Page 3 of Dear Roomie
“What happened?”
“What do you mean what happened? We went on a few dates, had a couple of fun nights together, and then the next thing I knew, he was confessing his love and trying to convince me to go back to Italy with him.”
“I take it you dipped,” I ask, swallowing back the judgment threatening to coat the words.
That’s her typical MO once feelings get involved. I’ve known Chelsea for years, and in that time, she has left a trail of broken-hearted men in her wake. She isn’t cruel—she gives them closure—but she also doesn’t stick around once she knows it won’t work.
I don’t get it; I could never be so callous with my heart, but I also met my soulmate when I was seven. Most people don’t get that. It’s been me and Tanner since we were kids. Our relationship is the storybook romance people write about. We are endgame.
“I had a new hotel booked on the other side of the city that night,” she confirms.
“Chels, that’s awful,” Evelyn chastises.
“That’s life, babe. He was fun for the moment, but he had no long-term potential. He was an artist, for fuck’s sake. He might as well have had a sign around his neck that said ‘I’m unemployed.’”
I grit my teeth and keep smiling despite her words. It’s not like I haven’t heard similar sentiments my whole life, but it still hurts, even if it wasn’t directed at me.
“You really didn’t see him again?”
“Oh, I saw him plenty, he just didn’t see me. I had to find a new café because he kept showing up at my favorite one like a sad, lost puppy. It was kind of pathetic. Enough about me, though. I want to hear about you two. How were your summers?”
“I spent most of mine volunteering with the Labre Mission like I always do.” She tucks a lock of thick, dark hair behind her ear.
“Were you able to convince Jamie to join you this time?” Chelsea gives me a pointed look, and my eyes fall to the table.
It’s not that I don’t want to go with her to volunteer; the timing has never worked out. Between classes, finding a new roommate, and trying to arrange visits with my boyfriend, my summer was booked, and things only get crazier during the full-term semesters.
“No,” Evelyn admits, but the cheery smile never leaves her face. “But maybe you both can come with me before the semester starts.”
“Sure,” Chelsea lies. She’s never gone with Evelyn either. “What about you, Jamie? Did you get up to any wild adventures with that man of yours?”
This time, I’m unable to keep the pain off my face. I get that he’s busy with his new job with his dad’s campaign office, I really do, but each canceled plan was a blow to my heart. Is it really that hard to prioritize your girlfriend every once in a while?
“Nothing too crazy,” I tell her with a forced laugh. “He is coming to visit next weekend, though.”
“Did you ever get the new roommate figured out?”
“Yeah, I did. Her name is Morgan Hall.” The frayed ends of my nerves spark to life again. I found her online, but her social media presence is abysmal, and we never got to meet in person due to her being out of the country. It’s a recipe for disaster, but from the few messages we exchanged, she seemed to be the best option out of the candidates. She’s older and about to start grad school, so I’m hoping she’ll bring less drama with her than past roommates have.
“Do we like Morgan?” Chelsea asks.
“Undecided, but we should give her a chance. She doesn’t know anyone else here.”
“We can invite her to go downtown with us.” Evelyn sits up a bit straighter, and from the look in her eyes, I know she’s already planning all the ways we will include my new roommate this year—like roping her into watching those trashyreality shows with her. Lord knows, Chelsea and I don’t have the patience for it. Maybe she’ll be the one to actually enjoy them.
“Let’s hold off on that until I’ve at least met her. She could be a psychopath or something.”
“Fine,” Evelyn huffs. “When is she moving in?”
I glance at the time and curse. “Right about now, actually. Shit, I should go. I wanted to be home when she got here. It will take her forever to move all her stuff in on her own.”
I also wanted to do another pass over the apartment to make sure it was in perfect condition. First impressions are the most important, and I’ll be damned if she thinks I wasn’t serious about keeping the apartment spotless.
“But I just got here. I missed you guys,” Chelsea says with a small pout.
“I know, I missed you too. Catch up with Evelyn today, and we can all go out for drinks tomorrow night. Want to meet at Magnolia’s at ten?”
“Fine, go meet your new roommate,” she relents with a playful smirk while rolling her eyes. “Call me if she’s awful.”
