Page 41 of The Roommate Experiment

Rowena walks us out onto the landing, closing the door behind her. Tension coils in her gaze as if she’s bracing for something. She glances back at the door before leaning in slightly, her voice dropping presumably so it won’t carry to Adrian.

“What do you think?” Her tone is tentative but eager.

A brief silence follows as we all exchange glances, and then a general murmur of praise for Adrian makes the rounds.

Rowena beams, reassured by our reaction, at least until my sister gives her a quick hug, whispering something in her ear the rest of us can’t hear.

Rowena nods, the smile on her face losing some of its brightness as she hugs Nina back. “Promise?”

With that, Rowena walks us to the elevator.

No one speaks until the doors slide shut and we begin our descent. Tristan is the first to break the silence. “Well, that was… not what I expected.”

Nina nods, her brow furrowed. “Yeah, same here. Adrian seems like a genuinely nice guy. It’s just…”

“Strange,” Hunter finishes for her, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. “Seeing them together like that. It’s almost too natural, you know? Like they’ve been doing this for years.”

I glance at her pensive face. “I felt that too,” I admit. “But Rowena seems okay. Better than okay. Whatever this is, it’s working for her.”

Tristan leans back against the elevator wall, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah, and Adrian didn’t strike me as the shark everyone describes him to be.”

“He was more of a teddy bear,” Hunter jokes, “ready for some cuddles.”

Tristan smirks. “The way he was looking at her, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind gettingcuddles.”

The elevator falls into a contemplative quiet as we each mull over the implications. I think back to the way Adrian watched Rowena throughout the night, the small, almost imperceptible gestures that spoke volumes.

“Guys, for all we know, it’s still fake. I hope she doesn’t catch one-sided feelings,” Nina brings us back to earth. “But we’ll be here for her, no matter what. If things get complicated, she has us.”

“Absolutely,” I agree, glancing around at my friends. “We’ll stand by her.”

The elevator chimes as the doors glide open, revealing the lobby. We step out into the warmth, the city lights twinkling above us. Despite the cautious optimism, I can tell we’re all relieved after meeting Adrian.

The night seems less heavy now, more hopeful. We say goodbye and Nina and Tristan hop into a passing cab, while Hunter and I wait for the car I ordered on my app.

We stand on the curb in comfortable silence. Hunter is looking up at the sky, her expression thoughtful.

“What are you thinking about?”

She turns to me, a small, mysterious smile on her lips. “Just… life.”

It’s a vague answer, but I don’t push.

The cab arrives, and we settle into the tight back seat. It’s not as confining as earlier, but there’s still an awareness of her being beside me, her presence a steady whizz in the background of my thoughts.

“Tonight was good.” She breaks the silence. “I’m glad Winnie is doing okay. That he is a decent guy. She deserves that after Liam.”

I nod, turning to look at her. “Yeah, she does.”

Her eyes meet mine, dark and unfathomable, and everything else fades. Her gaze is guarded, almost as if she were keeping a secret. And before I can grasp it, she looks away, her attention returning to the window.

We say little after that, the silence between us stretching but not uncomfortable. As the cab nears our apartment, a strange reluctance settles over me. I don’t want the closeness to end.

But the car pulls to a stop, and we get out. As we reach our floor, I catch Hunter’s eye again, and there’s that pull, that tug, subtle but persistent.

At our door, we fumble for who should unlock it. I have my keys in my pocket and I’m faster fishing them out than Hunter, who has to search into a giant handbag that must contain all the objects in the world. It’s weird, the familiarity of getting into the same apartment, removing our shoes in the entryway, and then going down the hall to two separate bedrooms.

“Goodnight.” Her voice is almost shy, and it makes something tighten in my chest.

---