Page 82 of Dear Roomie
“I’m sorry I ghosted you like that.” I pull my hand back and run it through my hair with a deep sigh. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t okay for a while there, but things have been better lately. It’s not an excuse, but I don’t want you to think you did something wrong. I actually really enjoyed hanging out with you over break.”
She puffs up under my praise, her face glowing with the blush that fills her cheeks.
“I liked it too.” She glances down at our feet and twists a chocolate-colored strand of hair between her fingers. “Does that mean things with Jamie are…”
“In the past,” I tell her firmly. “We aren’t even friends anymore.”
“Okay. Good,” she says, rolling her shoulders back to stand straighter. The muscles in her jaw tighten as a look of steely determination flashes in her eyes.
I don’t have time to process the change before her soft lips find mine. My body reacts on instinct, matching the pace she sets. Her tongue traces along my bottom lip, trying to deepen the kiss, and I part my mouth to grant her access.
The kiss is…fine.
Evelyn knows what she’s doing, and her plush, full lips were made to be kissed, but I feel nothing from it. There’s no spark, no heat, only the soft touch of her lips on mine.
She pulls away and refuses to meet my gaze.
“That was…” Nothing I can say will eliminate the awkward tension in the air.
“Weird,” she supplies with a breathy laugh.
“Yeah, weird,” I agree, letting out an uncomfortable chuckle of my own.
“I’m sorry.” She covers her red face with her hands. “I don’t know what came over me. Forget I did that.”
“Consider it forgotten.” My fingers run through my curls as we lapse into an awkward silence.
“Listen, I’m gonna—” Her words are cut short by Nathan’s shout of “Morgan” as he and Karis spot us from the other side of the room.
His arm is wrapped around the birthday blond from earlier, and her whole group follows him and Karis over.
Fantastic.
Karis looks about as pleased as I feel with the situation. She passes me a beer and joins me at the table, glaring daggers at the drunken girls who have glued themselves to Nathan’s side. Evelyn scoffs and rolls her eyes at his antics, and I’m inclined to agree with her assessment.
“Who’s the chick?” His words are far more slurred than they should be at this point in the night. I look to Karis for some clue as to what exactly is going on, but her focus is locked on our friend.
“That’s Evelyn, you fucking idiot.” Karis slaps his arm with the back of her hand. “James’s friend.”
“Oh.” He looks Evelyn over slowly, practically undressing her with his glassy eyes. Her face pinches, and she shifts behind me, blocking his view. “Hi, James’s friend.”
“Hey, fuckhead, eyes up here.” Karis snaps her fingers in front of his face, breaking his lewd perusal. “She’s off-limits. Have your fun with Barbie and the bimbo squad.”
He rolls his eyes with an overdramatic sigh but directs his attention back to the blond hanging on his side.
“Hi, Morgan,” Karis says without looking at me. Her narrowed eyes are locked on the woman behind me, shining with a predatory glint that always means trouble.
I rest an elbow on the tabletop and drop my head into my hand. There’s nothing I can do to stop whatever chaos these two have decided to sow.
“You look like you could use a drink. Come on.” Karis grabs Evelyn’s wrist and drags her toward the bar. Evelyn shoots a wide-eyed glance in my direction as she disappears into the crowd, leaving me alone with Nathan and his entourage.
“I-I think I’m just gonna go,” I say into the air.
Nathan isn’t paying any attention, too busy making out with the birthday girl while her friends cheer them on. I drop the untouched beer onto the table and slip through the room, back into the frozen night. The crowds of students thin the closer I get to the apartment, but the sounds of mindless revelry don’t dissipate until the door to the lobby falls shut behind me.
I unlock the door to our apartment and walk in expecting darkness, but I’m met with the blinding light from the overhead fan. James is sitting on the couch, and for the first time in a while, she has a healthy glow about her. She smiles when she sees me, her face lighting up with the radiance I fell in love with.
The sight is a bullet to my heart.
