My Boyfriend Became Her Long-Term Rental

When my friend, Winnie Stuart, gets fed up with her family urging her to find a boyfriend, she offers me 500 dollars, saying, "Let me rent your boyfriend for a day. I just need him to be my plus-one for a wedding, and I'll return him to you right after the ceremony." My boyfriend, Chase Harrington, accepts the money and takes off the couple ring on his finger. "I need to be professional and make sure my client's cover isn't blown." Winnie and I used to share a room in college. She's been a mutual friend of Chase and me for seven years now. At 10:00 pm, Chase comes home earlier than scheduled and puts his ring back on. He also transfers 500 dollars to me. "Time for the post-rental inspection," he says as he kisses me. "Returned in perfect condition, right?" Since then, Winnie has started making a habit of renting him. She hires him to accompany her to her client meetings, move her furniture for her, and attend her company's annual dinner with her. Even when she gets drunk late at night, she summons him. Each time Chase comes home, he'll transfer the money to me with a smile. "Isn't it great that we're earning some extra cash? She's just renting my presence as a service anyway. It's not like she's renting my heart." On my birthday, I wait at the restaurant I booked. Even when it's closing time, Chase is still a no-show. When I call him, I hear Winnie's voice coming through the speaker instead. "Sorry, babe. I've rented him for the entire day today." "When does the rental period end?" I ask. "At midnight." Chase's lazy drawl rings out. "There are still 20 minutes left. I need to show proper work ethic." The next day, my mother says, "Why don't you bring Chase over for a meal this weekend? Your dad says he's got a good bottle of wine ready." At that very moment, Winnie uploads a new Instagram post. It's a video of Chase sitting on a couch in her living room, peeling an orange for her mother. The caption reads, "Yet another successful rental service. My parents are very satisfied." Instead of confronting either one of them, I start returning all the "rental earnings" Chase has ever transferred to me. I add a remark. "I won't be accepting any returns this time." Chapter 1 I heard the front door unlock at 1:00 am. Chase Harrington walked in carrying a box of cupcakes from a bakery on the south side of the city. When he saw me still sitting on the couch, he commented with a smile, "Why is the birthday girl still awake?" He handed me the box of cupcakes before bending down to touch the corner of my eye. "No way. You've been crying?" "No." "Why deny it?" He crouched down and looked up at me. "I shouldn't have come back so late on your birthday. Next year, I'll handcuff myself to you the whole day, okay? I won't leave no matter who calls me. How about that?" Chase had made similar promises countless times before. His words never did sound all that sincere, but each time, they still worked on me for some reason. Six years ago, on our first date, he had waited in line for two hours to buy the tickets. It was raining when the movie ended, so he held his jacket over my head and let himself get soaked the entire way home. He'd said to me, "From now on, I'll accompany you wherever you go." The years kept adding up, but the promises started losing their hold on him. I looked down at the cupcakes. They were still a little warm. "How did you get this?" "I spoke to the owner this afternoon and reserved a box." He raised an eyebrow smugly. "You really think your boyfriend forgets everything?" My heart had just softened a little when Chase spotted the transaction records on my phone. He scrolled through the list of refunds I'd made and laughed. "Doing your year-end accounts, boss?" "Yeah." "You're not happy with your cut?" "You don't have to transfer the money to me anymore." Chase lifted his eyes off the screen. "What do you mean by that?" "Keep the money for yourself." He stared at me for two seconds before abruptly pulling me into his arms. "So, you're feeling jealous." I tried to get away, but he didn't let go. "You should've just said so," he chided me. "Why are you bottling everything up and stewing in your emotions—it even looks like you're counting out my severance paycheck." He kissed me on the forehead. "I won't let Winnie rent my services anymore." At that very moment, his phone buzzed with a voice message from Winnie. "Chase! Can I rent your services for another two hours tomorrow afternoon? I have to pick up the keys to my new rental. The landlord's a man, and I'm a little nervous about meeting him alone." Chase responded to her right in front of me. "I'm busy." Winnie replied with a crying emoji. "Fine. What's the worst that could happen? I'll just let the landlord take advantage of me." Chase set his phone down without answering. "See? I'm a man of principle." My heart had hardened a little earlier, but once again, it softened like a hopeless sucker. However, at 1:00 pm the next day, Chase headed for the door, saying, "I'm stepping out for a bit." I looked up. "Where to?" "To Winnie's place." The moment he saw my expression change, he immediately raised his hands. "Don't pounce on me just yet. The contract was changed at the last minute. She doesn't have a clue about any of this stuff, so I'm just going to check on things for her." "Yesterday, you said you'd be busy." "That was yesterday," Chase replied with a chuckle before pinching my cheek. "Besides, she's