Page 83 of Roommating

Marcia shakes her head. “What was the competition anyway?”

Adam sighs. “We’ve both been trying to prove we’re the better roommate.”

Marcia slides into a chair and drops the ads onto the table. “Sothat’swhat this has been about? Cleaning the bathroom with a toothbrush? Making homemade treats for Rocket? The elaborate dinner? All the tension between you two?”

I gulp on that last one. Much of that issexualtension.

“Your intentions are all well and good, but you could have saved yourselves a lot of time and effort if you’d just asked me. The only thing this ‘competition’ has accomplished is stressing me out more, which is exactly why my doctor was concerned with this living arrangement in the first place.” She rubs her temple.

I tuck my elbows to my chest. Our attempts to protect Marcia backfired. A lump forms in my gut. Who am I kidding? As much as we want to say this was all for Marcia’s benefit, we were 100 percent also looking out for our own interests. And I enjoyed flaunting mybreasts at Adam as much as he relished parading around his six-pack abs. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too, Grams.”

She gazes up at Adam. “Take a seat, honey.”

Adam, who’s resting his arm on a chair, drags it farther away from the table with a loud screech. Then he sits, stretching his long legs in front of him.

Marcia gives him a wistful smile. “I love you, but when I suggested you consider your next steps, they didn’t include moving in with me permanently. No matter how old you are, you’ll always be my grandson, which means if we live together, I’m always going to want to take care of you… to mother you. And I did that already with your father. I don’t want that responsibility again. I’m seventy-two years old. I did the work and now it’s my time to be selfish. You need to go.”

I gasp, then cover my mouth. My heart races while bracing myself for Adam’s reaction to Marcia’s order. Will he fight it or go easily?

Adam nods. “I get it. I’ll figure something out.”

She pushes herself to a standing position and squeezes my arm. “I hopeyou’llstay.”

I blink back tears of relief and nod.

“And I promise to never make you document your bowel movements.”

I press my lips together as bubbles of laughter rise in my chest.

She walks out of the kitchen leaving me alone with Adam, who’s still seated at the table. I return my half-opened can of tuna to the refrigerator to make later. I’ve lost my appetite. It’s over. The threat to my home has been vanquished. But with every winner comes a loser. The air in the room is thick and I don’t know what to say. What would Adam do if the tables were turned? He’s been so inconsistentthe entire time that whether he’d throw his victory in my face or be a gentle good sport about it is a toss-up.

His gaze on the wall in front of him, Adam says, “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” I swallow. “I’m sorry. I mean… I’m not sorry I get to stay, but I’m sorry you have to leave… if that makes sense.”

He stands and faces me. “We always knew one of us had to leave.” His eyes do a circle of my face. “All’s fair in real estate, right?”

I bite down on my lip. “Right.”

He nods, then scoops the roommate ads off the table and walks out of the kitchen.

Chapter Thirty-Six

About a week later, Gabe’s voice calls from behind me in the early-readers section at the library: “It’s too bad about your roommate.”

My hand freezes around a copy ofHonest June. “What are you talking about?” I ask, turning away from the bookshelf to face him.

“He quit so now we need to hire another page.” Gabe’s eyes scroll the handwritten list of books I’ve leaned against the shelf and he wrinkles his nose. “Children’s books withJunein the title? Not the most creative display idea and a little premature, but not bad.”

“I’m not sure if I should defend myself or say thank you, but what is this about Adam quitting? I had no idea.” I scan the entirety of the second floor over the four-foot-tall bookshelves looking for him, but if he’s here now, I don’t see him. I hadn’t wanted to ask about his next steps since, as the last one standing, I figured I’m probably the last person he’d want to discuss them with.

I sort of hoped things between Adam and me could go back to the way they were prebattle, at least until he moved out. Now that Marcia has proclaimed me the winner—although she didn’t put it that way—we could be friends again, commute to work together, revive our book club, et cetera. And maybe we could resume our friends-with-benefits activities as well. But he’s mostly kept to himself since that night and hasn’t given off any horny vibes atall. Worst of all, he’s suddenly pro-shirt, and I rather miss his bare chest.

“I know nothing beyond what Jenny just told me about him quitting. I figured you’d have the gossip,” Gabe says, an eyebrow raised.

I chew my lip. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.” I never told Gabe about our battle because I didn’t want to hear him say, “I told you so,” since he predicted Adam would want the second bedroom for himself from the very beginning. I figured I would reserve his help for when and if Carley’s creative well ran dry and I needed fresh ideas to get the upper hand. But it never came to that.

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