Page 84 of Renegade Roomie

“You mean, distract me?” she laughs, kissing him back.

Their lovey-dovey routine is usually cute, but today, it just feels like a personal insult.

“I’ve offered to help, but Callie doesn’t seem to want it.” I grumble.

“Help as a supportive boyfriend, or as her big-shot investor who she probably wants to impress?” Grace asks.

I pause. “Well… We haven’t exactly talked about that.” I admit.

“About the investment?” Charlie asks.

“No.” I stop, reluctant. “Us.”

They look at me like I’m a total idiot. “Seriously?” Grace gives a groaning laugh. “Dash! What are you doing?”

“What?” I protest. “It’s early days. I didn’t want to rush anything.”

“She’s right, man,” Charlie shakes his head. “You’ve left it way too late to figure this shit out, considering this started as a fake relationship deal.”

“Especially considering how it started,” Grace adds. “Don’t you remember what the two of us went through, trying to figure out who felt what after our deal was up?”

That’s right: Their whole relationship started as a ruse, too, when Charlie hired Grace to be his date for a month of weddings. The reminder makes me feel even worse—like it’s not the complicated setup that’s causing the problem with Grace. Because if they made it work…?

“I remember this guy was a grumpy basket case,” I say, recalling the way Charlie had acted when he and Grace briefly broke up.

“Before he came to his senses and realized he can’t live without me,” Grace says smugly.

I look to Charlie, who grins. “I’m not arguing,” he says, squeezing her shoulder. “So, the moral of the story is…?”

I pause. “Don’t go getting involved in weird fake dating schemes?” I say, even as I know I don’t regret it at all.

“Tell her how you feel,” Grace corrects me. “Sooner, rather than later. How else is she supposed to know you want a real relationship?”

“I don’t know,” I protest. “I’ve never done this kind of thing before.”

“Cared?” Charlie teases me, and I give him a smack on the arm.

“A little moral support, please.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I fully support you not acting like an idiot and wrecking the closest thing you’ve come to adult intimacy,” he says with a smirk.

“Gee, thanks.”

“Give him a break,” Grace steps in to defend me. “It’s not too late for him to straighten this out. You just need to let her know that this is real,” she adds to me. “That the whole fake relationship thing is over, finished, and you want to move on and see what the future holds, with her.”

I nod slowly. I can do that.

“But what if she doesn’t want a future?” I ask, hating how pathetic I sound.

“Then you deal with it,” Grace says, sympathetic.

“But at least you won’t be moping around this place, scaring the customers away,” Charlie adds.

Fair enough.

“Emotions really are a bitch,” I sigh. “No wonder I’ve avoided them so long.”

“But look at you now,” Charlie grins. “Learning, changing, you’re all grown up.”

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