Page 40 of The Temporary Roomie: Extended Edition

He’s adorable, and I have to admit it to myself, or I’ll burst.

“Is a killer chasing you or something?” he asks, wide eyes looking to where I flung the door open.

Oh, right.He can’t know I rushed in here like a maniac so I could see him. I look over my shoulder. “Yeah. Gosh, you shouldhave seen him. Big. Burly. Scary knife.” I shiver and shut the door, smiling when my back is to him.

“In that case, lock it.” He grins, and my heart flutters.

My legs are crying out for me to go to the couch and sit down beside Drew, but I’m still not sure if I’d be welcome there or not, if Ishouldgo there or not. I think it would be a bad idea.

There, woman, you’ve seen him like you wanted, now go to your room and behave.

Drew leans forward and rests his elbow on his knees, bowl of ice cream in hand, and takes a casual, unhurried bite, staring at me the whole time. “Are you going to stay over there all night?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay.” He takes another bite with the spoon upside down in his mouth and slowly pulls it back out. So yeah, I can’t stand here watching him eat ice cream all night like a freak.I can’t, right?No. I can’t.

He licks his lips and sets the bowl down, stands, and then nods toward the couch. “Sit.”

Drew disappears into the kitchen, and I shuffle over with weak legs. I sit down. Cross my legs. That feels weird, so I uncross them. I lean back and then feel like Santa with my jolly round belly, so I sit back up. How did I sit before Drew came along?!

“Here.” He’s in front of me now, holding out a bowl of ice cream.Cookies n’ cream, mmm.I laugh, though, when I see a single floret of broccoli perched on the side of a scoop. His grin is tilted and making my world spin. “Balance, you know?”

“Balance,” I say with a solemn expression.

And that’s that. He sits beside me on the couch, and we eat our ice cream while watching the most boring documentary in the world.It’s so good.

CHAPTER 20

Jessie

WEDNESDAY

Drew doesn’t come home after work, so I can only assume he’s at the hospital for a delivery. Or he’s on a date. I don’t know, and it kills me all night. I try to watch a romance movie, but I can’t focus. In my head, every scene is Drew with another woman, Drew kissing a different woman. It’s absolute torture. I could have just texted him and asked what he’s up to, but . . . that feels like too much. Too close. Too friend-like, or worse, relationship-like.

So instead I wait up—I mean watch TV!—on the couch for no reason other than I have insomnia like always. I don’t know at what time I fall asleep, but somewhere in the middle of the night I wake up when I feel something warm drape over me.

I squint my eyes open and see Drew standing beside the couch, turning off the TV with the remote. The room goes black and I can’t see him anymore, but I can still feel and smell him near me. In my sleepy state, I nearly ask him to lie down with me.

“Were you on a date?” I don’t mean to ask this, but it’s better than throwing a snuggle invitation at him.

He leans closer. “You should go get in bed. You look cold.”

“I’m okay right here.”

He grunts, and then I feel a second blanket wrapping around me. He tucks me in like a burrito and quietly says, “I was at the hospital. Get some sleep.”

I do, and I dream of Drew the whole night.

CHAPTER 21

Jessie

THURSDAY

DREW:Was this really necessary?

DREW:*large framed photo of cat wearing an adorable beanie mounted on the wall*

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