Page 62 of Dear Roomie
I can’t do it. Not now, not when it’s the holidays, not when his sobriety is still so new.
“M-my parents don’t know.” He rubs the back of his neck again. The nervous tick so unlike the man I know, I don’t even know how to react.
“Thank you for telling me. I’m proud of you.” I really fucking am. I just wish everything didn’t have to fall apart first for him to take this step.
“Thanks, Ophie.” His cheeks pinken. “I love you so much. I’m sorry things got as bad as they did before I got my head out of my ass.” He sighs and his shoulders relax, as if getting that off his chest lifted a physical weight off him. “Do you want to come back to my place tonight? It’s been too long since we’ve gotten to spend time together, just you and me. I know I fucked it up last time, and I won’t make that mistake again.”
“I…uh…I’m…” I hesitate, stumbling over my words.
It’s only another month. What’s a few more days to make sure he’s in a stable place before I fuck up his whole world. I take a deep breath and let it out as a heavy sigh.
“All right, sure, that sounds great.”
Chapter 23
Morgan
Athens is a ghost town when classes aren’t in session. During the semester, these streets are flooded with students, but I only see a handful of people as I walk Grover around the barren campus. It’s unsettling, and for the first time since I moved here, I feel truly alone.
All of my friends traveled back to their hometowns for the holidays—even Gage took advantage of the slow season to visit his mom in Boston. I had plans to spend the week getting ahead on classwork, binge-watching TV, and not stepping foot outside of the apartment, but James ruined those plans when she asked if she could leave her dog behind with me. She insisted that I was doinghera favor by watching him, but I know she left him behind so I wouldn’t be alone. It’s the same way I know the untouched pan of “leftover” lasagna was her way of making sure I had something special to eat for Thanksgiving yesterday. With each thoughtful gesture, I fall a little bit harder for her.
I pass by Sanford Stadium as I lead us back toward the apartment, then do a double take as I catch sight of a familiar face walking in my direction. Evelyn scurries down the sidewalk bundled up in a thick jacket and hat with her arms wrapped around herself. As she gets closer, she notices me standing there, frozen like an idiot on the street corner, and she freezes as well. Her eyes grow comically large for a moment before a wide smile forms on her frost-reddened face.
“Hi, Morgan,” she says as she walks over to join me, then crouches to greet Grover as well.
“Hey. What are you still doing in town?”
James didn’t mention that any of her friends would be here over the break.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she says with a pointed look.
“As much as I’d love to go home, it just wasn’t feasible this year,” I tell her, leaving out the rest. She nods with a look of gentle understanding.
“Athens is home for me now. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she says before peering at our feet. Her tone makes it easy enough to read between the lines—there isn’t anywhere else for her to go.
“So where are you running off to?” I try to direct the conversation away from home lives. I don’t think it’s something either one of us wants to delve into.
“I’m heading to my car, but my parking spot is all the way on the east side of campus, and the buses aren’t running today. I don’t normally mind the walk, but today had to be the day the temperature decided to drop.” She hugs herself tightly, tucking her hand into her armpits as she shivers. It isn’tthatcold—at least compared to what I grew up in—but she is layered up like she’s about to traverse the Arctic.
“Where are you headed? I’ve got nothing else to do today, and my car is way closer. I can give you a ride.”
“I can’t ask you to chauffeur me around,” she protests, “I’ve got a perfectly capable car.”
“I promise you, you would be doing me a favor. It’s been a lonely couple of days, and I’m glad to see a friendly face.”
She studies me with narrowed eyes for several seconds, and then her face relaxes into a warm smile.
“All right, it’s too cold for me to argue. I’m on my way to the Labre Mission, a homeless shelter I volunteer with.” She turns and starts to walk up the hill toward the apartment, and I fall into step beside her. “You know, if you are really that lonely, you could volunteer with me. Jamie told me you spent some time with the Peace Corps. I think this would be right up your alley.”
The knowledge that James talks to her friends about me makes my stomach flutter. She doesn’t tell me much about her friends, though. Nathan talks abouthis girlfriend all the time, but the quiet brunette is still mostly a mystery. She had mentioned her volunteer work before, but I filed that information away and forgot about it. My mind is too occupied with thoughts of my roommate to give attention to anything else.
“I’d love to,” I tell her, and she does a double take as she trips over her feet.
“You would?” she asks, her voice incredulous.
“Of course. I’m not doing anything else today.” And I’ve been slacking off when it comes to donating my time. Between classes, studying, and making time to work out, I only have a precious few hours to spare in the week, and I’ve been selfish with them, using them to drink with my friends or waste the night away with James.
She beams at me and walks with a newfound bounce in her step as we near the apartment.
