Eight: Ready or Not

"What?" I asked Louie, not sure if I heard him right.

"You're gonna stay here for the meantime," he repeated.

"In this room?" I asked again.

"Yeah."

I shook my head in disbelief. "No, I can't stay here."

His brows furrowed. "But you just said you can't go home to your apartment. That's why I got this room for you. Is there any problem with this room? This is the best available unit they have at the moment."

"That's the problem. This room is too lavish for me. I can't stay here." I shook my head again.

He took me to a luxury hotel suite after we signed the contract earlier. I was shocked at how huge and lavish it was. I wouldn't be surprised if the daily rate here is enough to cover three months’ rent of my apartment.

"You're not paying for your stay here, if that's what you're worried about," he nonchalantly replied.

I was fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Like, duh. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't afford it.

"That's out of the question," I, instead, said. "This room is too much