Page 40 of Damn Roommate

My hand clings to her wrist to hold her so she doesn’t move an inch.

“Why are you doing all this, Scar?”

“You know why,” she sighs. “I have—”

She stops, looking down at her feet, and pulls her arm free. She crosses her arms over chest, as if looking for a way to protect herself… from me. I frown as I look at her.

“You kissed me,” I confirm for her. “And I told you it never happened.”

“It happened, Nolan.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to overthink it.”

She runs a hand through her hair, sliding her fingers through a strand that she tweaks nervously.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” I begin with confidence. “You got drunk, and it was stupid. You kissed me and it was stupid. You blame yourself andit’sstupid.”

“Nice way to tell me that I’m stupid,” she spits. “I was just planning to apologize.”

“But you don’t have to apologize ten thousand times,” I get carried away. “Damn, Scar, we’ve known each other for over twenty years! You’re not going to make me believe that you want to ruin everything forthat? It meansnothingto me. Do you hear me?”

I grab her shoulders and dip my gaze to hers, lowering my face slightly to bring myself to her level.

“I don’t care what happened. I don’t blame you and honestly, I don’t even think about it anymore. Okay?! I don’t want you to blame yourself for something that I couldn’t care less about. You’re like a sister. You know. I don’t want to lose you because you think akisswill change my behavior towards you. I promised you that no one will know because you and I will forget about it. We will move on and stay the same. I don’t want you to punish yourself over nothing. I don’t care. I really don’t. All right?”

I think her eyes are filling with tears, but she swallows her sob, nodding silently. I pull her towards me and wrap my arms around her shoulders to press her against my chest. A cloud of perfume spreads through the air and I inhale that familiar smell for a second. I rest my chin on her head, feeling her body against mine relax as a sniffle makes me smile.

“I hope, you’re crying with joy!”

“I’m sorry,” she mutters. “I’m so stupid.”

I hold her against me, just lifting her head up, putting both my hands around her face. Using my thumbs, I wipe away the few tears that wet her cheeks and watch her. Her eyes are lowered, and I smile at her sulky pout. I kiss her forehead tenderly.

“I don’t blame you, Scarlett. I love you too much to want to lose you over something stupid like that.”

She lets her head fall against my chest, pressing her forehead against my sweatshirt. I let my arms slide around her shoulders, laughing.

“Come on, grumpy, I’ll take you home.”

She steps back and I open my bag to take out the keys to my SUV.

“And dry your tears, otherwise your brother will kill me.”

“I’m not crying.”

Her still wet eyes leered at me disdainfully and I laugh.

“Of course, Miss Martin.”

She smiles and follows me to the car. When she settles in the passenger seat, I tell myself that everything is finally back to normal.

A black mark that never existed.

Scarlett finally stopped running away from me.

And I’m relieved that no one noticed the whole mess.

And when I say no one, I’m mostly referring to Edgar who could have cut off my balls when he learned that his little sister had kissed me on the couch in our apartment.

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