come away from knowing me thinking that, promise,” I blurt out before clamping my lips shut, not needing to dig my own grave any further.

“When can you move in?”

Four

An hour later, Harley, Gemma, and I sit in a different, equally adorable café even closer to Jack’s brownstone. Which is about to be my brownstone. Because holy shit, how could I even think about turning down this opportunity?

“Gotta say, Sade, definitely walked into this thinking you’d once again lost your damn mind, but now I’m just pissed you found him first.” Gemma rips into her chocolate croissant, handing me a third and Harley a third before shoving her own portion into her mouth in one bite. She somehow manages to also be tapping on her phone screen at the same time. “Although, he doesn’t appear to have a social media presence. Not even an old Facebook. And when I googled him, there were like eighty bazillion Jack Thomases, none of whom are your adorable hipster, which seems a teeny bit sketchy.”

“Okay, one, he is not adorable. Two, at least that means he probably doesn’t have a record. Surely a murderer would be among the first Google results, right?” I check my own phone, bringing up the roommate app. “And his profile here says he doesn’t do social media because it’s bad for your brain.”

“He’s not wrong about that.” Harley bites into her section of the croissant, never moving her eyes from the lease agreement. “These terms look pretty fair. Technically he can ask you to leave at pretty much any time, but you also have the right to terminate the lease and move out at any time, should things get weird. You’re each just required to give two weeks’ notice, so it all seems pretty standard.”

Gemma sips her iced coffee. “Jesus, you’re going to be able to actually pay off your loans. I’d literally commit murder to pay off my student loans.”