= CHRIS POV =

Jenny and I went at it like rabbits. I don’t know how many times we did it; I lost count.

 I ordered delivery and sent a very exhausted Jenny to get the pizza in a robe that was just thick enough to cover everything, and then we did it again.

I had just about gotten all my frustration out of my system when I heard something I did not want to hear.

 Like obviously…Sarah had to come back from work or wherever she had gone to at some point, right?

 Why in the world hadn’t I stopped earlier?

I jumped up, scrambling to pull on some pants.

 Jenny sat up in surprise as I threw on a wifebeater but I ignored her, stumbling to the door, thinking I would catch Sarah lingering in the kitchen or something.

I ran through the house but there was no sign of her. 

I slammed open the guest room.

Gone.

Her stuff was just…gone. 

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

I ran to the front door and swung it open just in time to see Sarah standing next to her suitcase, waiting for the lift while scrolling on her phone

“Wait, where—” I started.

Sarah turned and looked at me calmly. She didn’t seem particularly affected just..tired…

“It’s ok, I can see that I’m in your way,” Sarah said laughing nervously “I didn’t know you and Jenny…were still a thing. I think that’s the longest relationship I’ve ever seen you have” She laughed softly, turning away from me, her eyes back on her phone.

“No, I… where are you going to go?” I asked, stepping out of my apartment, my feet cold against the concrete floor outside my place.

Sarah took a pause and then said a little bemused, “My car? I went to get it and—”

I sprang forward and grabbed her suitcase. 

“You can’t live in your car. I mean, you can? But it’s not safe around here. We have a lot of car break-ins, and you could get hurt.”

Sarah looked at me confused for a moment, then a look of bemusement seemed to cross her face

“No I…oh gosh…” she started with a soft giggle, as if she found the entire situation…funny.

“I’ll be fine, trust me. I have something lined up already and…you can just ignore that new contract I sent you, it was a stupid idea anyway,” Sarah said dismissively and shrugged, relaxed and completely at ease with what I perceived to be dire circumstances.

Sarah reached for her suitcase handle but I grabbed her wrist instead. I was pissed. I didn’t know whether to slap her or shake her, but one thing I knew for sure; I wasn’t about to let her go off and get herself into more trouble on her own. 

“Sarah… I tore up that contract because it was a dumb contract. Now you’re saying you have something else lined up? What. Are you offering the same contact to someone else?” I asked, yanking her over to me, not caring that her eyes were wide as saucers, and my grip on her wrist was probably painful.

“Are you seriously willing to do the things that you wrote on that contract for a complete stranger? And this is you, completely sober, willing to commit to that…long term?” I snapped, my grip on Sarah’s suitcase tightening as I tried to hold back my anger.

 Why couldn’t she see that she was putting herself in danger?

Sarah bit her lip and ran her free hand through her hair, averting her eyes. 

She was staring holes into the suitcase in my hand, but I had no intention of letting it go and watch her walk off, homeless and… into someone else’s arms?

FUCK NO.

“Actually, this was all a joke,” she sighed and reached out for her suitcase. “You see—”

I released the suitcase handle and grabbed her other wrist, yanking her body over to me.

 “This is not a joke. You, being homeless, asking people to let you stay with them in exchange for sex, this is a huge red flag. I’m not going to let you just… sleep around with just anyone for lodging.”

Sarah suddenly smiled weakly and looked down at her feet. “What I meant to say was—”

“Just stop. Just wait.” I cut her off again and pushed her against the door of my apartment.

I held both her wrist in one hand, like holding the ears of a rabbit, and kept her firmly pressed against the door as I whipped out my phone with my free hand and checked my messages.

 She had indeed sent me some goofy messed-up PDF with all sorts of strange edits to it; however, there was a part for an electronic signature.

 I quickly filled up my name and signed it off. I forwarded the finished document to Sarah.

“There, it’s done. You didn’t even know the correct address of my apartment, but consider this as done. Since you are so certain that the only way you can stay at another person’s house is through this weird contract, I’m going to make you regret ever asking me, or anyone else, to sign it,” I said, showing the signed contract to Sarah’s face on my phone.

Sarah gulped as she looked from the contract to me. “Regret?” she asked, her voice growing tight and strained, eyes wide and a little fearful.

“Yes, regret. To make sure you never sign something like this with anyone ever again. Now come inside before I carry you in myself,” I snap and released her wrists. 

I turned and grabbed her suitcase, dragging it back into the apartment, my other hand grabbing Sarah around the waist, and pushing her in as well before I closed and locked the door.