Page 20 of Teased By My Roommate

LILA

Hawk had a late tattoo appointment, and I was relieved that he didn't object to me getting a ride home with one of the female therapists.

When my family was wildly overprotective, it was all about our image. Hawk was genuinely concerned about me. It was sweet, although sometimes a tiny bit much.

I unlocked the apartment door, thinking an hour alone would likely be the best thing for me. It would clear my head to curl up with a book.

A voice called out, "Hello?"

I jumped, startled, then saw Ashley coming out of her bedroom. "Hey, Lila. I'm so sorry, I forgot to text you that I was coming." She smiled, jerking a thumb toward Hawk's open door. "Brooke's cousin moved in?"

"Yes. He did."

"What?!"

We flopped on the couch and I brought her up to speed. Ashley had been very friendly from the moment I moved in, and was the only person here who knew about my family.

She herself was the daughter of a bank president, and came from a somewhat similar situation. Yet even though her father was overprotective, she’d managed to get a great education, a good job, and take at least some control of her life.

"Does Hawk know that you come with a ton of designer baggage?" she asked.

"No. I haven't had a chance to tell him yet."

"False." Ashley smiled as she stared me down. "You don't want to tell him, because you're afraid he'll see you differently."

Busted. "Yeah, you're right."

"I think you need to be clear with him," she said softly. "Start this great new relationship off by being honest and open."

I released a long sigh. "Yeah. Thanks."

"It'll be okay," she said, standing up. "If he's really the one, he'll listen with an open mind."

I looked toward her room and saw a suitcase and duffel bag. "Are you staying for a full week?"

"No. Moving out."

"What?" I jumped to my feet.

"Don't worry, my company is paying my share of the rent for another two months. But they're not sending me out of town anymore." She rolled her eyes. "Dad put a stop to it."

Her phone beeped, and she sighed when she glanced at the screen. "I have to get going."

Grabbing her in a hug, I said, "I'm going to miss you. Stay in touch, okay?"

"You know it. I left you some herbal tea and the dishes you like. I won't need them back in Oakton."

I grabbed one of her suitcases and started helping her down the stairs just as Hawk was coming up with a bag of groceries. He offered to bring down the rest of the boxes for her, and just like that, Ashley was gone.

Hawk and I were already living together, but now we were totally alone. It felt more serious.

He went straight to work making pasta. "How was your day, honey?"

"Great, until I came home. I can't believe that Ashley moved out."

"I'm sorry you'll miss your friend. Don't worry about the rent, though. I can cover it." I had no idea how much tattoo artists made, but that was good to know.

"Can I help?" I asked.

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