Page 15 of Roommate on the Way (Life in the Brohouse 8)

Hunter narrows his eyes at me. I’ve been teasing him here and there about working at hiking and camping store since it doesn’t really seem to be his thing. I suspect he didn’t want to work with me, now that I’m manager. And sure, I’ve been bragging about it for the past month and a half, but I worked my ass off for this position. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to switch closing shifts with Jason today to speak with Steve. Jason obviously hates it, but hey, what’s he going to do? We have the same position now. A fact I will never let him live down. I wouldn’t be such an asshole about it if he hadn’t made me slave away all of last year.

“Fine,” Hunter says with a shrug. “A bit boring. I think they make most their money over the summer, but at least I have time to get my reading in.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want to be doing? Willing your time away while you could be hanging out with me and Rachel making coffee?”

Hunter raises an eyebrow and asks, “Are you sure you want a ride home when you could walk? I heard walking is good for you.”

“Point made,” I say meekly. “And yes, I want that ride home. I’m exhausted.”

Hunter looks me up and down and smirks. “You could use the exercise.”

“Hey!” I shout while smacking his shoulder. “That wasn’t nice. I may not work out all the time like I used to, but I still have a nice bod.”

“Stop teasing me and I’ll stop teasing you.”

“Fine,” I huff while pinching my gut. There’s a little bit of fat, but not much. I’m still in good shape and Rachel doesn’t seem to mind. Writing is a sedentary lifestyle! I get most my exercise running back and forth at the cafe.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk with you about something,” Hunter says, his voice low. He looks around himself as if he’s suspecting spies to jump out from the shadows.

“About what?” My stomach twists with worry, wondering if Millie has discovered he’s working at the camping store and is harassing him again. I’ve insisted at least a hundred times that he file a report against her, but he doesn’t want to make things worse. I don’t think that makes any sense given he’s the victim in all this. I can’t file the report for him. It has to be him.

“Rachel.”

My heart stalls and a whole new worry comes over me. Has four eyes come back to taunt her? I thought he switched schools? Or is there someone else being cruel to her?

“What’s going on?” I ask while crossing my arms.

“I’m worried about her. Have you noticed she seems different these days?”

I shake my head. “No, she seems fine. She’s been busy with school and work, but that’s not anything out of the ordinary.”

“Haven’t you noticed she’s been eating and sleeping more? She’s also put on a bit of weight.”

I grimace at that, knowing he’s right. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that, but… I didn’t want to say anything. It’s her body and all and she still looks great.”

“Yeah, sure, but don’t you think it’s a bit much? I’m worried she’s depressed.”

“Why would she be depressed, Hunter?” I can’t believe he’s bringing her weight into this. She’s fine, beautiful—she’s always been beautiful. And there’s no way she’s depressed. Rachel is one of the happiest people I know. If anything, Hunter is worrying about nothing.

“Her family.”

I frown at that. She has been having issues with her mother, who is constantly bothering her about accepting what’s-his-face. And her father is living in the slums with a dead-end job. I suppose she could be a bit depressed about that, given her childhood seemed so happy—at least compared to mine.

“I think we should do something for her, but I don’t know what.” He sighs, his shoulders heaving forward. A few loose strands fall over his face and for a moment he reminds me of a mopey golden retriever. “We should be there for her more. Give her a shoulder to lean on if she needs.”

“Alright,” I say with a curt nod. “I haven’t really noticed anything, but I will pay attention more, keep lookout if anything seems wrong.”

“We should talk to Alex when he gets back from his gig.”

“Talk to Alex about what?” Seth asks while throwing open the door.

I wince at the stream of light briefly before the door slams shut behind Seth. He waltzes inside, his head held tall while he glances between Hunter and I. These days he’s a bit more on edge compared to the usual Seth I know and love.

It’s probably due to a combination of me publishing a book about the group without speaking to him first, and the Olympics turning him down. He should be happy they permitted him to train at their little boot camp for the past two months. Clearly, he’s a fast runner, just not fast enough it turns out. He looks good. His thighs could snap the average person in two. Not me, because I’m built, but someone scrawny and short. He should be happy about what he’s achieved so far, but given that it’s Seth, I can understand why he’s a bit sensitive.

“Rachel,” Hunter says as Seth joins are little group near the bar. “I don’t think she’s been doing so well.”

“Really?” Seth asks while crossing his arms. “She seems fine to me. Hey! Can you give me a ride?”

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