genuinely in a bind. I can't just stand back and watch, right?" I jerked my head away from him. "How much is she paying you this time?" "I won't be charging her for today." "Why not?" "Do friends charge each other for lending a hand?" Chase acted as if I'd asked a ridiculous question. "We shouldn't cheapen friendship by putting a monetary value on it." I looked at him. Last night, he'd claimed that the money he got for his "services" proved he and Winnie were merely engaging in a business transaction. Yet here he was today, saying that money would cheapen their friendship. It became clear to me that to him, boundaries were something he could redefine however he pleased. Chase had already picked up his car keys. "Your friend's wedding is this evening, right? I'll be back before 6:00 pm, and I'll make sure to attend both the ceremony and the reception with you." Before leaving, he kissed my forehead. "Don't look so sullen. You're different from Winnie." I asked, "How am I different?" "She's a friend. You're family to me," he declared. Later on, I learned that being family to him meant I was the one he chose to let down over and over again. Chapter 2 At 6:40 pm, I texted Chase, asking, "Where are you?" Ten minutes later, he responded. "I'll be right there." The wedding reception started at 7:00 pm. The chair beside me remained empty. When my friend, Olivia Parker, came over to toast the guests, she looked around before asking, "Where's Chase? I thought you said we'd finally get to meet him?" "Something came up," I replied. "Work?" I chuckled. "Something like that." At 7:30 pm, a server stopped at the table and cleared away the unused place setting. I was just about to call Chase when I got a video call from him instead. The camera jerked around a little. He was standing on a chair, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and he had a screw clenched between his teeth. Winnie's new apartment was filled with cardboard boxes. "I can't get away," Chase said after spitting the screw onto his palm. "I'm only halfway through installing the curtain rod." I asked, "You said you'd only be checking on the lease for her." Winnie immediately popped into view at the edge of the frame. "It's my fault!" She was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, eating a bowl of pasta. Shooting me a wink, she explained, "All the appliances the landlord left behind were broken, so I had to extend Chase's rental and employ him as my repairman. "I know I've kept your employee working overtime for a few hours. Please don't file a complaint with the labor department, Isla!" I ignored her. "Chase, you promised you'd be back by 6:00 pm." "I know." "It's 7:30 pm." He frowned. "Isla, you're already at the wedding anyway. Even if I go now, I'll only be in time to eat some of the leftovers." Several people at the table heard him. Lowering my voice, I said, "But you promised me." "I never said I wasn't going to show up." Chase was clearly annoyed, but he still kept his voice gentle as he tried to placate me. "Just sit tight and eat my fill for me. I'll come over to pick you up just as soon as I'm done." Winnie held out a fork of pasta to him. "Open up. Your hands are dirty." Chase lowered his head and ate the pasta before realizing the video call was still connected. Winnie's shoulders shook with laughter. "Oh, no! Your girlfriend saw us." She pulled out her phone and offered, "Here, I'll pay 300 dollars for the overtime. I'll make the transfer right away." I dropped the video call. Ten seconds later, I received a notification that 300 dollars had been transferred to my account. The remark read, "Overtime compensation. Since I've been such a loyal customer, please don't leave me a bad review." I returned the money on the spot, and Chase called me right after that. "You returned the money?" "I did." "Do you have a problem with the money or with me?" "With you." Chase fell silent for a moment. "Isla, there's no reason for you to make such a big deal out of a joke. You're making it seem like I cheated on you." "Did you not cheat on me?" "Did you see me touch her? I even accepted her money right in front of you! How else do you want me to prove myself?" Chase argued. I stared at the empty chair beside me. Suddenly, I saw no point in continuing this conversation. "You're right." "What?" "It's just an empty seat at the table. Even if you didn't show up, it didn't ruin the wedding in any way," I said. Chase picked up on the subtext, and his tone hardened. "Do you really have to act like this right now?" I dropped the call. … By the time the reception ended, it was raining heavily outside. I got home at 11:00 pm, and my heels were completely soaked through. When I opened the door, the kitchen lights were on. Chase was standing at the stove, making soup. The moment he heard me, he turned around. "Why are you completely drenched?" He walked over, crouched down, and took off my wet heels for me. "Why didn't you ask me to come pick you up?" I looked down at him. His hands felt warm. I smelled the chicken soup on the stove. It was my go-to meal whenever I had an upset stomach. Chase had also prepared a pot of ginger tea for me. "You were busy," I said. "No matter how busy I get, I'll always have time to pick you up," he declared. After wrapping a towel around my feet, he muttered disapprovingly, "Don't be so silly." For a moment, my nose prickled. Surely this meant that Chase cared about me after all. Right