Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 125

"I may have gone a bit too far with the punch, but she truly deserved it. When I returned, she was nowhere to be seen, and Chloe was the only one left from their group. That's when Abby told me she made them leave."

"She was so mean, and I had had enough of her causing trouble," she whispered, and I couldn't help but agree.

Kent handed me another beer, trying to downplay how tough the night had been already. He kept his hand on my hip or back, showing everyone that we were together. The word will spread in the next few days, but I don't care.

Everything was going well until Chase showed up in the kitchen for the first time all night. He seemed to pause when he saw me, looking confused, stressed, but also amazed all at the same time. Then it was tinged with sadness when he realized I was with Kent.

Chase had genuine feelings for me in the past, albeit at an inconvenient time. I felt bad for him finding out this way.

"I should talk to him," I mumbled, and Kent held onto my arm.

I understood why Kent wasn't okay with it; he was the one who had intervened when Chase was being overly creepy at my front door.

"It's just a quick conversation," I whispered.

"Then I want to come," he countered, and I shook my head.

"I should talk to him alone. I won't leave the kitchen, but I want to resolve this on my own," I explained, looking up at him, watching him consider his options. He appeared conflicted but ultimately nodded.

"Okay," he sighed. "I'll be over here if you need me."

Chase didn't look any different than the last time I had seen him; his season was over now, so he appeared more rested. I walked over slowly, and he scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Hey!" he began, and I nodded.

"Hi."

This couldn't be more awkward, but it had to be done.

"I haven't seen you in a while," he said, looking down at the ground, and I cleared my throat.

"A big part of it was me being away," I shrugged, "but some of it was also giving you space."

He nodded silently, and I chewed the inside of my cheek, waiting for his response. "I kind of figured," he admitted, eyeing Kent from the other side of the kitchen. "Rumor has it you two are dating."

"The rumor is correct," I shrugged. "For a while now."

"Hmm," he nodded, looking a bit confused. "Didn't see that coming."

"Nobody did, not even me," I assured him, and he cracked an easy smile. "But... that doesn't mean I'm not happy about it."

A brief silence passed between us; there were no right answers here.

"Look, Juls... I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for that night at Apex," he said quietly, looking nervous. "I had a lot to drink, and I misread the situation."

"I understand," I nodded. I won't forgive him, but I can move past it.

"I won't lie, I had a massive crush on you," he said quietly, cheeks flushing. "I thought we would have been great together."

"I didn't know until you told me," I shrugged, a total lie. I definitely knew and tried to avoid it.

"I know," he sighed, shaking his head. "I just... liked hanging out with you a lot. You made me laugh all the time, and I thought you hanging out with me so much meant you liked me."

"I did like you," I shrugged. "As a friend, but that was all. I enjoyed talking to you and hanging out, but not in any other way."

I knew that had to hurt, but it needed to be said.

"It's been a while, and... I understand that better now," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Be honest, did you tell me you weren't looking to date just because you got a vibe from me? Because..." He trailed off, looking over at Kent, and I shook my head.

"No, I really wasn't looking to date," I tell him seriously. "The Kent thing sneaked up on me; I was busy, and... when I said that, dating was the farthest thing from my mind."

"Do you think we could... be friends again?" he asks, and I gulp, running my hands up the outer seams of my jeans. "I miss hanging out with you."

It was probably bad that I didn't feel the same, not even a little bit. When Chase left my life, it was a good thing. I felt all sorts of stress leave my body just knowing I wouldn't have to keep dreading our interactions.

"I need to be honest with you here," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "No, we can't. Not like we were in the fall," I mumble, shaking my head, and he looks up at the ceiling, averting his eyes. "Too many things have been said, too much weird stuff has happened, and... respect my relationship with Kent. I know that would make him uncomfortable and upset him."

It's awkward, and even though there's no reason for me to feel bad for him, I do.

"I'm sorry, but it's what's best," I reiterate, and he nods.

"I-um... I understand what you mean," he sighs, scratching the back of his neck.

"We can at social events or in groups, but alone isn't good."

