Read Online The Broken Road (The Broken Series) by K.S. Ruff - Free Book Online Page A

one. The
second apartment smelled marginally better than the first… more like old socks
and garlic. I found a dead cockroach in one of the cupboards, and the lease
officer insisted the rent was two hundred dollars more than they had quoted me
over the phone. Apparently, the cockroach cost extra.
    Habib
must have sensed my growing concern, because he insisted on accompanying me for
the third apartment tour. The lease officer at the third apartment complex was
named Mickey. I asked for her specifically because she’d been so personable
when I called to schedule the appointment.
    Mickey
offered to show us around the gated community before taking us to see the
apartment. We walked alongside a beautiful pool that was located just behind
the lease office. The pool was nestled under a cluster of magnolia trees, which
appeared to be in full bloom. The trees held the largest white flowers I’d ever
seen. 
    We
toured a small gym that was tucked inside a glass-front building overlooking the
pool. Mickey led us through a number of walking trails, which were lined with
vibrant flowers, lush green bushes, and small patches of lawn. I could easily
picture myself walking Cade through the beautiful gardens.
    After
we toured the common areas, Mickey walked us to a ground floor apartment that
was located a short distance from the pool. The apartment was quite small, but
it had a fresh coat of paint and brand new carpet.
    I
followed Mickey into the kitchen. “This is a good-sized kitchen,” I noted
appreciatively.
    She
motioned toward the appliances. “The apartment includes a gas stove, a full
size refrigerator, a dishwasher, microwave, and a garbage disposal.”
    I
leaned against the breakfast bar and looked over the living room. The breakfast
bar was the only thing separating the kitchen from the living room. There
wasn’t room for a dining table, and the living room was quite small.
    Mickey
opened the door to the hall closet.
    I
followed her into the hallway, glanced inside the closet, and smiled. “A washer
and dryer.”
    “This
is nice,” Habib remarked as he wandered into the kitchen.
    A
confused look flitted across Mickey’s face. “Will you be renting the apartment
together?”
    I
chuckled softly. “No. Habib’s a friend of mine. He’s just here for moral
support.” I paused as I peeked inside the bathroom. “I really like this place,
but I’m concerned about living in a ground floor apartment. Do you have any second
or third floor apartments available?”
    Mickey
flipped through a couple of pages on her clipboard.
    I
wandered into the bedroom, which was located directly across the hall from the
bathroom. The sliding glass doors in the bedroom led to the same patio as the
sliding glass doors in the living room. Both sets of sliding glass doors
overlooked a narrow street that ran between the apartment buildings. There
would be no privacy when the blinds were open.
    Mickey
joined me in the bedroom. “No. I'm sorry. This is the only one bedroom
apartment we currently have available. I have a two bedroom apartment located on
the second floor of one of our larger five-story buildings. The two bedroom
apartments start at fourteen hundred dollars a month.”
    I
popped my head out of the closet. “I'm afraid that’s a bit outside my price
range. Besides, I like how these garden-style apartments have their own
entrances.” I folded my arms over my chest as I studied the bedroom. The
walk-in closet was huge, but the bedroom was very small.
    Mickey
and I found Habib leaning against the breakfast bar. He was typing something
into his phone. His eyes met mine as he shoved the phone into his pocket. “I
think you will be safe here. The apartment has a security alarm, and your sliding
glass doors face a high traffic area.”
    I
hadn’t really considered the high traffic area a boon, but Habib had a point. No
one was going to break into an apartment where he was so likely to be seen.
    Habib
and I followed Mickey back to the