Page 35 of Accidental Roommates

Turning to Kenzie, I say, “Two magical pans are on their way. They’ll be here by next Friday. Sorry, but I was too cheap to pay for overnight shipping.”

She laughs. “That’s okay. Gives us something to look forward to.”

“Maybe we should make a night of it. Next Friday, we’ll stock up on cheese and eggs and test out the pan.”

“Sounds exciting,” she says, not sounding impressed.

“Hey!” I nudge her arm. “Just wait. Once you see the magic live, you’re going to be amazed.”

“Okay. Then it’s a date. Next Friday. You and me. Melting cheese.”

A date. I know she didn’t mean it romantically, but I wish it could be that kind of date. The problem is, neither one of us is ready for that. It’s too soon. I need to get over Nikki, and Kenzie needs to get over Liam.

“You going to bed now?” I ask, seeing her yawn. “All that excitement clearly wore you out.”

“I’m tired, but I can’t sleep.”

“I couldn’t either.”

We both get quiet, staring at the TV. The infomercial is over and an old black-and-white movie is starting, which isn’t nearly as exciting as watching a guy melt cheese in a pan.

“What do you want to watch?” I ask, picking up the remote.

“Doesn’t matter to me. I’m not really watching it.”

I mute the TV. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it? I get it if you don’t, but if it would help…”

“I just don’t understand.” She picks at the hem of her shirt. “I was a good girlfriend. I didn’t pick fights. I didn’t demand that he text me all day. I didn’t complain when he made us spend all day at a car show or when he’d make me sit and watch him at the batting cages when we were supposed to be on a date. I tried really hard to be a good girlfriend and—”

“Kenzie, stop.” I turn to face her. “This wasn’t your fault. This was all about him. It had nothing to do with you. He was a shitty boyfriend who didn’t appreciate what he had. There was nothing you could’ve said or done to change that.”

“He wasn’t always that way.” She continues to pick at the hem of her shirt. “He used to be really sweet. He’d call me just to tell me he loves me. He’d buy me flowers. He’d plan our dates. All that stopped after he left for college, but I assumed that was normal. It’s hard to keep that stuff going when you’re dating long distance.”

“He could’ve still done those things. Like call and tell you he loved you? He could do that from anywhere.”

“I know, but I thought that was just something people do when a relationship is new. Over time, things change. Guys stop being romantic. I get that. It’s just—”

“That’s not true.”

She looks up at me. “What’s not true?”

“That guys stop being romantic. I dated Nikki for two years and became more romantic, not less. Like last night for our anniversary, I spent all week preparing for it. Planning the dinner I was going to make. Shopping for her gift. I even wrote her a poem, which I later ripped up and tossed in the garbage. What I’m trying to say is that a guy who really loves you won’t stop being romantic. He’ll keep trying to win your heart, even if he already has it.”

She sniffles and I see a tear slide down her cheek. “He didn’t love me, did me?”

“Oh, shit. No, that’s not what I meant.” I scoot closer to her and put my hand on her arm. “I shouldn’t have said it that way. What I meant is that a guy who isn’t just focused on himself will want to make his girlfriend happy. He’ll do most anything to make her smile, even if he looks like an idiot doing it. And that won’t change. If anything, he’ll want to do those things even more the longer you date him. This Liam guy? He wasn’t the guy for you. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. You’re too nice of a girl to be with an ass like that. I know we just met, but I can already tell you’re a good person and deserve better than him.”

“Thanks.” She attempts a smile, then looks down, seeming almost as sad as she did when I found her here.

“Kenzie, talk to me.” I drop my hand from her arm but keep my eyes on her. “What are you thinking?”

“That you’re right. He didn’t love me.”

I sigh. “I never said that. I don’t even know the guy. I was talking about guys in general. Not him.”

“Which makes what you said even more true. If you’re right, and a guy who really loves a girl keeps doing romantic things for her, then that just proves that Liam didn’t love me. Or he stopped loving me at some point in our relationship.”

“Not all guys are romantic. My dad, for instance. He loves my stepmom, but he gave her a set of wrenches for Christmas last year.”

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