The Bait Chapter 2

The living room went dead silent.

Tara looked at me like I had just told a hilarious joke.

"Are you serious? You're moving out when we're getting free rent? Do you just have money to burn?"

I shoved my phone into my purse and stood up to head to my room.

"Mr. Peters isn't the kind of guy who just hands out free money."

Maya rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Stop trying to scare everyone, okay? He's just giving us a rent break, he's not asking for our kidneys."

I dragged my suitcase down from the top of my closet.

The wheels hit the hardwood floor with a heavy thud.

Maya leaned against my doorframe, looking at me like I belonged in a psych ward.

"Sarah, are you actually leaving?"

I started packing my ID, bank cards, and laptop into my backpack piece by piece.

"Yeah."

Tara walked over too, crossing her arms and sneering.

"What about your $5,000 security deposit? You're just going to throw it away?"

"Yeah."

She scoffed.

"Wow, look at the trust fund baby. Normal people like us can't afford to just throw away five grand."

I opened my drawer and pulled out my copy of the lease and a photocopy of my ID.

"It's not that I want to throw it away."

"It's that I don't think gambling my safety for five grand is worth it."

Chloe stood near the back, looking hesitant.

"Sarah, did you notice something off?"

My hands paused.

"Don't you guys think Mr. Peters has always been a little... creepy?"

Maya frowned.

"He's cheap, sure, but it's not like he's done anything evil."

"You just love assuming the absolute worst about everything."

Tara immediately chimed in.

"If he gives us free rent tonight, all four of us benefit."

"If you leave now, what if he says 'everyone isn't here' and cancels the deal for the rest of us?"

I understood now.

It wasn't that they weren't afraid at all.

It was that the temptation of free rent had overridden their fear.

Maya picked up her phone.

"I'm going to text Mr. Peters and tell him to come talk you out of it. We're not losing three months of rent just because you're throwing a fit."

I took a step forward.

"Maya, do not tell him I'm leaving."

She had already hit send.

"Too late."

I glared at her.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

Maya fired back, her voice raising.

"Sarah, I should be asking YOU what you're doing!"

"We finally get something good happening to us, and you have to turn it into a horror movie."

Tara added coldly:

"You've always acted like you're better than us. You barely hang out with us. Now you can't even stand to see us catch a break."

Chloe tried to mediate softly.

"Why don't you just stay for tonight? Once Mr. Peters gets here, just hear what he has to say before you decide."

I looked at them.

The roommates I had shared late-night takeout with, split Ubers with, and vented about work with were now standing in my doorway, blocking me like a solid wall.

I suddenly felt incredibly exhausted.

"I've already warned you guys."

I zipped up my suitcase.

"The bigger the bargain, the more careful you need to be."

Maya sneered.

"Then go."

"You better not regret this."

I didn't answer.

I just turned on the voice recorder on my phone and slipped it into my jacket pocket.

I needed to get out before Mr. Peters arrived.

But I was too late.