Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 139

"So how was Valentine's Day?" Mom asks as I hold my phone to my ear, and I press my lips together.

It's Saturday, one day before my birthday. I was going to travel home today to meet my parents for lunch, and Kent was coming with me. My call to mom was just to refine some details about what time to show up, but of course, in true mom fashion, she'd managed to start asking other questions.

"Not much, we just cooked dinner and exchanged some gifts," I shrug. "It was much more romantic in New York over the weekend."

"That's so nice," she whispers, and I snort. "So, you two are alright to come at noon?"

"Yep, Kent said he was free all day," I shrug.

"And what about your birthday, no big plans today?"

"My birthday's tomorrow," I point out, and she chuckles. "No, just lunch today with you and dad."

"Well, we'll happily be your plans," Mom says, and I grin. "I'll let you go. See you in an hour!"

"Bye, Mom, love you," I sigh, hanging up the phone and standing up.

Valentine's Day had been so good. It was perfect, exactly what I wanted in terms of romantic but not letting Kent take it over the top. It was nice to take a break from everything, his parents, the tension with people finding out about our relationship and the growing pains that accompanied all of that.

We were ourselves that night, everything was exactly perfect for that reason.

Right now I'm just wrapping up some stupid Saturday tasks, laundry mostly and a quick tidy of my room. I'd been nervous about school, I was working really hard but I hadn't heard anything back about the Master's programs I'd applied for. Their decisions were due, and I was way too anxious about who would choose me.

I wanted to stay here, close to my family and to Kent. Stay in our little bubble for another two or three years. There was the matter of housing next year too; I needed to start looking for a place next year again, but the question kept forking itself up. Who do I try to move in with?

Kyle was going back home after this year to work in some branch of his father's company, and Mark was staying for a fifth year, and I knew Abby was staying one more year for her athletics scholarship too, but they were both moving in with their teammates.

It was me and Kent. The main issue was as much as I hoped to stay, I don't know if that's the reality. The other is... am I ready to move in just Kent and I? Is that too big of a step?

It's easy to lose sight when I think about the fact that we've obviously been living together all year. But in a very different sort of way than just him and I together.

I need to stop worrying about this.

I go back out to the hallway, moving my laundry around to the dryer once I reach the laundry room. It was a really quiet Saturday, everyone was just catching up on various chores and assignments. Kent had gone to the gym, but he promised me he'd be back in time to get ready and go.

I walk back to the living room after dealing with my laundry to find Mark and Kyle on the couch, watching some highlight reel.

"Who's playing?" I ask. Not because I had tons of interest, just because I thought it was nice to ask.

"Kansas and Baltimore," Kyle answers. "It's just the highlights from last night, there's another game on Sunday."

"The Superbowl's coming up, right?" I ask, now mostly out of genuine curiosity. I didn't really know.

"Yeah, next week," Kyle nods. "Good to see Kent's rubbing off on you, Juls. You finally care about football."

"No, I don't," I laugh. "But it's nice that you all bond over it."

"Where is Kent?" Mark asks, joining in and looking up from his phone.

"Gym, why?"

"I thought you guys were going out."

"We...are," I answer, furrowing my eyebrows. "Well, not really. We're visiting my parents for lunch."

"What time are you going?" He asks, and I cross my arms, feeling confused.

"Why do you care?" I counter, and he shrugs.

"I don't, just asking questions," he tells me, and I roll my eyes, not caring enough to investigate this further. He probably wants to bring a girl over while we're out, and Kyle goes to the gym.

I will say this, I won't miss the whole sex-tiptoe that goes on with roommates. None of us want to acknowledge it between each other, none of us want to know. But Mark's been pretty bad for it.

"We're leaving in like a half-hour," I answer. "I'll see you guys sometime later this afternoon; we'll probably end up there for a while."

"Cool," Mark shrugs. "Have fun."

