Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 14

I headed to my room and rummaged through my drawers to find one of my swimsuits for work. After checking my closet, I settled on my favorite TYR suit, a relatively new one in a rich dark purple hue. It featured an almost entirely open back, perfect for the water and for competitions and other swim-related activities.

Opening my bag, I took a look at its contents. My lesson plans were neatly written on foam squares. I had discovered early in my teaching career that you could write with a pen on foam, and it wouldn't smudge. Alongside that, I packed my work whistle, safety glasses, and locker lock.

Swiftly, I grabbed my pool shorts, simple black Nike shorts, and browsed my drawer for a suitable T-shirt to wear with them. Before closing my bedroom door, I slipped into some shoes and snagged my sunglasses. As I reached for my keychain by the door, I heard a high-pitched voice.

"Kent, when are we going to hang out again?" Piper asked, clinging to Kent's arm as I turned around.

"Piper, knock it off!" Kent muttered, prying himself away from her.

She pouted, saying, "Hey, you never called me." Her voice dropped to a low whisper, but my stomach churned as I turned away from the awkward scene.

I had a sinking feeling that I understood what was going on, as I knew for a fact they had been involved romantically. Ew. Shouldn't you avoid dating within your circle of friends? What had changed?

"I-I know, I-I have to go. I promised Julianna I'd give her a ride to work," Kent stammered, retreating from her abruptly.

I couldn't believe my ears or my eyes, but I was grateful the door stood between me and the uncomfortable situation. What did he mean by offering to drive me to work?

"What?" I spun around to ask, met with Kent's imploring gaze. He appeared bewildered and uneasy around her. I didn't owe him any favors, but the prospect of a ride to work, if he meant it, sounded appealing. Plus, if I accepted, it might put an end to his relentless, judgmental stares.

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Fine."

Kent went to retrieve his keys from the table dish. Piper gave him a pouty look and asked, "Can I come along?"

"No, we're going to the gym," Kent replied, taking my shoulder and guiding me out the door. He spoke these words, clearly indicating he wanted to escape Piper. As I tried to distance myself from him, my mouth felt parched once more.

We climbed the stairs, and I began walking towards the end of the driveway. "Where are you headed?" Kent inquired, giving me an odd look.

"She's gone, and I thought you were just looking for an excuse to leave," I responded with a shrug. "I don't have to go anywhere with you."

"Well, since their gym is right by the pool, it seems we're heading to the same place," Kent stated as he walked up to his Jeep and opened the door. I stopped, and he gave me a look that seemed to say, "What are you waiting for?" "Julianna, I can't spend all day with you."

I approached the vehicle silently, feeling tense. Kent didn't appear to have a job, yet he drove a nice, expensive Jeep, which led me to believe he was wealthy.

As the day's heat bore down on me and I settled into the car's leather seats, I opened the door. Kent retracted the car's roof and plugged in his phone. The car was impeccably clean, free of any clutter or trash. If he could keep his car this spotless, why couldn't he wash his dishes?

He shifted the car into drive, and my throat constricted. It was hot, and the car seemed awfully cramped. Kent rolled down the windows, and I leaned closer to him, as though he could read my mind.

"This doesn't mean anything, and you're just trying to avoid talking by using a sneaky link."

"I didn't expect them to show up," Kent admitted quietly, and I responded with a nonchalant shrug.

"It's fine, they're your friends, right?" I inquired, and he winced almost imperceptibly.

"Well, we were all part of the same friend group freshman year, but as time went on, we figured out who we actually got along with and who we didn't. We're not as close with them anymore. When we were looking for a place to live, they ended up getting the apartment on the second floor."

"Sounds like an interesting dynamic," I remarked, and he offered a faint smirk from the corner of his mouth. "Piper seems particularly interested—"

"I don't care for Piper," he interjected firmly, and I nodded, raising my hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Message received," I chuckled, but it seemed to rile him up again. His boundaries were hard to gauge.

Subsequently, the car fell into a silence, and I realized this ride might be rather quiet. I was on edge the entire time, my heart racing, and I fought the temptation to fill the awkward gaps with chatter.

"Did you enjoy the cookies from last night?" I suddenly asked, veering off-topic, and he bit his cheek in response. Why did I even bring that up?

"Yeah," he replied quietly, seeming annoyed by the question.

"Really?" I laughed, pushing the conversation, even though the cookies had been sealed. He rolled his eyes in response.

"Everything tastes better when you're drunk," he retorted, to which I responded with an eye roll.

"That wasn't even my best work; someday, I'll make you some truly amazing cookies," I remarked with confidence, and he shot me that peculiar look again, as if he wanted to laugh but couldn't.

We continued our journey until we arrived at the parking lot behind the gym, where silence settled in once more. I unbuckled my seatbelt and prepared to exit the vehicle.

"Thanks for the ride, even if it was just to escape Piper," I laughed as I opened the door. After Kent gave me a nod, I stepped out onto the street.

"Wait," he uttered something before I could shut the door. I raised an eyebrow, focusing my attention on him. He appeared frustrated, as if he had something else to say, and I was growing impatient due to my impending work shift. "What time do you finish work?"

"Six," I responded, perplexed by his question. "Don't worry, I won't be blasting music when I get home, and it'll still be daylight." I sighed, and he rewarded me with another half-smile.

"Alright then, I'll see you later," he said, and as I closed the door to his Jeep and walked back up the street onto the sidewalk, I gave him a small wave and nod.

My chest felt oddly warm. Maybe it was all in my head, but at that moment, Kent seemed different. He tried to project this image of being a jerk, but perhaps he wasn't all that bad. However, nothing had truly changed. Since I moved in, he'd been unkind to me, and I wasn't about to change my opinion because of a couple of random occurrences.

He was a wealthy guy who spent his free time fooling around with girls like Piper. That was the long and short of it.