The news Jim gave me after my impromptu mini-date with Leah wasn't good. Just like I feared, his agent failed to find an apartment within the price range I'd indicated in the email I sent to my brother. 
The guy, Rob, told Jim I had to be patient, but it was easier said than done. 

I'm still replaying the convo with my brother this morning when I push the wooden door open and enter the Science Building. As I navigate the crowd of students, my eyes roam my surroundings, searching for Bast. We haven't talked since the night Tara brought him home. He was gone when I returned home on the day I saw Jim and was already sleeping when I made it to our apartment after helping D in her garage on Monday. 

I halt when I spot Bast next to a notice board with his tongue down Elena's throat and pivot to get to the hall where the Physiology lecture is due to begin in no time.

Bast takes a seat next to me in a couple of minutes.

"Hey." He fist-bumps me and gives me a small smile. "I was looking for you in the hallway."

"Hey, man. I saw you, but you were busy. I didn't want to interrupt."

Bast sighs, cradling his head in his hands. "It was nothing, just something to thank Elena for what she did."

I open my mouth to ask what the chick had done to deserve that kind of kiss from the usually reserved, anti-PDAs Bast, but Dr. Creighton strides to the podium.

I can't help feeling anxious as I wait for the results of our first Physiology surprise quiz we had yesterday. When I spot an A at the top of my paper, an exhalation leaves my mouth. Bast's grade is the same. He smiles just barely and winks at me.

We focus on the lecture for the next hour. When it's over, Chad stops by my seat. "Hey. How did you do in the quiz?"

"Hey. It was okay," I say, picking up my stuff. 

Chad's eyes pause on the page with my grade on it. "Okay? It's a freaking A. I studied my ass off all weekend and got a B."

I shove the piece of paper in a folder and shrug. "It's the first quiz of many. Don't worry about it."

"Right," Chad mutters under his breath. "Easy for you to say."

He walks away, and Bast rolls his eyes as soon as the guy is out of our line of vision. "Feels like high school again, man. Hope he doesn't go to cry in the toilet."

A groan is my only answer as we exit the hall together.

"Showtime," Bast mutters, halting in the middle of the crowded hallway. "Hold this for me."

He thrusts his backpack into my hands and rummages in it. My eyes widen when I spot a small jar in Bast's hands. He retrieves a pink notebook next and opens the jar.

At least a dozen bugs crawl out of it and disappear between pages. Bast closes the notebook carefully and waves at someone.
"Tara!"

"Fuck, man," I say. "Don't—"

It's late. Tara approaches us and glances at me before extending her hand to grab the notebook.

"Thank you, Basti." She gives him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Hope you loved your little surprise."

"Hope you like yours," Bast says, winking at Tara.

She walks away, clutching the notebook in her hands, but stops abruptly a few heartbeats later.

I expect a squeal or a scream. Judging by Bast's grin, so does he.

Tara turns around slowly. "Hey, jerk." She points her chin at Bast. "Bugs are also people, you know? They could've died in there. You wouldn't like to be shoved between pages of something, would you, Basti? Thought so."

Bast's jaw hits the floor. His gaze follows Tara as she pivots and disappears in the throng of students.

Bast goes after her, and so do I because I'm still holding his stuff.

Tara exits the Science Building and struts to the lawn. Crouching down, she opens the notebook and lets the bugs out, waiting for them to crawl out of the notebook and onto the shrub in front of her. Then, she rises to her feet and blows Sebastian a kiss.

"I won't tell anyone," I fake-cough into my fist and laugh when Bast punches my bicep.

"Did you hear that?" he asks, staring at Tara's back. "Bugs are also people. Who the fuck says and does that shit?"

"Your true match, Basti."

Bast flips me off and reaches for his backpack. I want to say something smartass, but my buzzing phone distracts me with a text.

Jim: I've got news, little fucker. Call me.

***

Rob is a short dude in his forties. I met him and my brother at a coffee shop after my lectures.

"So, I've got several options for you," Rob says. 

He's looking at the pages in front of him. I can't take my eyes off his yellow tie. Jim notices and winks at me, struggling to keep a straight face.

Despite his eccentric taste in clothes, the dude my brother trusted with the task of finding the apartment of my dreams is a pro. It becomes apparent when I see the options he'd chosen for me. The prices are, indeed, affordable.