on cue, Chase's phone rang. It was Winnie again. "Help, Chase! Did the bedside lamp get installed incorrectly? I've been trying to switch it on for ages now, but nothing's happening!" Chase frowned. "Send me a video of the lamp." "I can't figure it out. Can you drop by for just a moment?" He glanced at the time. Before I even said anything, he'd straightened up and grabbed his car keys. "I'll only be gone for 20 minutes. Have some soup, and leave the dishes. I'll do them when I get back." I looked at him. "Do you really have to go?" "If the lamp was installed incorrectly, it's a safety hazard," Chase explained. "She can call the property manager for help." "But it's already so late at night." He ran a hand through my hair. "Don't kick up a fuss. I already came back for you, didn't I?" The bit of warmth that had sparked in my heart slowly turned cold again. My lesson for the day was realizing that being loved by someone and being the one they prioritized were two entirely separate matters. … The next day, Chase brought home a necklace with a moon-shaped pendant. "An apology gift for you," he said. When I opened the box, I was genuinely stunned. Six years ago, when we walked out of the movie theater after our first date, a full moon had hung in the sky. I'd remarked in passing, "I love full moons." Every year since, he had given me all kinds of random birthday gifts. I received bottles of perfume, stuffed animals, and various shades of lipstick. Not once had he given me anything related to the moon. I'd always thought he had forgotten about what I said. "You still remember that?" I asked. Chase leaned back against the couch and raised his brows. "I haven't lost my memory." Then he stood behind me and put the necklace on for me himself. His fingertips brushed against my neck. "Haven't you always complained that I could never remember what you liked? Looks like I've proven you wrong, huh?" I looked in the mirror. My eyes were slightly red. When he saw that, he smiled and leaned down to kiss me. "Is this all it takes to get you so emotional? If I knew that a simple necklace was all it took to appease you, I wouldn't have had to get chewed out by you last night." I gave him a shove. "When did I chew you out?" "It's even scarier when you talk to me in a flat tone than when you raise your voice." Chase wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Isla." "What?" "You're the one I love." My body stilled, and Chase chuckled. "I really don't know what you're so afraid of all the time. If Winnie and I really had something going on, would I still be meeting up with her openly in front of you every day? It's precisely because nothing is going on between us that I dare to help her." He sounded so frank and open about it. At that very moment, Chase's phone started ringing with a call from Winnie. He put it on speaker mode. "What's up?" "Does she like the moon necklace?" My hand froze over the pendant, and Chase stiffened as well. Winnie, however, didn't notice a thing. "I told you she'd definitely like it. You kept insisting that after all these years, she probably wouldn't remember such a small detail from your first date. You should be thanking me for reminding you about it." A silence ensued, and I slowly took off the necklace. Chase's smile dropped. "Isla." Winnie, who was still on the phone, chuckled before remarking, "Oh, no. Did I say something I shouldn't have? Don't mind me, Isla. All I did was jog Chase's memory a little. I had to listen to him go on and on about all the sweet memories you two share for a full 30 minutes!" I placed the necklace back in the box. Chase ended the call. "What are you doing now?" "I'm giving it back to you," I said. "I thought you liked it." "I don't anymore." "Just because she helped me choose it?" Chase stared at me, looking like he couldn't fathom my reaction. "Is that really something worth getting upset about? "All I did was say that I didn't know what to get you, so she asked me what you liked. I happened to mention our first date, so she picked out the necklace, and I paid for it." "So, you're saying that I should be thanking you right now?" I asked. Chase's temper flared at that. "Just what do you want from me, Isla? You're uncomfortable no matter what I do with her. Are you telling me that I can't be friends with a woman anymore just because I'm involved with you?" I didn't answer. He leaned back against the couch and rubbed his forehead. After a while, he pulled me toward him again. "Fine. I spoke too harshly just now. Don't give me that face." He nudged the tip of my nose. "There's no comparison between you and her." "What if she asks you to be her boyfriend?" I asked. Chase laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. You're the one I want to marry." Then he paused before adding, "However, if she's in trouble, I won't just stand by and do nothing. That's a separate matter." Everything clicked into place for me then. He saw me as the person he'd spend his future with, but Winnie would always be an exception to him. I would be the wife, but his priority would go to someone else, time and time again. That night, Winnie sent a message to the group chat the three of us shared. "It's my mother's birthday tomorrow. I need to rent Chase for a day. Name your price." Chase didn't answer, and neither did I. Ten minutes later, she sent another message. "Can I get a discount, Isla?" I left the group chat, and Chase laughed when he saw that. "You're