Page 84 of Tapped By My Roommate
I laughed, feeling a flush of pleasure at the compliment. I’d chosen a deep purple bowtie and matching suspenders to go with a lilac and gray button-down shirt. The outfit gave me an extra shot of confidence. Tess had once made me feel as if I couldn’t wear what I wanted. Now, even if she never saw my clothes, they felt like a statement: Her opinions no longer held any sway over me.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’d work.”
“It’d work on me,” Rhett murmured, giving me a heated look that made my pulse jump. “So, whatisthe plan?”
I’d been vague about the details, but this was nerve-racking enough without spelling out my every step. I’d considered a lot of options—some less legal than others. At the end of the day, I’d chosen the best course of action I could.
“I’d rather not say,” I said. “It’s just…I’m feeling a little superstitious. I don’t want to jinx it.”
“Okay…”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I said hurriedly. “But I’m nervous, and if I explain it, and you tell me it’s a bad idea…” I nibbled my lip. “I don’t want to chicken out. Even if it doesn’t work. Does that make sense?”
“Come here.” Rhett snagged my arm and tugged me closer, then kissed me. “You’re smart. The plan is probably great.”
“Thanks.”
The apartment door opened, and Linh came in, dressed all in black. “Who’s ready to go commit a felony?”
Rhett’s jaw dropped. “Tell me she’s joking.”
“She’s joking,” I said. “I’ve got a way in that doesn’t involve breaking and entering.” I paused. “Technically.”
Linh joined us in the kitchen while Rhett rinsed out his coffee cup.
“Technically?” he asked. “What does that mean?”
“It’s a gray area,” I hedged. “Don’t worry about it. I can handle it.”
Rhett frowned. “I’m going to worry about you, of course. I’d like to come with you, Ethan. Just in case you need backup…”
“I’ll be there,” Linh piped up.
Rhett narrowed his eyes. “You’re likely to make more trouble, not less.”
She pulled a face before shrugging. “Probably true.”
I huffed. “Fine, but you two are making it hard to prove I can stand up for myself.”
Rhett reached for my hand, interlacing our fingers. “Standing up for yourself doesn’t mean you can’t have people who support you. The point is, you’re fighting for something important.”
He was right. I’d gotten hung up on semantics. Standing up for myself wasn’t the same as standing alone. And it didn’t always mean facing down the dragon. Sometimes, you just had to outsmart it.
The important thing was not to give up without a fight.
Before I could put this realization into words, Linh crooned out, “Aww, the band is back together.”
Rhett and I exchanged a charged look. We’d gotten together physically, but we’d yet to discuss what that meant. He’d said there were a lot of things he could still teach me in bed, and after last night and this morning, I believed him. It had been amazing. But I wanted more than a sex tutor. I wanted a boyfriend, one who was incredibly caring and protective. I wanted Rhett’s heart, as well as his body. Maybe I was greedy, but anyone who’d met him would understand. Rhett was perfect boyfriend material, whether he knew it or not.
“Okay, you can come,” I said. “But you have to promise not to swoop in like a hero. I’m not expecting to confront Tess. She’s supposed to be gone. But if something goes wrong…I need to fight this battle.”
Rhett nodded. “No heroics. Got it.”
My heart hammered as we headed to the parking lot.
I had a plan, and it was a good one. Better than throwing a rock through a window and committing a felony as Linh had joked. But things could still go wrong.
I checked the time on my phone. I was right on schedule.