Just then, I hear the steps down to the door and the sound of the door opening. Kent steps through, hair damp with his AirPods in. He's got his gym bag over his shoulder, and I suddenly remember when I met him the first time.

"Hey!" He smiles, walking over and kissing my cheek, which makes me recoil.

"Ew, you smell like a sweaty bench press," I mumble, and he chuckles. "Go shower; we need to leave soon."

"On it, what should I wear?"

"Anything's fine as long as it's not those gym clothes," I tell him, and he chuckles with a nod, pulling his AirPods out of their case and heading down the hall to shower.

"I'll be ready in fifteen!" He calls, and I smile, watching him disappear.

He's ready not long after, in a casual t-shirt and jeans. I grab my coat, and the two of us finish getting ready to leave. Once we're ready, we hop into his car, and he makes the familiar drive to my parents' house.

I love my family, they make me so happy, but my god are they embarrassing. I just hope everything goes well while we're over. It's been a busy week, I was looking forward to spring vacation in a few weeks and the ability to just take it easy with nothing to worry about.

"Do you have spring break plans?" I blurt out, and he blinks, clearly thrown off by my random question.

"No, why?" He asks with a half-smile, and I shrug.

"I don't know, I just thought it might be nice to do something?" I suggest. "Go somewhere, even if it's just for a night in the middle of the week?"

"We should," he nods firmly. "We've earned it for christsake."

"Okay, yay!" I smile, and he chuckles. "Ideas? Where should we go?"

"Cabo?" Kent asks, raising an eyebrow, and I roll my eyes. "What? It's warm and fun, lots of people go-"

"I don't have money for that, I don't even have money to fix my laptop right now."

"So let me bring you," he says, and I sigh. That was always his answer when I worried about money. "I can; you'd love it."

"I know but-"

"But you don't want me to buy you things," he sighs, finishing my thought quickly. "Juls, you realize my parents have so many frequent flyer miles that our flight would be free right? The hotels down that way are dirt cheap, it's all expenses included."

"Isn't that kind of nuts though?" I mumble, fiddling with my hands.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" He asks, not angrily but more like he wanted to know if I had a different idea that I was more interested in.

"I don't know... a hotel for a night?" I ask. "Split the cost and everything?"

"Juls, you remember when I took you to New York for New Years?" He asks, and I nod, trying to forget how badly that ended. "That was way more expensive than somewhere down south. I'd get to see you in a bikini, you'd get to tan and drink your body weight in Piña Coladas, and we'd get to have fun with other people our age."

He had a point, and the more he talked about it, the more I wanted it. The more he was convincing me, and that was dangerous, especially when I got as motion sick as I normally did. I'd been on planes over half a dozen times in the past three months.

"Come on, I can tell you want to go," he insists.

"Y-you're not wrong. I guess I just... hate traveling," I mumble quietly. "I've been on so many planes in the past little bit; they make me feel so sick, and you hate to fly. I just... I wouldn't have anything against something we could drive to for just a little while."

He furrows his eyebrows, like he hadn't even considered that, and I nod, knowing it was a truly valid point.

"I always forget how sick you get," he admits, looking guilty, and I sigh, putting my hand on his arm.

"That's alright, it's a nice idea, baby. It sounds fun, but let's do something less... travel-y and more fun," I whisper, and he nods, getting a smile. He grabs my hand, kissing the back of it.

"Leave it with me, I'll find something for us to do that doesn't involve stepping onto one airplane," he tells me, and I grin.

"I love you," I whisper. "You always know what's perfect for us."

He snorts a bit, and I roll my eyes, knowing that sounded cheesy. "I don't think that's true."

"But you try," I remind him, and he smiles.

"You're right," he admits, and I give his hand a squeeze.

A few minutes later, we pull up to my house. I haven't seen my family in a little while; everything's just been so busy. I had Kent back; they knew that, and mom made me promise that it was for sure this time. Like I could really promise that.