seriously going to hold a grudge against her?" "I don't want to play this game anymore." He stared at me for a long time before turning off his phone and dumping it onto the bedside table in full view of me. "Okay. No one can summon me away from you tomorrow." He pulled me into his arms. "Satisfied now?" I didn't answer him, but that night, I trusted his words again. Chapter 3 The next morning, Mom texted me a little after 5:00 pm. "Your dad went to the farmer's market and came back with the freshest halibut fillets." She also sent me a photo of Dad wearing an apron. He was polishing the wine glasses. I thought there was no way anything would go wrong this time. At 4:00 pm, Winnie called. "My mother's birthday celebration started early. All of our relatives are here." Chase was driving. "And?" Winnie's voice turned coquettish. "I told Mom you'd be here." Chase frowned slightly. "Who told you to say that?" "It's not like I'm not paying you." She paused for a moment before continuing in a cajoling tone. "How does 800 bucks sound? If that's not enough, how about a thousand? You just need to show up for a few minutes." Chase glanced at me before saying, "I'm not going." The call ended. I almost laughed. For the first time, the tension I'd been holding in me finally loosened for good. Half an hour later, Winnie sent a photo to Chase. Her mother was sitting in front of a birthday cake. The whole table was filled with relatives. Her eyes were red. Her message read, "Mom asked me if you deliberately chose not to show up because she couldn't afford to have a lavish party. If you don't come, I'm going to be humiliated." Chase's smile disappeared. For a moment, the car was silent. I already knew what was about to happen, but I wanted to hear him say it anyway. "Isla." "I'm listening." "I'll just pop in for ten minutes," he said. I kept my eyes fixed on the road as I replied, "My parents are also waiting for you." "I know that." "You promised me you'd visit my parents with me today." "It's not like I won't be going over at all." Chase's tone became increasingly urgent. "Your parents are family anyway. It won't matter if I'm a little late. Mrs. Stuart's relatives have all shown up for her birthday. I can't let her end up embarrassed because of me." I laughed. "Run along then." He glanced at me. "Are you upset again?" "Nope." "You sure?" "I am." Chase sighed. "Isla, why do I get the feeling that you're becoming harder and harder to placate these days?" When the car stopped at the red light, he reached out to squeeze my hand. "What happened to my old boss, the one who was always so understanding?" I pulled my hand away, and he frowned. "See? You're doing this again. It's not that I don't care about you. I just know that you won't dump me over trivial matters like this. That's the only reason why I think it won't matter if I help her out first." He even chuckled as he added, "This proves how much I trust you, you know." I looked at him. I never knew someone could twist willful neglect and disregard into an act of trust. Chase continued, "No matter what I do for Winnie, you're still the one I'm marrying, aren't you? What do you have to be worried about?" I said nothing. … One hour later, I sat at the dining table with my parents. From 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Dad kept pushing the platter of grilled halibut toward me. "You should start eating. Fish spoils easily if you don't keep it warm." Mom also tried to help me feel better with possible reasons for Chase's absence. "Maybe he really can't get away." At 10:00 pm, Winnie uploaded a video on her Instagram. Chase was sitting beside her mother, and the relatives were teasing them. "My, my. Winnie has an excellent eye for men!" Someone even asked, "When are you guys getting married?" Winnie smiled and looked at Chase, who neither affirmed nor denied their implied relationship. But he did stop someone who tried to refill her wine glass. "Winnie can't drink too much. It'll give her bad headaches." In the comment section, Winnie replied to someone, "It's not a rental today. Today, he's my date." I stared at the words for a few seconds before heading back to my rented apartment. I started packing my things. I only stopped when I saw Winnie post a screenshot of money being refunded to her account in the group chat. Winnie: "Why aren't you taking the money?" Chase: "I'm just helping you celebrate your mother's birthday. I can't take payment for that." Winnie: "So, what does this count as?" After two minutes, Chase replied, "It counts as me willingly helping you." I sat frozen on the edge of the bed for a very long time. As it turned out, it was never Winnie who couldn't afford to pay the rental fee. Chase simply didn't need money for his "services" anymore. At 1:12 am, the door unlocked. Chase came in and said breezily, "Hey there, boss. Your boyfriend's back from his side gig." When there was no answer, he chuckled and took off his coat. "Are you asleep?" However, the moment he entered the bedroom, he froze. Half the closet was empty. Everything of mine that had been on the bedside table was gone. Only one toothbrush was left in the bathroom. Chase pulled out his phone. The location-sharing app we'd both installed now showed a line of gray text. "The other person has stopped sharing their location with you." This time, for the first time, Chase no longer looked quite so confident that he could coax me with just a few empty words.