"Can we see the apartments?" I ask, perusing the page Rob gave me.

"We can do that right now," he says. 

I rise to my feet. "Awesome."

The three of us walk to an apartment complex nearby. The façade of the old building is clean, and I allow myself to be hopeful right until we step into the foyer.

Jim's eyebrows scrunch up. "No elevator?"

I take in the staircase in front of me, and my shoulders slump. 

"That's why it's cheap," says Rob. 

I think about the logistics of carrying stuff up the stairs. While Leah and I would save money on gym memberships, not having an elevator makes the idea of living there less appealing.

The apartment is cozy enough, but it doesn't match the picture in my head.

Rob shrugs when I tell him I'd rather keep looking.

Jim drives us to a different part of the city. The building in front of us is modern, but I  dislike the area where it's located. It looks too empty and would be too dark in the evening.

Jim and I exchange glances. 

"Is it safe?" my brother asks Rob.

The man scratches the back of his head. "Relatively. The good news is, we could haggle and try to make them lower the price based on the location."

"It's too far from campus as well," I say. "We would have to spend ages stuck in traffic."

"So, it's a miss," says Rob.

"Yeah." I sigh. "I'm sorry."

Rob adjusts the glasses on the bridge of his nose and retrieves a page from the folder he's holding. "There's one more option. The location is awesome, and so is the building."

I frown. "But?"

"You'll see."

The agent's words have me intrigued. When Jim parks his Audi at our next destination, I gape at the red-brick building towering over us. A small garden at the entrance is a plus, and so is the ample foyer with shiny floors and potted plants.

We take the elevator to the seventh floor and watch Rob unlock the door.

I follow Jim and Rob into the apartment. The hall isn't big, but the living room is. I marvel at the city sprawled behind the big windows. 

Kitten would love them. I can picture her sitting on the windowsill with a book. There's a balcony, too. It's not big but has enough space to put a small table and a couple of chairs.

"It needs a shitton of work." I hear Jim say and turn to face my brother. "Why?"

Jim nods toward the bathroom. "The plumbing. You'd have to replace it. Plus, the tiles are old and cracked. The hardwood floors need some refinishing. I would change the closets, too."

Jim and I inspect the two bedrooms and the kitchen. He's right; it's not the place to move into right away. It lacks the essential appliances, and it does need work, which would increase the costs unless I do everything myself.

I do the math in my head.

"Do you like it?" asks Jim.

"Very much," I say. "You've seen the other two. Neither was as good as this one."

"What do you think, Rob?" Jim asks the guy who's been quiet. "Is it a good investment?"

Rob nods. "It requires a significant investment, too, but the value of the apartment will increase once it's renovated. The area is one of the best in the city."

"It's up to you, Brian," says my brother. 

I let my eyes roam the space around us. "I think I'll take it."

"Awesome." Rob grins. "I'll take care of the paperwork."

Jim and I go for a walk in the neighborhood when Rob leaves.

"It's kid-friendly, too," Jim says when we spot a playground in a small park not far from the apartment complex.

"Irrelevant in my case," I say. "Unless you're saying it cause your girl is pregnant."

Jim's lips stretch into a smile. "No, little fucker, but you never know."

I stare at my brother. "Would you like to?"

Jim shrugs. "Maybe? I don't know, Brian. We're good. It's safe to say we left all the shit behind us. I'm financially independent. If it happens, I won't be too upset."

"You'll be a great dad," I say. "Overbearing and bossy, but we all have flaws."

Jim punches my shoulder. "Little shit."

We laugh as we stroll toward a bench facing the playground and sit on it.

"I liked the apartment, too," says Jim. "I'll help you with the renovations. It's lots of money for a student."

I groan. "No."

"Fuck, Brian."

"What? I'd rather do it little by little than let you pay. I'm doing it for Leah and me. She doesn't even know anything yet, and there's no rush to move out. I have to tell her everything and talk to Bast first."

"Then let me help. If you're hell-bent on not taking my money, let's renovate it together."

"You're busy, Jim."

"Ava has classes, and I have time right now. It's too much work for one person. I'd say we would need someone else who understands shit, like Dad or Grandpa. Or both."

Jim is right. My course load and volunteering take up lots of my time. If I were to do everything on my own, we would have to wait till summer.

I rest my head against the back of the bench. "Okay."

Jim winks at me. "Go thinking about the way to break the news to your girl."