Page 85 of Accidental Roommates

“Kenzie, we’ve already talked about this.” He puts the ice cream in the freezer.

“Not really.”

“Okay, maybe we didn’t talk about it, but I think we agree it’s a bad idea.”

“Which is why I’m surprised you brought it up. I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

“Have you?” he asks going past me to the living room.

I turn and see him picking up the ice cream spoons from the table. Why is he cleaning right now? I’m trying to have a serious discussion, and he’s suddenly interested in picking up the house?

“Stop answering my question with another question,” I tell him as he goes past me again. “Did you change your mind or not?”

He drops the spoons in the sink and turns to me. He’s about to say something, but then looks down and lets out a sigh.

I don’t know what that means. I wish he’d stop stalling and just give me an answer. I know he likes me as more than his roommate. So why doesn’t he tell me that? He just needs to say the words.

He looks up at me. “No.”

“No?” I say, my shoulders slumping.

“I haven’t changed my mind.” He walks out of the kitchen and goes down the hall to his room.

I follow him, catching him before he closes his door. “That’s it? We’re done talking?”

“Kenzie, I’m really tired. It’s been a long day and I really need to sleep. I have an early morning class.”

So I was wrong. He doesn’t want a relationship with me. He wants us to stay friends and not be anything more. But then why was he asking me all those questions? Why did he get my hopes up, only to let me down? He could at least explain himself, but he didn’t, which makes me angry.

I turn and head to my room.

“Kenzie,” I hear him say.

I go in my room and shut the door—hard—letting him know I’m upset and not caring if he’s wondering why. If he can’t figure it out, then let him be confused like I was just now when he made me think he wanted us to be more than friends.

That night, I have more dreams of Jace and me, hotter than any of the ones I had before. It’s really frustrating, and when I wake up, I’m tempted to go in his room and yell at him for making me dream about something I could never have. But he’s already left for class and tonight he has to work. I doubt I’ll even see him today.

I go in the bathroom to take a shower. As I’m getting undressed, I think about what to wear on my date with Neal. Jeans and a sweater? A dress? It’s just coffee and it’s on campus so maybe jeans.

I reach into the shower to get the water going and hear the door open. The door on the other side of the bathroom. The one that goes to Jace’s room. I turn and see him standing there, wearing just his boxer briefs and nothing else.

We stare at each other, not saying anything. Jace’s eyes drop down to my body and I realize I’m naked. Completely naked!

I race to the towel rack, my entire backside exposed to him.

“What are you doing here?” I yell as I fumble to get the towel off the rack.

“I, um…” He doesn’t finish his thought, but I don’t need him to. I need him to leave!

Now covered in a towel, I turn back to Jace. “Why are you still standing there? Can’t you see I’m naked? Why aren’t you at class?”

“It was cancelled.” He rubs his face, then his eyes. He looks like he just woke up, his hair a mess. My eyes drop down and I notice his erection pushing against his boxers. Did he wake up that way, or did seeing me naked do that to him?

“Are you just going to stand there or what?”

“Oh, um, no.” He shakes his head, like he’s trying to shake away his grogginess. “Sorry.” He backs up, then points to the door. “You didn’t follow the rule. Always lock the door.”

“Yeah, great. Wouldn’t want to break the rules.” I roll my eyes, my comment referring to his rule about us not dating, but I doubt that he got it.

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