(Phineas's POV)
I accepted that with a nod and let the silence sit comfortably for a moment. She ate. I ate. The morning light came through the windows and the apartment felt, briefly, like it contained nothing urgent.
Then I set down my coffee cup.
"So," I said. "Why the rush to leave?"
She glanced up. "It's not a rush. It's just - I have money now. Real money. It makes sense to buy my own place."
"You could do that and still stay here."
"I'd want to pay back the rent I've owed you. Properly." She met my eyes. "Reset things to what they actually are. Landlord and tenant. Keep it clean."
I leaned forward slightly. "I thought we were past that."
"Past what?"
"The landlord-tenant thing." I kept my voice easy, unhurried. "I thought after everything this year, we were at least friends