"Sure, at least I'd get to see you," he nods, and I press my lips together.

"I know you're probably feeling let down, but... I just don't like you that way," I tell him, and he nods, looking back down at his feet this time.

I glance over at Kent, who raises his eyebrows as if to say, 'you need me?' My answer is a brief head shake, and he nods, looking back to Kyle to continue their conversation.

He's perfect; he cares so much.

"Are you happy?" Chase asks, breaking me from my thoughts, and I blink, tuning back into our conversation.

"How do you mean?" I ask, and he shrugs.

"With Kent, are you happy?" He asks again, and I nod without needing to think about it.

"I am," I whisper with a brief smile.

"You think he's right for you?" He asks, and I furrow my eyebrows, trying not to take offense. Give him closure, Juls; make it quick. End this mess.

"I know we seem like we couldn't be more different, I know we used to fight each other on everything, and... I know you might not understand it, but we make sense," I say firmly, believing it completely. "I love him," I admit, catching Kent's eyes across the room. He passes me a brief grin. "And he loves me too."

He nods slowly, and I sigh, feeling better about this. He's not taking it great, but it could be going a lot worse. Nothing could top Piper.

"As long as you're happy, I guess," he shrugs, and I nod. "I've taken up enough of your time with this; I'm glad you were here tonight."

That makes one of us.

"I'll see you around, Juls," he says, stepping off the wall, and I cross my arms, showing in my body that we wouldn't be hugging or touching to say goodbye. "I'm sorry again; I'll... I'll never get over that night, and I hate myself for it."

I nod, watching him walk away, and I immediately scramble back to Kent, who puts his arm out for me to come into his side, mid-conversation.

"How'd it go?" He whispers.

"About like you'd expect," I mumble. "I told him we couldn't be friends."

I hated making people feel bad, but my boundaries were my boundaries for a reason, and I was going to stick to them.

He leans in and kisses my forehead firmly, possessively, and I just lean into it. It feels good.

"I know that was hard for you," he whispers, and I nod.

"This night sucks," I mumble, feeling exhausted. I'm not having a lot of fun, the mood is ruined, I'm either not drunk enough or too tipsy for me to feel happy.

He looks up at Kyle briefly, who nods and steps back to find someone else to chat with. Kent grabs my hand and pulls me in front of him.

"Let's leave," he whispers, and I furrow my eyebrows, shaking my head. "No, I'm okay, we can stay," I say in the best encouraging tone I can. I didn't want to ruin this for him and have people think all of this had broken me.

"Juls, I'm okay," he whispers. "I've had more than enough of this, and I can tell you're over it. Let me take you home." I look up at him, and he gives me an easy smile, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "I'm serious."

"Okay, only if you're sure," I mumble, and he chuckles, pulling out his phone for an Uber.

"Did you bring anything with you?"

"No, I'm ready whenever," I tell him with a shrug, knowing just how true that really was. He nods and slips his phone into his back pocket, walking to the fridge.

I spot Abby coming into the kitchen, and I head over to her. She grins excitedly, and I sigh. "We're gonna take off."

"What? Already?" She asks, pouting out her bottom lip, and I nod. "Stay, it's still early."

"I've had more than enough for now," I whisper, and she sighs, giving me a big hug. "Thanks for... this," I mumble, and she laughs.

"Those were the two hardest people to tell, and you did it," she reminds me, pulling back but keeping her hands on my shoulders. "I'm sorry about everything."

"No, it's okay," I whisper, shaking my head. "I just need some time with Kent, I think, and then I'll feel better." Her face goes all sparkly, and she grins at my words. "Don't look at me that way."

"You two are precious," she whispers, and I chuckle. "I won't keep you, I'm glad you came, and I'll see you sometime soon."

"Thanks for having us," I tell her, and she nods. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I twist, seeing Kent.

"Car's here," he says, and I smile, waving to Abby and our roommates, who all give us an understanding smile as we leave.

The drive is incredibly short, and I thank God himself for that. I just want to be home; I want to be in my bed... or his.

