Page 58 of The Temporary Roomie: Extended Edition

“For something dirty?”

I’m too short on time to listen to their back-and-forth banter. “GO AWAY, COOPER! I’M HAVING A MELTDOWN AND I NEED TO TELL LUCY I THINK I LO—” I get interrupted when the bathroom door opens. I gasp and gape as Drew just lets himself right into the bathroom. “What are you doing in here? Get out! I could have been in here pooping!”Shoot.Why did I say that? I could have just left it atgoing to the bathroom!

Drew shrugs and stares at me with those blue eyes like I’m the one who’s acting silly even though he’s the person who barged in on a woman in the bathroom. “But you’re not. You’re on the phone.”

“Doesn’t matter. I could have been poopingwhiletalking on the phone.”

Lucy whispers in my ear. “You’re saying the wordpoopa lot. Just thought you’d like to know. Also, do you need me here for this?”

I turn my attention to Lucy. “Yes! You stay.” I point to Drew. “You leave!”

“No, I need to talk to you.” I hate the way his eyes are sparkling. Like bubbling champagne, they glimmer and promise nothing but fun, good times.

“Tough. Because I need to talk to Lucy.”

Cooper’s voice comes back on the line. “Is that Drew? Can I talk to him real quick?”

Drew hears Cooper’s voice, so he steps forward and pulls the phone out of my hand. I roll my eyes and sigh as he grins down at me. “Hey, man, what’s up?” Cool, cool, cool. We’re all just one happy friend group chatting it up in the bathroom.

I lean closer to hear,notto smell Drew. Getting a good whiff of him is purely coincidental.

“Did you get invited to the bachelor party camping weekend for Tod next month? I’m not going if you’re not. Man, I hate camping. Please tell me you’re not going so I don’t have to go either.”

“Yep. I’m going because he asked me to be in the wedding, so I’m definitely dragging you with me.”

Okay, now this is too much. Can they seriously not chat about their social calendar on their own time? I poke Drew in the stomach. Unsurprisingly, it’s rock hard. “Talk to your boyfriend later. Give me my phone back,please.” I say the word with crazy googly eyes.

Drew’s deep chuckle tickles me right in the heart, and he looks down at me like I’m the most adorable creature in the world as he addresses Cooper. “Sorry, I’ve gotta run. I’ll text you about it later.”

And then hehangs upand pocketsmycellphone in his jeans. What kind of weird hostage lake house weekend is this?!

Drew smiles at me in this tiny bathroom, and I feel stripped naked. Not only has he stolen my sanity, he stole my freak-out zone,andmy freak-out friend. This is like a complete Drewimmersion where I’m not allowed to do anything but confront all my feelings for him. It’s not good.

I glance at the door, and I think he can tell I’m going to try to make a run for it because his eyes cut to the door handle and then he shifts his body in front of it.

“Oh, real nice. Are you going to hold me hostage in here?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, are you at least going to give me my phone back?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I want to know if you’re mad at me.”

I shift on my feet, wondering if I’ll feel safer if I wrap a towel around myself. “Why does it matter if I am or not?”

His long lashes blink a few times. He’s debating his answer. “Because . . . it does. I . . .” He swallows. “I bought you the steak to be nice, and I thought you’d think us tricking you about the lobster was funny. I’m sorry if I missed the mark . . . I never would have done it if I thought you were going to be upset.”

You didn’t miss the mark. It was a perfect bull’s eye.

I fold my arms tightly in front of me. “Only a week ago you did things to make me upset on purpose.”

“Yeah . . . but not anymore. I just want to make sure you know that.” He pauses, and his smile turns almost tortured . . . sad. Some of his bad boy arrogance from earlier is wearing thin, and now he just looks vulnerable. Not a side Drew shows often—if ever. He shakes his head with an embarrassed chuckle like he can’t stand the way he feels right now, and I can perfectly relate. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come in here.”

He takes my phone out of his pocket and hands it back.

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