Page 19 of Inevitable

A small part of me had a nagging worry in the back of my skull that our relationship wouldn't necessarily grow for the better now that we were within spitting distance of the other. For years, we had commiserated over how much we missed each other and wished we lived in the same city, and we had always assumed that it would actually strengthen our bond and be an amazing experience. What if we were wrong? What if we had only stayed as close as we did after high school because of the distance between us?

I knew that it was worlds easier for me to love Bash from afar because I didn't have daily reminders of how platonic he viewed our relationship, nor did I have to watch him living his best single life at UT. Of course, that was before I knew about Bash's super secret girlfriend,and I could now say with certainty that it was an experience that I wouldn't have enjoyed living with for the last two years. I guess now I would have to learn, wouldn't I?

I reached my apartment around noon and let myself in the front door. A noise from the kitchen startled me, and my overactive imagination had me convinced that I was about to be murdered and end up a face on60 Minutes. They'd say things like “his smile lit up every room” and “he was loved by everyone”, and all the other shit that they were required to say of anyone who met a tragic end.

I took a deep breath, figuring I had lived a good enough life, and took my chances. “Hello? Who's there?”

Come out, come out, mister vicious killer man…

“Umm, hello? Who's that?” the disembodied voice called out.

Ugh, good grief, this was going nowhere…

“Look, if you're trying to rob me or have plans to kidnap me, can we possibly reschedule because I've had a real long drive and I'm exhausted, so I'm not going to be the best victim today…” I called out, concluding that it was most likelynota cold blooded killer in my apartment, but still not sure who the hell it could be.

A boy about my age, slightly taller, came around the corner into the foyer and blinked his wide eyes at me. “Oh! Umm, can I help you? Are you the new tenant?” he asked in an almost melodic voice for a young man.

“Oh…yeah! I'm Micah! Sorry, I didn't realize you'd be here today,” I said sheepishly, feeling like a complete idiot that I had forgotten I actually had a roommate.Let's not judge, shall we? It's been a long two months…

My nameless roommate broke into a huge grin and walked closer, allowing me to get a better look at him in the foyer light.

He was a cute guy with a slightly nerdy look to him that I could appreciate, seeing as how I was the same way. He had a plush head of walnut colored hair and thin, but full eyebrows to match. His lips weren't very full, but they created dimples on either side of his face that made him look even cuter. His smile was bright white with small teeth that slightly curved up toward the back of his mouth, but it actually suited him. Upon closer inspection, I could actually make out the color of his eyes, which were a deep, vibrant violet.Well damn…I've got myself a pretty twink for a roommate.

The guy stuck out his hand to me, and I grasped it in a firm shake.

“I'm Rhys Evans! It's so nice to meet you! Sorry if I scared you, I was just unpacking stuff in the kitchen. I only got in a few days ago, and I've been Master Procrastinator about going through my boxes. Ihope that's okay,” he said, his tone friendly but a little shy.

“Oh hell yeah, no worries!” I assured him, “I barely unpacked all my crap before I headed out for the summer, so no judgment here.”

Rhys gave me another warm, friendly smile and motioned towards the kitchen and living area. “I gotchu. So where did you go for the summer? I hope somewhere tropical and fabulous because mine was borderline depressing and I need some vicarious thrills,” he chuckled.

I think I'm gonna like this dude. He seems pretty chill.

“Psh, I wish. I headed back home to Dallas to see my folks and enjoy a low-key couple of months before classes start. Why was yours depressing? If you don't mind me asking!”

“Ugh, I spent it back in Oklahoma with my Gran. She's the only family I have, and I try to see her as much as I can. She's awesome and pretty spry for her age, so I don't mind hanging with her, but my hometown doesn't hold the greatest memories, you know?” Rhys said, a mixture of adoration and discomfort in his tone. My guess was that he most likely had a rough time growing up, but I wasn't about to press him for more details when I'd only known him five minutes. That would make one hell of an awkward chat with the new roomie, to say the least.

“Ahh, gotcha. I'm sorry about that, but your Gran seems pretty cool,” I said, unknowing how to respond appropriately. “Do you guys get a lot of tornadoes where you're from? Are they really that big a deal up there or is that all Hollywood crap?” I asked, unable to let the question out because I was morbidly curious, and I also wanted to lighten the mood a bit.

Rhys let out a laugh, smiling and shaking his head. “Nope, it's not just Hollywood. I'm from Nichols Hills, Oklahoma. It's a tiny city in the Oklahoma City area, and we get our fair share of tornadoes up there. You remember that massive tornado a few years back in Moore?”

“Uh yeah, I think. Didn't it do a shit ton of damage and like basically wipe out the town?”Wow, I sure know how to strike up a cheery conversation. Way to make an impression, Russo.

“Yep, that's the one. It was an EF5 and it essentially erased parts of Moore. Nichols Hills is about twenty minutes north of there. We got hit in that same outbreak of twisters, but the biggest we had was like an EF3. It sucked, but we didn't have to go through all the rebuilding and stuff that other parts of the area did,” Rhys recalled in a tumble of words as he rummaged through moving boxes and started putting things away in the cupboards. “Oh shoot, you probably didn't want a whole history lesson…I'm sorry! I tend to word vomit and ramble when I'm nervous and not paying attention. Feel free to tell me to shut up if I annoy you!”

Aww…this poor, sweet guy. I think we'll get along just fine.

“Hey, no worries at all! You aren't annoying me! I tend to be a bit…melodramatic at times, and Bash has to constantly remind me to tone it down, so I get it,” I replied, smiling at him so he knew I wasn't annoyed in the slightest.

Rhys gave me a confused, but interested look. “Who's Bash? Is he your boyfriend or brother?”

Ignoring the little thrill I got from hearing the words “Bash” and “boyfriend” in the same sentence together, I blushed and looked down. “Uh, no, neither of those. Bash is my best friend. We're pretty close. You'll actually meet him later today. He's swinging by to come see me since we haven't hung out since I left for Dallas.”

Rhys must've taken my blush as embarrassment or unease because his eyes widened and he hastened to tell me, “Oh gosh, I'm so sorry for assuming he was your boyfriend or something! I shouldn't have assumed you were gay, or implied it or anything!” His face turned a bright pink, his own embarrassment shining through.

I started laughing because dang, he was adorable, but also the sentiment was ironic to me because wouldn't I just fucking love for it to be true? “My boyfriend Bash”…file that under shit that ain't never gonna happen.

“Oh no, I swear it's okay! You didn't offend me at all! I am actually gay, but Bash isn't. I mean, he's not my boyfriend. Or gay! But it's okay that you thought that, it's not a big deal! We're just best friends, that's it!” I rushed out. Okay, I'm pretty sure I sounded like a mental patient just now, and Rhys' eyes narrowed at me, a smile creeping up on his lips.

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