Page 5 of The Consequence of Loving Me

Yup. Very different.

Deciding what the hell, I stretch my arm out in Aspen’s direction. “Veronica Cunningham. Can’t say it’s too nice to meet you.”

His eyes light up like those of a dog that’s just had a bone placed in front of him. He takes my hand in his and shakes it. “Aspen Bellevue. And I can say it’s nice to meet you.”

His fingers latch around my hand. I decide I’ve been nice enough for one day and pull my hand back, setting it in my lap.

“Veronica here is going to be our new roommate,” Maverick chimes in.

He’s been so quiet during this encounter I almost forgot he was there.

Aspen’s eyes shoot to me as he ponders over his friend’s words. “I think my year was just made.”

Maverick shakes his head as he takes a casual sip of his coffee. His phone vibrates on the table and he quickly reads over the words.

“This will be interesting,” I exhale, not quite sure what I’m about to get myself into.

I expect Maverick to comment on the fact I had just pretty much agreed to move in with them, but he stays fixated on the iPhone he holds.

“Everything okay with Selm?” Aspen asks, a serious tone taking over his just-playful voice.

One of the girls who’d previously occupied his lap starts to walk our way across the shop, but after one serious look from Aspen, she turns around and sits back down with her group of friends.

Maverick’s eyes catch mine for a brief second before he pushes his phone into the pocket of his joggers. “I gotta run. Aspen, will you get Veronica’s number so we can set up a day for her to move in?”

Aspen nods, a concerned look written all over his face.

My jaw hangs open as I wonder what the hell is going on.

And who is Selm?

Maverick reaches across the table, laying his cold fingers across my hand that’s sitting on the table. “It was nice to meet you, Veronica. Looking forward to having you in our place.”

And with that, his tall body gets up from the small chair and walks out of the coffee shop, while I’m left staring at his retreating form. My thoughts are all over the place, and I’m unsure which exact part of the last hour to process first.

Why does Aspen look so concerned?

Am I really about to move in with complete strangers?

All these thoughts cross my mind as I type my number into Aspen’s phone. He’s saying words to me, but they aren’t registering.

Finally, I catch a mumbled goodbye from Aspen before he gets up and heads in the direction Maverick just went.

Well, this just got even more interesting.

3

Maverick

“I’ll be there in five minutes,” I tell Selma, hanging up the phone and quickly dodging a person on a bike who almost just trampled me. My tennis shoes scratch against the pavement as I rush toward the fine arts building all the way across campus.

I pass by the message board where, just over an hour ago, I first met our new roommate—Veronica.

It’s odd to think I was mere seconds away from missing her when I left my last class for the day. She was standing there, staring at the board, and for some reason, that—in combination with her pink floral combat boots—got my attention.

The slightly tense introduction led us to where we are now—me, possibly having a psychopath as a roommate. Judging by her long blonde hair, know-it-all attitude, and sarcastic quips, something tells me this may have been a mistake. But, we need a roommate.

At least she doesn’t smell.

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