Page 48 of Resisting my Roommate

Once I started working here, she only had to come in to cover a handful of shifts, giving her some much needed time to herself. Lately, however, more and more people have been calling out. Probably because they don’t want to deal with our moody boss.

“But that’s not the only reason I want you to stay.”

“It’s not?”

“You’re my friend.” She shrugs. “And I’d rather not lose my friend because of my idiot brother.”

Her words tug at something inside me. Maybe I don’t have a family, but in some weird way, I’ve started to build one here without even realizing.

“You won’t lose me,” I assure her. “No matter what, we’ll remain friends. Idiot brother or not.”

“Good.”

“On that note…” I place the beers I just poured onto a tray. “I should drop these off before they complain to the boss about slow service. He’s been impossible lately.”

“You’re telling me,” Dylan retorts.

Carefully balancing my tray, I head toward the patio and drop off the beers. After taking an order from a group of tourists who just sat down, I make my way back inside, purposefully looking anywhere other than the brewhouse.

Which is when someone stands from a nearby table, stepping in front of me.

“Excuse me.” I attempt to sidestep him.

But he wraps his hand around my arm, preventing me from doing so.

“What are?—”

The question on my tongue disappears as I peer into a pair of familiar blue eyes, sending my heart plummeting to the pit of my stomach.

And I thought today couldn’t get any worse.

I was wrong.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

JUDE

The low hum of the fermentation tanks fills the brewhouse, creating a comforting background noise as I make meticulous notes on my clipboard. The taproom is starting to get busy now that it’s almost five on a Friday afternoon. But in here, no one bothers me. Instead, I can lose myself in my work.

But no matter how much I’ve tried to distract myself with work, thoughts of Abbey creep back in.

Things between us have definitely been strained lately. To avoid running into her, I’ve locked myself away in the brewhouse whenever she’s working.

Like right now.

Although that hasn’t stopped me from checking on her every so often. And every time I look her way, I see the uncertainty in her expression and feel like an asshole all over again.

But it’s not enough to make me apologize.

Or explain what she saw.

The sound of the door creaking open pulls me from my thoughts. I glance up to see Finn standing in the doorway, his hands nonchalantly tucked into his pockets, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Whatcha doing?” he asks, his voice casual.

“What does it look like? I’m working.” I turn back to the papers in front of me, trying to make it clear I’m not in the mood for a conversation.

Finn doesn’t take the hint. He never does. Instead, he continues farther into the brewhouse, hoisting himself onto the stainless steel table I’m currently sitting at.

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