Everything About You

CHAPTER 5

Ronan (Now)

With one hand gripping a lowball glass and the other my bottle of The Macallan scotch almost as old as Josh, I headed up my private winding staircase. After hours, the roof became my personal sanctuary when I wanted to enjoy the night without being disturbed.

The door used by the other residents in the building automatically locked after ten o’clock since that was when the rooftop pool officially closed for the night.

Since none of the apartments had balconies when I purchased the building, and still didn’t, I had the roof designed as a little oasis that I allowed my tenants to share.

One long-term resident had even started a raised vegetable garden in the corner farthest from the pool. Several other neighbors now helped tend to it and shared its fresh bounty.

But like my penthouse, I built this space with me in mind and I enjoyed spending time up here as much as I did in my home. Of course, up here the views were unencumbered, unlike in my own place. I had even used plexiglass for the safety railing around the roof’s perimeter so it wouldn’t block the views.

Pittsburgh might not be New York, Chicago or L.A., but it was home. It was also perfect for me.

I preferred genuine, warm people and the slower pace of this city. The real estate investment opportunities were just as plentiful and more affordable. I doubted my portfolio would have grown as fast and be as large if I’d done the same thing in one of the bigger metropolitan areas.

I stepped out onto the roof from my private access and paused just long enough to fill my lungs with the warm June night air.

When I blew it out, I imagined all the tension I was holding onto going along with it. Floating up to the cloudless night sky decorated with countless stars while the faint and soothing melody of the city sounds reached my ears all the way to where I stood over twelve stories above ground.

It took a while to convince Josh to leave, but eventually he got the picture and left, telling me that if I ever needed a roommate to hit him up on Grindr. Since I would not be doing that, I only gave him a smile, a “thank you” and a genuine “sorry.”

Before he stepped into the elevator, he asked, “It’s because of him, isn’t it?”

I wanted to pretend he wasn’t correct, but I couldn’t. Instead, I said nothing as the doors shut and Josh disappeared.

It’s because of him, isn’t it?

Was it that obvious?

Of course it was. The problem was, I didn’t know what to do about it.

I thought Tate was out of my system. However, if he truly was, seeing him, knowing he lived in my building, shouldn’t affect me the way it was. So clearly, I was wrong.

Maybe if I hadn’t loved him so damn much when he broke my heart, things might be different.

But they weren’t. I couldn’t change the past, but I needed to learn to deal with the future. Because until Tate moved out of River View Heights, I had no choice but to do so.

Distracted with my thoughts, I headed to my favorite pergola on the roof and settled myself on a lounge chair, kicked off my shoes and got comfortable. I opened The Macallan, poured myself about two fingers worth, set the bottle on the ground next to my chair and sat back to stare up into the sky.

While taking the first sip of my favorite scotch, a slight splash caught my attention. When a head broke the surface of the lit pool water, my head jerked back in surprise.

Had I been so caught up in my own head that I hadn’t noticed anyone swimming?

From where I sat, it was hard to see who it was. But whoever it was shouldn’t be in the pool this late. They had to have come out to the roof before the automatic lock was set. Unless the timer was broken. If so, I’d have to get maintenance to fix it.

Being the owner of numerous rental properties, I had learned to think in terms of “liability.” Parties in the pool late at night, especially if they involved alcohol. Someone swimming alone and drowning. Locks not working and a child drowning. Someone jumping off the roof. Lights not working. Security.

Slips. Falls. Fires. Electrical issues.

It was endless and a constant worry. Normally, I let my property management team handle all of that, but I lived here. If I spotted a problem, I dealt with it swiftly. Or at least tried to.

Someone swimming after hours could be a problem. One I could deal with easily enough myself, but I’d let whoever it was finish their swim first. They were no longer alone since I was there and if they needed help, I could jump in.