CHAPTER 4

Evicted and Alone

I stared at the crumpled eviction notice in my trembling hands. My vision blurred as I reread the words, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might rip through my chest. PAYMENT OVERDUE. TEN DAYS TO VACATE.

A hollow ache settled in my stomach. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not when I had scraped together every penny to survive just a little longer.

I swallowed hard and knocked on Mr. Halloran's office door, my sweaty palm slipping against the brass knob as I turned it. He didn't bother looking up when I stepped inside. His stubby fingers flipped through a thick stack of paperwork, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

"Rent's due, Miss Moore. I don't have time for excuses."

I gritted my teeth, my pride warring with desperation. "I just need a little more time. Two weeks. I can pay."

He sighed, finally lifting his gaze. His dull brown eyes showed no sympathy, only impatience. "You've had time. I warned you last month. You're out of chances."

I clenched the eviction notice tighter, my fingers digging into the paper. "I just got laid off. I'm trying—I've been applying for jobs nonstop—"

"Not my problem." He leaned back, his chair creaking under his weight. "I have other tenants waiting. If you're not out in ten days, I'll have you removed."

Removed. Like I was nothing more than a stain on his building. My throat tightened as I fought back the burn of humiliation. "Mr. Halloran, please. I—"

"Begging won't change anything." His voice was clipped, final. He waved a dismissive hand. "That's all. Lock the door on your way out."

I turned, my chest heaving as I stormed out of his office. The hallway felt too small, suffocating. The walls blurred as hot tears welled up, but I blinked them away. I wouldn't cry. Not here. Not where everyone could see how broken I was.

The moment I stepped outside, the bitter winter wind slapped against my skin. I pulled my coat tighter, shoving my hands into my pockets as I trudged down the street. My boots scuffed against the cracked pavement, the weight of my situation pressing down on me.

I had no job. No money. And in ten days, no home.

The city moved around me, uncaring. People rushed past, bundled in thick coats, laughing into their phones, living lives that weren't crumbling beneath them. I felt like a ghost among them, invisible, irrelevant.

I found myself in front of the café where I used to work, my fingers hovering over the door handle before I yanked them back. No. Walking in there and seeing the new hire smiling behind the counter would only rub salt in the wound. My pride had already taken enough of a beating.

Instead, I walked to the park and sank onto a bench, my breath fogging in the cold air. The reality of my situation settled in my bones. My savings had dwindled to almost nothing. The bills had piled up too fast, one after the other, until I was drowning.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through job listings. Each rejection email I'd received stared back at me, a graveyard of lost opportunities. I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood.

A text popped up from my best friend, Kara.

Kara: "Any luck?"

I hesitated before typing back. "No. I'm screwed, Kara."

Seconds later, my phone rang. I answered, pressing it against my ear.

"Celeste," Kara's voice softened. "Tell me what's going on."

I exhaled shakily. "Eviction notice. Ten days."

Silence stretched before she finally spoke. "Come stay with me."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I can't. You have a baby on the way. I won't be a burden."

"You're not a burden. You're my best friend."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah? Well, my best friend shouldn't have to take in a failure."

"Don't you dare say that?" Her voice hardened. "This isn't your fault."

I wanted to believe her. But it was my name on that eviction notice, my choices that had led me here. "I'll figure it out," I whispered, more to convince myself than her.

"Celeste—"

"I gotta go." I hung up before she could argue. I knew Kara. She'd fight to help me, even if she couldn't afford to. And I couldn't let that happen.

Instead, I pulled up my messages and hesitated before typing out another text.

Me: "I need a favor."

Seconds later, a response came through. Ethan: "Name it."

My stomach twisted. Asking my ex-boyfriend for help felt like swallowing shards of glass. But I had no other options.

Me: "Can we meet?"

Ethan: "Of course."

I tightened my grip on my phone. Ethan was my last resort. And if he turned me away too… I didn't let myself finish the thought.

---

That evening, I sat across from Ethan in a dimly lit diner. He looked the same—messy dark hair and sharp blue eyes that once made my heart race. But now, all I felt was shame.

He leaned forward, concern etched into his features. "Celeste, talk to me."

I took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "I lost my job. My landlord's kicking me out. I just need a loan—to cover rent. I'll pay you back, I swear."

Ethan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Damn, Cel. Why didn't you call sooner?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Because I didn't want to need you."

His jaw tightened. "You think I'd let you struggle alone?"

I shrugged. "I don't know what we are anymore."

He looked at me for a long moment, then reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. My breath hitched as he slid a thick stack of cash across the table.

I stared at it. "Ethan, I—"

"No strings," he said quietly. "Take it."

Tears burned behind my eyes. I wanted to refuse. To hold onto what little pride I had left. But my hands betrayed me, reaching for the money.

"Thank you." My voice cracked. "I mean it."

Ethan studied me. "You don't have to do this alone, Celeste."

I forced a small smile. "I think I do."

He didn't argue. And maybe that was why it hurt so much.

As I stepped outside, the icy air biting at my skin, I clutched the money like a lifeline. It wouldn't solve everything. But it took me time.

And time was the only thing standing between me and rock bottom.

I glanced up at the night sky, inhaling deeply. The battle wasn't over.

It was just beginning.