Page 63 of The Roommate Experiment

As our laughter fades, a contemplative silence settles between us. I glance over, catching the way Hunter’s gaze lingers on the passing scenery, her thoughts still tangled in something deeper.

She sighs, the sound barely audible over the honking of a nearby car whose driver must’ve had enough of the weekend jam. “Maybe relationships are like Cheetos. Messy, addictive, and they stain everything.”

A quiet heaviness weaves into her words, a thread of something real and raw. It catches me off guard. A strange, tight pressure builds in my chest, and my ribs are suddenly too small for my lungs.

I want to tell her, to beg her to please stain everything I own with her light. But the words stick in my throat, trapped by the unfinished situation with Olivia.

I keep quiet, gaze ahead, and promise myself that I’ll sort things out today. Because Hunter deserves more than my silence. And so do I.

* * *

The resort comes into view, a sprawling cluster of white buildings nestled against a backdrop of lush green and sand dunes. I pull up to the drop-off area, and the crunch of gravel beneath the tires echoes the sudden tightness in my chest.

Hunter gathers her things, shooting me a smile that’s equal parts soft and uncertain as she opens the passenger door. “Thanks for the ride, Dylan. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, definitely.” I nod, attempting a reassuring grin even as my stomach turns hot and uneasy.

She steps out, the late-afternoon sun framing her figure, the breeze teasing strands of her dark hair across her face. She tucks them behind her ear and gives me a small, almost shy wave before heading inside.

I watch her go, the ache in my chest swelling, something painfully close to homesickness. This is it. No more excuses, no more delays. It’s time to end things with Olivia, cleanly and honestly.

Resolved, I slide back into the driver’s seat, ready to make a U-turn. But before I put the car into gear, my phone rings, Olivia’s name flashing across the screen.

I frown, a sense of unease prickling along my spine as I accept the call through the car’s Bluetooth. “Hey, Olivia. I was about to call you?—”

“Where are you?”

“In Southampton. I was just dropping off my roommate at the resort and I’m driving to you next?—”

“No, don’t come back here,” she cuts me off breezily. “The girls are giving me a lift. I’ll be there in ten minutes tops.”

“You’re… on your way?” I try to keep the rising panic out of my voice.

“Yep. You can wait for me at the hotel.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to pick you up.”

“No, I’m on the road already. See you soon.”

The line goes dead, the echo of her abrupt goodbye ringing in my ears. I stare at the dashboard, my plans crumbling around me again like a sandcastle against the tide.

With a sigh of resignation, I pull into a parking spot, killing the engine as I glance at the clock. If I move fast, I can still solve things. Break up with Olivia before the party starts, drop her back at her friends’ place, and return before anyone notices I’m gone.

I’ll be cutting it close, but it could work. And even if I’m a few minutes late, no one will care.

I climb out of the car, leaning against the sun-warmed metal as I wait. I’ve never smoked in my life, not even pot—bad for athletics. But if I ever saw myself lighting up a cigarette, this would be the time.

The rumble of an approaching engine pulls me from my thoughts as an open-top Jeep filled with chattering women swerves into the lot. Olivia and her friends.

My stomach sinks as they pull over, their laughter and excited chatter filling the air. This is it. The moment of truth.

I square my shoulders as Olivia spills out of the Jeep in a pastel sky-blue silk dress that floats around her legs. Her hair, sleek and glossy, catches the warm glow of the afternoon sun. She’s a vision, her skin luminous under a shimmer of makeup, every inch the perfect, polished girlfriend.

She’s objectively stunning. Dressed to impress. Any guy would be lucky to have her. Yet my heart doesn’t so much as thump. Instead, a hollow disconnect settles inside me, an emptiness where excitement should be. It’s a stark contrast to the way thinking about Hunter in her simple jeans and white tee sets a jackhammer loose in my chest.

Olivia waves to her friends, a bright smile lighting up her face as she hurries toward me. She leans in for a kiss, her lips landing against my cheek as I turn at the last second.

If she’s offput by the gesture, she doesn’t show it. She smiles brightly instead.

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