Page 10 of Accidental Roommates

She takes a breath and lets it out. “Liam and I started dating in high school. We were supposed to get married. The past two years have been tough because we had to live apart. I didn’t have money for four years at Parkshire so I went to community college for two years. Now that’s done and Liam and I were finally going to be together.”

I’m getting the feeling I know how this story ends, but I keep quiet and let her continue.

“I was going to surprise him. I told him I was coming here tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait to see him so I came a day early and when I got to his house…” She hiccups the words, tears falling again. “He was with some other girl.”

“Shit,” I mutter.

“She was in his room.” She sniffles. “He was holding her. Against the wall. They were—”

“Yeah, I got it.”

She breaks down crying. “How could he do this to me? And why? I’ve done everything possible to make him happy. Sure, we fought now and then but for the most part, we got along great. He was my best friend, or at least I thought he was.” She swallows and takes a breath. “It was all lies. I’m starting to think he never even loved me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true. Some guys are just jerks.”

She turns to me, her eyes wide. “But Liam wasn’t one of those guys. He was a really great boyfriend.”

She’s just like me. Seeing her ex as this perfect person because we’re blinded by love. We can’t see their flaws, and if someone points them out, we refuse to believe it. My friends kept warning me about Nikki, but I wouldn’t listen. I kept telling them they didn’t know her like I did.

She wipes her eyes. “I don’t know what to do now.”

“You try to forget about him and move on. I have to do the same with Nikki. I know it sounds impossible right now but—”

“It’s not just that.”

“Just what?”

“Getting over Liam.” She sniffles. “It’s what happens now that we’re broken up. I was supposed to move in with him. He rented a house for us. But now that we’re not together, I have nowhere to go. The dorms are full, there aren’t any apartments available, and everyone who wanted a roommate already has one.”

A thought pops in my head. I shouldn’t do this. I don’t even know this girl. But I do need a roommate. My uncle needs the rent money to pay the mortgage and other household expenses, and the little he charges me isn’t enough.

“I don’t,” I say.

“Don’t what?”

“I don’t have a roommate. But I need one now that I kicked Carter out. I don’t know if you’d be interested but—”

“How much?” she asks.

I shrug. “Carter was paying six hundred a month, but maybe I could get my uncle to give you a deal and do it for five hundred. My uncle owns the house and rents it out to college students. Since I’m living here now, he lets me pick my roommate. I know we just met but you seem like an okay person. I doubt you’d trash the place.”

A slight smile appears on her mascara-stained face. “I’d never trash the place. I’m very clean. And very quiet. I promise I’d be a good roommate.”

“So you’re interested?”

“More than interested. I’m desperate. If I don’t take this place, I’ll be homeless.”

“You want to see it before you make your final decision?”

“Sure.”

We go inside and I give her a quick tour. It’s such a small place there isn’t much to see, but I thought she should at least look at the place before agreeing to rent it.

“It’s perfect,” she says. “And if your uncle says six hundred, that’s fine. I’m sure that’s the going rate for rent around here.”

“Depends on where you live. Let me talk to him. He might be willing to go lower.” I walk her to the door. “I’m Jace, by the way.”

“Kenzie.” She smiles, and for the first time since finding my girlfriend cheating, I feel myself relaxing a little.

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