Page 84 of Accidental Roommates

“What rule?”

“The rule about no relationships. If you go out with someone three or four times, you’re getting into relationship territory.”

“Not really. It depends on what happens on the date.”

His brows draw together. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning if you spend a whole day together and really hit it off, then go on more long dates that also go well, you might be heading into a relationship. But if you just go for coffee, or maybe dinner, it’s just casual dating. Nothing serious.”

He nods a few times, then his eyes go to mine. “So if you and I had been dating all this time, would we be in a relationship?”

I’m surprised by the question and take a moment to figure out how to answer. I’m confused why he said it, since we know dating each other is a bad idea. But maybe I’m overthinking it.

“Yes,” I say. “Given all the time we’ve spent together, the dinners, the late night talks, I’d say we’d definitely be in a relationship.”

“Except we haven’t done the one thing people do in relationships. The thing that differentiates friends from couples.”

His eyes are still on mine and I feel the tension between us. The kind of tension that makes me have inappropriate dreams about Jace, then wakes me up with an intense desire to sneak in his room and live out those dreams.

“You mean sex,” I blurt out. I’m feeling breathless, either from nerves or arousal or both. We shouldn’t be talking about this. “Sex doesn’t mean you’re in a relationship.”

“True, but if you combine friendship and sex, you have a relationship.”

“Not necessarily. You could be friends who have sex. Friends with benefits.”

“Would you ever do that?”

Why is he asking? Is he suggesting we have sex? Just to see what it’d be like? I’ve actually considered that but then realized it’s a horrible idea.

“No,” I say. “It would ruin the friendship.”

Silence fills the room. We both look away.

Why did he have to ask that? Everything was fine, and now there’s awkward tension in the air like we have no idea where to go from here.

We were supposed to be talking about other people—people we can actually date—not each other.

Unless he’s changed his mind about us. What if he has? What if he wants us to date and see where it goes? My heart jumps at the thought. Being with Jace? Like a real couple? I want that more than anything, but I didn’t think he did.

“Jace, why are you asking me this?”

“Asking you what?” His eyes go to mine.

“Why are you asking hypothetical questions about us dating?” I pause. “Is it because they’re not hypothetical?”

He swallows and looks down at the floor. “I just wondered where we’d be right now if we’d… you know, taken this beyond a friendship.”

“Do you wish we had?”

His head lifts and he looks back at me. “Do you?”

“I asked you first. Just answer the question.”

My heart’s pounding, waiting for him to tell me he wants us to be a couple. No more pretending we just want to be friends. No more talk about finding someone else. I want him to say that he wants this so we can finally be together.

He gets up, taking the ice cream with him. “This is melting. I need to put it away.”

“Wait.” I follow him to the kitchen. “You didn’t answer my question.”

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