Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 12

I detested arguing, and Kent had a way of pushing my buttons. I reach home before him, descend the stairs ahead of him, and open the front door first.

"Hey, Julianna," Mark calls out from the living room where he and Kyle are engrossed in a game of Call of Duty on the Xbox. My brother is quite the gamer, but it's not really my thing.

"Hey," I sigh, unzipping my sweater to relieve the warmth and placing my bag on a dining room chair. I head to the kitchen and grab a glass of water from the cabinet. After taking a sip, I hear Mark instructing them to pause the game.

"You're a lifeguard?" Kyle puts his controller down on the coffee table and looks at me.

"Yeah, that's where I work. I also teach people how to swim," I reply with a casual shrug.

"So, are you like David Hasselhoff from Baywatch?" Kyle teases, and I chuckle, setting my drink down.

"Well, not exactly. Since it's an indoor pool, I mostly tell people to walk," I explain. "It's not as glamorous as you might think."

"So you can do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," he jokes, and I roll my eyes and blush, not wanting to reveal how quickly my mind raced at his comment.

"If I had to, Kyle, you'd be on your last breath," I retort, and Mark bursts into laughter, leaning back on the couch.

"Let me know when you're done kissing the back of Julianna's head," Kent mutters as he walks by and heads to his room. We all roll our eyes at his comment.

"What's he up to? Why did you and your friend both get home at the same time?" Mark asks.

"I don't know. He saw me walking home and insisted on giving me a safe ride," I sigh and shake my head. "He can be so strange sometimes."

"No kidding," Kyle chimes in, and we all share a laugh.

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower. See you guys later," I say and head back to my room, carrying my bag. I toss it on the floor next to my desk, close the door, and begin shedding my clothes.

I put my lifeguard uniform back in my bag to keep it safe for my next shift at the pool. My clothes go into the hamper, and I cinch my robe securely around my waist.

Walking down the hallway, I lock the bathroom door and turn on the shower, savoring the initial coolness. It's a pleasant change from the heat and humidity of the pool earlier today.

I rinse away all the chlorine and let my sweat wash down the drain. I take my time getting ready for bed. Once I'm dry and back in my robe, I return to my room and change into comfortable sleepwear.

As I step outside, I notice it's eerily quiet. They've never lived in an apartment this devoid of noise. The living room is empty when I emerge, the door is locked, and the couch is deserted.

Upon returning to my room and checking my phone, the lock screen displays a new message.

[11:04] MARK

"Hey Julianna, we got a last-minute invite to something up the road. Catch you later."

I try not to take it personally, but there's a pang in my chest that I wasn't invited. The message makes it seem like they didn't want me there at all. But I guess they have their own friends and probably wouldn't want me tagging along, even if it's just for fun.

I've been trying to be more social and not stay in my room all the time, but it's tough when I don't feel like I know these people all that well.

Maybe this was just an isolated incident since I'm not one of their closest friends. I could find something else to occupy myself.

Sighing, I grab my headphones and phone. Plugging them in, I scroll through my music to find something soothing to listen to. Being alone at home is a novel experience for me.

Upon opening the refrigerator, I spot the raw cookie dough I purchased earlier this week. I had thought it might make for a nice treat for everyone and a subtle way to win them over.

I place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat it. The rest of my evening unfolds to the sounds of Tame Impala and Phoebe Bridgers as I embark on a baking adventure.

Once the cookies are ready, I transfer them onto a cooling rack and tackle the mountain of dirty dishes. Afterward, I pack the cookies into a container, reserving two for myself. I pour a glass of milk and leave a note on top.

'HELP YOURSELVES -A'

I switch off all the lights except for those in the kitchen and above the door. I return to my room, placing the snack on the bedside table. Closing the door behind me, I extinguish all the lights in my room, leaving only the string of lights circling my ceiling. I also switch on my fan to combat the heat and crawl into bed with my laptop to catch a show.

To be honest, I hadn't really been in the mood for a party. I was exhausted, and while it would have been nice to be included, this quiet night suits me just fine.

After finishing my snack, I take a break to brush my teeth. Returning to bed, I sprawl out with a starfish-like stretch in the center. It starts to make me drowsy.

But a niggling unease creeps in as I recall the encounter with Kent earlier today. I hope he'll let go of his anger soon. I'm tired of walking on eggshells, but I can't shake off what he said.

"You shouldn't walk home alone when it's dark."

I force myself not to dwell on it too much, no matter how tempting. Annoying and rude as he is, it's clear that he has a sense of right and wrong, and that's what tonight has been all about.