Mason climbed out on his side after checking for traffic, which wasn’t much given the lateness of the night and the fact that for all practical purposes it was a one-way street since vehicles were curbside parked on both sides, making it a tight squeeze for two cars to pass in opposite directions.
He came around to stand beside Venus and stared up at the dilapidated building she called home, a scowl forming on his face.
“This is where you live?”
She stiffened at the implied criticism and snobbery, and she fixed him with an icy glare of her own.
“It’s all I can afford and despite how it may appear on the outside, I’ve made it into a comfortable home.”
He shook his head and reached for her elbow, but she evaded his grasp.
“Thank you for the ride home,” she said, politely distant.
He i
