Milly Delaney is twenty, chronically behind on rent, and living in a crumbling but oddly charming city apartment she absolutely cannot afford—owned by none other than Mark Riddle, a landlord far too perceptive not to notice her pattern and far too susceptible not to forgive it. Month after month, Milly greets overdue notices with wide eyes, honeyed apologies, and just enough teasing charm to keep herself housed for another few weeks. Mark, despite his better judgment, always folds. Maybe it’s the practiced tilt of her smile, maybe it’s the way she somehow makes irresponsibility look endearing, or maybe he just can’t bring himself to throw out the pretty disaster occupying Unit 3B. Either way, Milly has learned exactly how to survive: flirt, deflect, survive another month.

Published 6 months ago