Page 40 of A Roommate for Christmas
“Then after breakfast he challenged me to some Mario Kart, and we ended up playing for like two whole hours.Finally, we put a bet on the last game—which I won—so he had to watch a Christmas movie with me last night.”
“Get out.”
Now Paige was the one feeling smug.“I’m not making this up.And naturally, I took the decision way too seriously, but I wisely choseElf, and he liked it.He ended up opening up more about his childhood, and then we talked for a little while about our families and Christmas traditions before he realized he forgot to call his grandmother for her birthday—he calls herGram, by the way—so he went back to his room for the rest of the night.But before he turned in, he said the sweetest thing about how good a day it was.”
“Okay, what the hell!Why is Carter so freaking romantic all of a sudden?”Nadia exclaimed.
“Nads, I was blushing so hard, and if I hadn’t already been sitting, my knees would have buckled out from under me.I don’t know how it happened, but I’m crushinghardon this guy.”
“I mean, it makes sense, Paige.He’s essentially a Greek god who apparently isn’t afraid to share his emotions.How could anyone resist that kind of charm?”
“I mean, why the change, though?And isn’t it all too good to be true?I was nervous that the crush might be one-sided, but after his comment last night, I have to imagine he feelssomething,” Paige said.“I just can’t help but wonder what the catch is ...What am I missing?Am I just another girl he’s trying to get into bed with?I really don’t want to be some rebound to help him get over an ex.”
“What if there is no catch?”Nadia asked.“What if he really is a good guy who deserves a chance?”
“I know, I know, I just don’t want to end up getting hurt again.”Paige sighed.
“Of course you don’t,” Nadia said.“But if you go through life avoiding any possible sign of danger, you’ll only end up hurting yourself.Trust me, I don’t want a repeat of Chance either, but I also don’t want you to stay hiding behind all of this armor.You are capable, smart, and funny, and with or without a man, I just want to see you be the version ofyouwho doesn’t live in fear.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?”Paige said.“If Linus hadn't scooped you up, I would be first in line.”
“Well, then you can get next dibs,” Nadia joked.“So, if Carter is moving out at the beginning of January and you leave for California tomorrow, then today might be your last chance to tell him how you feel.Are you gonna do it?
“I don’t know.I’ll see what the vibes are like when I head out there and play it by ear,” Paige said.“But wait!No proposal yet?”
“Not yet,” Nadia answered.“But with the roads clearing up a bit today, Linus has been pushing for us to go out toward the lake.So I have a hunch it’s imminent.”
Paige knew her friend well enough to know that Nadia had a huge smile on her face.And she couldn’t be happier for her.
“Okay, well, you need to keep me updated ifanythinghappens,” Paige demanded.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll text you before I even say yes, like I promised.Linus will understand,” Nadia said.“Speak of the devil, he just poked his head in the room.He looks antsy.I’m gonna hang up now.Text you later, love you!”
“Love you too!”Paige hung up and finally got herself out of bed.She spent a little extra time in front of the mirror getting ready before heading out to see Carter.
When Paige walked out into the common space of the condo, it was quiet.
Carter must still be asleep, she thought.
But then she noticed the door to his room was cracked open.
“Carter?”she called out, walking toward his door.
She gave the door a small nudge as she called out his name again.No reply.As she stood in his doorway, she caught the scent of his cologne and lingered longer than she meant to.
Paige had never seen the inside of the room after Carter moved in.For a room that belonged to a man, it was surprisingly tidy and minimalist.A stark contrast to Chance’s room, which had band memorabilia on every inch of the walls and clothes piled up in the corner.
As she gave Carter’s room a scan, she noticed a wrapped Christmas gift on his desk.
The edges were perfectly smooth, and the bow looked almost professional.Either Carter is freakishly good at wrapping or he asked a store clerk for help, she thought to herself.
Just then, Paige heard Carter’s now-familiar bellowing laugh coming from outside the window.She left his room and walked to the living room window and looked out onto the street.There on the sidewalk, shovel in hand, was a bundled-up Carter with their elderly neighbor, Carol.Carter was helping her clear the driveway of her house now that the blizzard had stopped.
Paige’s heart was effectively melted.She snapped a photo and sent it to Nadia.
Look at where I just found Carter ...
Is he helping Carol shovel snow??Paige, you’ve got to lock this guy down lol.
