Page 77 of Resisting my Roommate

The sun dips lower in the sky, casting a warm, golden light over everything as Jude navigates his truck up a winding road. I have no idea where he’s taking me, but I don’t care. All I do care about is spending time with him.

Today’s been perfect, almost like a real date — ice cream from the little shop on Main Street, a trip to the farmer’s market, and even a brief stop at the bowling alley, where I finally beat Jude, even if I get the feeling he let me win.

I told him he didn’t need to take the day off, that I’d be fine packing or finishing up my goodbyes, but he insisted. While I’m glad to have this time together, each second that passes feels like a countdown to the inevitable.

After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Jude turns off onto a narrow dirt path and carefully backs his truck into a secluded spot.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“You’ll see.” He jumps out of the truck and rushes to open my door.

I take his hand and let him guide me toward an overlook. The view leaves me speechless.

The town of Sycamore Falls spreads out below us, bathed in the glow from the setting sun. The shimmering lake mirrors the colorful sky, while the majestic mountains stand tall in the distance.

“This is incredible…,” I exhale.

“Just wait until the sun goes down,” Jude whispers, sending shivers down my spine. “It’s even more beautiful.”

“Looking forward to it,” I say with a mixture of excitement and sadness. He leans in to kiss me, and emotion bubbles in my throat at the reminder that this will be my last sunset in Sycamore Falls.

“Come on.” He leads me back to the truck, pulling several blankets and pillows from the back. After carefully arranging them in the bed, he helps me climb up.

“What’s all of this?”

“I thought we could dinealfrescotonight. And there’s no better view than this.”

He pulls a bottle of wine from a basket and uncorks it, pouring some Pinot Noir into a stemless glass before handing it to me.

“A picnic? Wine? This incredible view? Watch out, Jude. I might start thinking there’s a romantic hiding under all that cynicism,” I tease him, trying to lighten the mood.

To my surprise, he meets my gaze with a serious expression. “Maybe there is,” he admits softly, and it takes everything I have not to break into tears. “Maybe…”

He looks at me for a long moment, like he’s trying to figure something out, but then he shakes his head.

“It doesn’t matter.”

I push down the deflated feeling in my heart, and we indulge in fruit, cheese, as well as a few mini sandwiches.

I want to say something — tell him how much this means to me, how muchhemeans to me — but I don’t. I don’t want toruin what little time we have left. Not when he already made it perfectly clear he can’t give me the answer I want.

Or maybe hewon’tgive me the answer I want.

Instead, I admire our surroundings as the sun sinks lower and the sky turns into a canvas of pink and orange, pretending this isn’t our last night together. Like tomorrow isn’t going to come too soon, and with it, my flight to New York and the new life I’m supposed to start.

But no matter how much I act as if this is like every other night we spent together, I know it’s not. The unbearable ache in my chest is a constant reminder of that.

“Hey…” Jude cups my cheek, brushing away a stray tear, despite my best efforts not to cry.

I’ve been keeping them at bay all day, but now that the sun has set on my last full day, it’s becoming harder and harder.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whisper, my voice cracking.

“It’ll be okay,” Jude replies softly, resting his forehead against mine. “You’re one of the toughest people I know. If you can bounce back after all that shit with Carson, you can survive New York City.”

I want to tell him I wasn’t talking about New York. That I was referring to leaving Sycamore Falls. Leavinghim.

But before I can, his lips are on mine, his mouth moving against mine in a kiss so tender I can’t help but sigh. For a guy who thinks love is bullshit, he has a funny way of showing it.

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