We get inside, and I kick off my shoes, toss my jacket over a chair in the dining room, and put my keys on the ledge. Kent does the same, and I feel him kiss my cheek.

"I'm just going to put my beer away. You go wherever you want, and I'll be there in a few seconds," he tells me, and I nod, walking down the hall. I pause in front of my room and instead choose his.

It just brings back good memories, makes me happy to be in here, and I feel safe. My nostrils fill with the scent of his body wash, which seems to linger on everything.

I drop my phone on his nightstand and undo my jeans, pulling them down my legs and kicking them aside. Then I peel off my tank top, adding it to the pile. I unhook my bra and shimmy it off, then I go through his dresser drawer, getting out one of his t-shirts.

Kent didn't wear a lot of t-shirts, usually only to the gym. He ran cold, always put sweaters on and turned up the heat. It was another reason I was convinced we were a good pair.

I walk to the edge of his bed, pulling the corner back on his comforter when I hear a set of feet stop outside the doorway of his room. I look over my shoulder, pausing in place, and he smirks, leaning on the doorframe.

"What?" I ask defensively. "I went where I wanted to be."

"And that was my room in my shirt?" he asks, raising an eyebrow, and I nod. "Alright, leave room for me." He sighs, shutting his door behind him, and I grin, crawling under the covers.

I watch the process of him getting undressed in the corner, and my chest feels too tight to breathe when he pulls off his sweater. His chest was perfect, all that time in the gym was clearly good for something. He pushes the hair off his forehead, looking up at me, and I blink, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"What?"

"I can't believe you look like that," I pout, crossing my arms and sitting up in bed. "It's not human." He just grins in response, and I sigh. He was proud of the way he looked, and he'd earned the right to be happy about it.

"It's not a big deal," he shrugs, undoing his belt, and I blink, twisting my legs together under the covers. I shouldn't feel so... attracted to him getting undressed right now. We should be talking and having some quiet time, but my brain wasn't connecting with my body on that. "Is everything okay?" he asks, undoing his jeans, and I shake my head out.

"Everything's fine," I tell him, clearing my throat.

"Then what's that look about?" he asks, unzipping his jeans, and I chew the inside of my cheek.

We got stopped earlier this morning, I was exhausted, and I'd been through plenty in the last few hours... but my mind was stuck on this morning. Stuck on what we didn't finish. I don't know what's wrong with me.

"I don't know," I admit honestly. My cheeks start flushing, and I feel antsy, running my fingers through my hair. "I thought I was tired," I shrug, my mouth getting dry.

"Thought?" he confirms, pulling down his jeans, and I nod.

"Yeah, and now I feel all... awake and stuff," I mumble. He furrows his eyebrows, and I sigh. There has to be some way to tell him without asking. "I really need you to come to bed," I say, gulping after I do. There was definitely a more subtle way to say that.

"For?" he asks, raising his eyebrows, and I sigh.

"Don't make me say it," I whisper, and he smirks, grabbing the blankets and pulling them off, leaving me with bare legs.

"Really?" he asks, sounding intrigued, and he crawls between my legs, leaning his forehead on mine. He's so close so fast, it's almost overwhelming. "Because this was a big night, and I-"

"And I want to forget about it," I whisper, putting my hands on his shoulders. "I want you right now."

"You're serious?" he asks, and I nod, feeling my subtlety and nerves melt away.

"I'm so f***ing serious," I whisper. "I don't care about tonight, I'm not upset, I'm just."

"Horny," he answers, finishing my sentence, and my eyes widen. "You're so cute," he teases at my reaction, and I wrap my legs around his waist. "I could help you out, just ask," he shrugs.

"Please," I whisper, and he furrows his eyebrows.

"Please what?" he asks, and I blink, squirming under his body.

"You know."

"Probably," he shrugs with a cocky grin. "But it never hurts to say it."

"Oh my god!" I huff, pushing up on his shoulders and using all of my force to roll him over. His eyes widen, clearly not expecting that. I straddle his waist, pulling the t-shirt over my head, and I grab his face, pressing my lips to his for a hurried kiss. "I want to have sex," I whisper, going in for another kiss, and he hums.