Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 102

"Boyfriend."

When I think that to myself, it feels both incredibly scary and thrilling. I had a restful night's sleep after finishing my exams, so I spent the night in my own room. Kent seemed to understand my request from yesterday, and he appeared content with it.

I'm still a bit groggy when I wake up, but I'm well-rested. Hearing a knock on my door, I sit up and stretch, realizing that I'm only wearing a t-shirt. I quickly pull the covers up over my chest.

"Come in!"

As the door opens, I'm met with a pair of vibrant green eyes. He looks so handsome!

"Good morning, honey," he grins.

"Oh, it's just you," I say with a deep breath, lowering the covers. He enters and closes the door behind him. "How are you?"

"What are you up to right now?" he asks, making me smile.

"I'm going home when my mom finishes work tonight," I inform him. He smiles and sits down next to me on the bed. "Why?"

"I thought I might take you out before then," he casually suggests, causing my heart to race in my chest.

"A date?"

"A date," he reaffirms, and my cheeks flush with heat. "Get dressed, and let's go for breakfast." I offer a shy smile, feeling a warm sensation inside, and he kisses my forehead.

"A-alright," I whisper with a grin, and he nods, running his fingers through my hair, sending shivers down my spine.

After a restful night's sleep, I quickly get up when he leaves the room. I head to the bathroom first for a shower, followed by my morning routine and skincare. I can't seem to stop smiling, which, while a bit bothersome, is certainly not a sad thing.

Once I'm done, I return to my room and change into something casual. The weather is too cold for anything fancier, and I assume we're just going to a simple place because of the chill.

I exit the room and make my way to the main room. Kent is already in the kitchen, and a smile naturally graces my face upon seeing him.

"Hey."

"Hey, Jules," he says as he walks over to me, leaving me momentarily speechless.

Then we hear something being thrown onto the coffee table. When I turn around, Mark abruptly stands up, his hands in his pockets, and he pushes past us to reach his room. As he closes the door, I frown. His behavior is deeply disappointing to me. I believed that Mark had learned from the time I was with Dane that I'm capable of making decisions for myself. I don't understand why he's so upset, but he's acting as if I've wronged him by being with Kent.

"Let's get going," Kent says, draping his arm over my shoulder and whispering to me. I sigh as he guides me to his car, where I sit down and rest my head against the headrest.

I want Kent, more than anyone else I've ever desired. For the first time in my life, I feel a deep romantic connection with someone. When I'm with him, I'm happy, and every time I look at him, I feel fortunate.

But I also don't want to be the source of drama. I don't want his friends to be upset with him, and I don't want our apartment to feel awkward or tense. I bet they wouldn't believe it if they knew how long we've been flirting and falling for each other.

"Don't worry too much about it," he sighs and squeezes my hand before putting the car into drive.

I can tell he's contemplating a lot, which makes me feel uneasy. Mark is one of his closest friends, and their friendship spans several years. I'm on the verge of potentially damaging that friendship.

"I wish it didn't have to be this complicated," I admit, shaking my head.

"Me too," he responds with a shrug.

"I don't want Mark to be upset every time he sees us together," I murmur, and he simply nods. "I hope he just needs some space to start feeling better."

"He just doesn't understand," he says, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "But Mark's a mess when it comes to anything beyond a hookup, and he knows that. He's not really in a position to complain."

"Do you think he's... jealous?"

"I think he believes everyone is wired the same way he is," he shrugs. "I just want to be with you, but you already know that's not what I want," I nod as he brings this up.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help but feel like I'm jeopardizing your friendship with him."

"He's always true to his word," he says with a shrug. "Mark may grumble from time to time, but that's why we get along so well."

This lightens the mood, and we share a little laughter. His confidence in our situation reassures me, and I start to feel less anxious. He parks shortly after, and as we stroll down the sidewalk, he places his hand on the small of my back. Kent is generally quieter and enjoys solitude more than constant conversation, which makes us different in those respects.

"What are your holiday plans?" I ask as he leads me to the entrance of a restaurant. He holds the door open for me, and I step into the charming little brunch spot. The air is filled with the comforting scent of warm pancakes and orange juice, and I'm relieved that it appears to be a relaxed place. I've decided that for our date, I prefer simplicity over anything fancy.

"I'll be spending time with my parents at home," he shrugs, and I nod.

Whenever he talks about going home, I can't help but recall how difficult Thanksgiving was. I'm worried that he might pull away again if we attend another family event with his parents, or that something unpleasant might happen.

"What do you think?" He asks while we wait for the hostess.

"Sounds good," I reply with a slight shrug, running my fingers through my hair.

As I sit down, I begin to realize that this is the last time I'll see Kent for weeks. After today, we'll only have two days together before I have to leave. We'll be apart for almost two weeks, then see each other briefly again after two days, and finally be separated for over a month.

Darn it.

"How many?" The hostess inquires, and Kent looks at her with wide eyes. He pulls me closer and places his hand on my hip for a moment.

"Two, please," he tells her, and she nods, her throat clearing. I lean into him, aware that I won't be able to do so for quite some time.

She leads us to a table, and I bite my lower lip as I contemplate something. I peruse the menu, trying to decide what I want to eat, but I can't shake the feeling of how challenging it is for Kent and me to navigate this situation.

"Juls?" He says something, snapping me back to reality.

"Hmm?" I blink back at him and ask. He clears his throat.

"I asked what you were thinking about," he sighs, and I purse my lips. "What's bothering you, honey? It'll get easier with everyone and the two of us together."

"No, I'm not thinking about that," I reply, shaking my head. "I just realized how long I'll be gone. After today, I'll only see you once in the next month and a half because of the holiday break."

He falls silent for a moment, and I chew the inside of my cheek, regretting that I brought this up, as we both knew it was on our minds but hadn't discussed it.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he says with a sigh, appearing a bit crestfallen.

"I'll miss you," I admit in an attempt to make things a little better. He stops fidgeting and reaches across the table to take my hand.

"I'll miss you too," he says, his thumb gently caressing the back of my fingers. It's a tender gesture, and it comforts me. "But we've got today."

"Yeah," I whisper, nodding softly. "All day."

He takes my hand and kisses the back of it, eliciting a faint smile from me.

"I'll call you, we can FaceTime... we can make it through a little over a month," he reassures me, and I nod, acknowledging that he's right. We've already endured much longer periods of separation.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," I whisper, guilt gnawing at me, but he shakes his head.

"It's okay," he assures me. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry nothing about this has gone smoothly. I just have bad timing and a lot on my mind."

"None of what's made this hard has been your fault," I insist, squeezing his hand. "You're what makes it easy, Kent. And I know we'll get through this."

He smiles, placing his other hand over our joined ones. I still can't believe that this guy reciprocates my feelings, that he cares for me the way he does. I'm mesmerized by his appearance, the way he always makes my heart race when I see him, the way my skin tingles when he's near. My thoughts drift back to the last time we were intimate, just before our exams ended. The way he looked at me, how perfectly everything unfolded. My cheeks flush as I recall how he expertly removed my bra.