Until Forever (ROYAL RIDERS SERIES BOOK #1)

11| Struggling

I changed the chapter name

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Struggling

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Chapter 11: Struggling (Demi's POV)

I stood in front of the most dungy-looking apartment I have seen since I came to Boston for college after my high school graduation. "This?" I asked, turning to the real estate agent. "You're telling me this is the apartment? For $150,000?" 

"Yes, ma'am," she grinned.

I paused, not knowing what the hell to say to this woman. "You are who I spoke to on the phone, right? Otherwise, you should go, I don't show this apartment to everybody," she muttered. 

"I am Demi Vaughn," I gritted out. "You told me the apartment went for $6,500 at lowest and $10,000 at highest." 

"Did I?" she laughed. "Actually, you see, honey, the landlord needs the money, so he's bumping up the rest just a bit." 

"I think five thousand dollars is a lot," I sighed. "Can I take a look inside?" 

"Yeah, 'course." She led me inside eagerly. 

I walked in through the red door and the single yellow bulb above my head flickered. I pulled the sleeves of my hoodie till they fell beyond my hands because I didn't want to touch anything here. At least it didn't reek. Too much. I followed her up the stairs that really had spider webs on the banister. 

Spider webs. 

The hallway upstairs where the apartments were looked much better, actually. The paint wasn't chipping, it didn't smell... musty, and I felt like I was breathing fine without my chest feeling heavy. The apartment at the end of the hall was the one she was renting out to me. 

She unlocked the door and I walked in, taking a look around. "When was the last time someone stayed here?" I asked while walking to the kitchen. Everything seemed fine here. I turned the tap on but only cold water came out, no matter how hot I adjusted it to be. 

"It's been a couple of months," she answered. 

"Is there no hot water in this building?" 

"There's a problem with the system, people are coming in tomorrow to get a look," she explained. 

I doubt it. 

I walked into the room. There was a bed but no mattress, a closet but no mirror, a vanity table but no stool, a desk chair but no desk. I walked to the window and opened it to get a look. What do I see when I look down? The dumpster. I closed the window but it never closed all the way. 

"That's just how the walls are." 

I frowned in confusion. "Windows won't close?" 

"Not all the way. It's the brick walls." 

I sighed, dusting my hands on my jeans. "Don't you think $15,000 is a little much for this tiny one-bedroom studio apartment which is in less than pristine condition?" 

"I don't decide on the rent, sweetheart. But it's what everybody's pricing their apartments on the market." 

Not when they look like this. I'm pretty sure if I took a closer look, there would be mold here. 

"Are you interested?" she asked, fixing her hair. 

I took a look around but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't imagine living here. "Let me think about it," I mumbled.