Page 19 of Resisting my Roommate

“Thanks,” I murmur, but he doesn’t look back or acknowledge me. He simply acts as if I’m not even here.

It shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. I thought I cracked his tough exterior, especially last night. He was warmer. Softer. Kinder. And the tension that crackled between us as he unbuttoned my dress? I’ve never felt anything like that, the way my body buzzed to life from the simple swipe of his fingers against my skin.

Or maybe I was so desperate to feel something good after yesterday that I imagined something that’s just not there.

Pushing down my confusion, I head into the kitchen, my eyes immediately zeroing in on the one-cup brewer.

Caffeine is definitely needed right now.

With a fresh cup of coffee in my hands, I browse through his well-stocked refrigerator, finding eggs, bacon, as well as some peppers and potatoes I can use to make breakfast potatoes. Then I rummage through his cabinets for a frying pan, surprised at how organized they are, everything exactly where I’d put it if this were my kitchen.

As I chop and dice, I make a list of what I need to do today. My first priority is finding a charger for my phone. Once that’s taken care of, I’ll call my dad and hope he’s willing to pull thestick out of his ass and help me out. I could probably reach out to some of my friends from the Peace Corps, but none of them live nearby. My dad’s just outside of San Francisco. And he’s family. He has to help. Right?

“Smells good.”

I startle at the voice, turning to see Jude standing near the island. His hair is damp and slightly disheveled, his body clad in dark jeans and a charcoal gray t-shirt with the logo of the Wicked Hop.

“Want some?” I add the diced potatoes to a pot of boiling water. “It should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

“I have to get to the taproom. We open soon.”

“Right. Of course,” I laugh nervously, a bit flustered by his presence.

“I picked up a few things for you earlier.” He places a shopping bag on the kitchen island. “I wasn’t sure what you might need, but I grabbed some clothes, a pair of sneakers, and a charger.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“What were you going to wear? Your wedding dress again?”

I shrug. The truth is, I hadn’t thought about that, apart from finding a thrift store and selling it.

“I could’ve just worn this.” I gesture to his enormous t-shirt covering my body.

He arches a brow, his gaze briefly dropping to my bare legs. “Most places require pants.”

He’d given me shorts, but they were more hassle than they were worth since they kept falling off.

“Well, thanks for all that. I’ll be out of your hair soon. Now that I have a charger, I can call my dad and get him to send me some money so I can pay you back.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He waves me off, then grabs a small pad from the counter. “Here’s the wi-fi password in case youneed it.” He hands me the paper containing the network name and password. “You’ll be okay?”

I force a smile. “Of course.”

Our eyes meet briefly and I can sense there’s something more he wants to say. Something meaningful. But he doesn’t. Instead, he simply says, “Good luck.”

“See ya,” I reply softly as I watch him disappear out of the house with a wave goodbye.

CHAPTER NINE

ABBEY

I nervously tap my nails against the cool surface of the kitchen island and stare at the screen of my phone, anxiety filling me. Not because of all the missed calls and texts I received yesterday from Carson, each one becoming more irate.

But because of what I need to do now.

I’ve put it off as long as I could. I took my time eating breakfast. Then enjoyed a relaxing bath, not getting out until my skin had pruned and the water had become tepid. After that, I got dressed in the clothes Jude bought me, surprised he was able to determine my size with such accuracy, including my bra size.

As much as I don’t want to do this, I need money. And a place to live.

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