Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 146

"I got my email."

Even though Doctor Binkley said I have a spot, I'm still nervous to open it. Maybe I should've waited to open it when I'm alone, but I can't wait. I'm opening it on my way out of lecture.

I open the email, quickly reading the first few lines. But at the top, there's a big box that says 'congratulations' and 'welcome!' My heart immediately slows down, and I feel relieved, clutching my phone to my chest.

It's official; I'm staying at Brown next year. That means I'll be with my family, my school, and, of course, Kent. We can start our life together, still have our friends and continue studying, but we'll be together. I remember how tough that month at Northwestern was, how much I missed him, and how I felt like I had no support.

I need to text my parents and tell them the news. They've been anxiously waiting to hear what I'd do about my living situation next year. But I'll do it later. Right now, I just want to go home and be with someone I love. I pull out my phone and dial Kent's number.

"Hello?" he answers after just one ring. I hear a humming noise in the background, and he sounds far away.

"Are you in the car?" I ask.

"Yeah, coming back from the mall, I had to pick up a suit," he says. I can hear his turn signal clicking.

"Well, look at you, doing errands in your free time," I tease, and he laughs loudly on the other end.

"It's for my final business presentations and graduation. Mom cut out the middle-man," he shrugs. "What's up, baby? You only call when you really need to tell me something," he says with a chuckle.

"I just got my Brown email," I whisper. "It's official; I got my spot, and I'm staying here next year." I grin like a five-year-old.

"That's great news," he agrees. "Where are you? I'm close to campus; I'll pick you up."

"Arts building, home base," I tease.

"I'll be there in two minutes," he says. "Love you." He hangs up, and I feel even happier. He's so sweet. Even before we got together, offering to drive me was how he showed he cared. It was adorable. I think of him driving me to and from work, lying about liking to work out late at night, which I now know is a load of nonsense after months of dating.

I watch his Jeep pull up moments later and hurry outside, knowing he's double-parked. I open the door and slide into the passenger seat, leaning across to kiss his cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart," he whispers, putting the car in drive.

"Hi," I mumble, tossing my bag by my feet and putting on my seatbelt.

"So, how do you want to celebrate? I'll drive anywhere you want to go. This is fantastic news," he suggests, and I furrow my eyebrows.

"I don't know," I shrug. "Can we just go home? I want to spend time with you," I suggest, and he puts his hand over mine.

"I have an idea first, and then we sure can," he says. I nod, sitting back in the seat. Just being this close was amazing, seeing him was like taking a drug. Addictive.

We drive about ten minutes from our house to the other side of campus. He pulls up on a random side street, and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Come with me," he grins. I undo my seatbelt and hop out of the car.

The street looks like ours, with old houses on both sides. He takes me to one, walking me around to the back of it. We're in the backyard when I start to wonder what we're doing.

"Kent, this is someone's house!" I hiss.

"No, Juls," he chuckles, pointing at the door at the top of the back steps. "It's ours," he grins, taking my hand and dragging me toward the steps. I blink, not fully comprehending the sentence before following him.

I climb two flights of stairs and find a door secured with an electronic number pad lock. Kent rapidly enters the code and opens the door, prompting a wide grin from me as I step inside.

The place is perfect for the two of us, spacious with plenty of windows, not too small. I survey the long living and dining area, the slightly outdated kitchen, and the charming finishes. It's just like the pictures he showed me.

We walk down the hallway to check out the bedrooms, gauging their sizes. One is clearly larger, and that will be our room.

"I thought this would make a great bedroom," he murmurs, his hands encircling my waist. "Not mine or yours, but our room. No more sleepovers, back-and-forth across the hall. Just one."

"You have to let me decorate it the way I want," I caution.

"I veto fairy lights and scented candles," he says immediately, and I shake my head, glancing back at him.

"You can choose one, but you have to tolerate the other," I tease, and he rolls his eyes.

"I'll let you decorate it however you like, just nothing that offends my eyes or singes my nose hairs," he whispers, making me snort.

"Does my current decor do those things?" I ask, and he chuckles. "Didn't think so."

We continue our tour, checking out the bathroom and the laundry machines in the hall closet. It's all so charming.

"Why isn't anyone living here?" I ask, feeling puzzled. "Our lease doesn't end until the summer."

"I know. The owner had to do some renovations and updates this year. He's subletting it through the summer, and then we get it in September."

"It's really perfect," I whisper. "You know me so well."

"I try," he chuckles.

"Thanks for bringing me. I love it," I murmur, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck, and he chuckles, pulling me in for another kiss.

"Want to head home?" he asks quietly, and I nod, pressing my lips together.

The thought of this being our home next year is incredible. Life with Kent is so much better, less boring, more comfortable. He completes me.

He drives me back to our current place. The new apartment is only about a twenty-minute walk from here, but it's still close to the city and campus for both of us.

"What do you want to do to celebrate?" he asks as we pull into the driveway, and I shrug.

"I don't know, nothing too wild!" I confess. "I just wanted to be with you. My eyes meet his, and he suppresses a smile. He's much worse at hiding his feelings now, and I always know how he feels.

"What if I told you no one else is home?" he asks, placing his hand over mine, and I clear my throat.

Kent always fills in the spaces for me. I can't always communicate what I want or how I feel about intimacy, but he does his best to boost my confidence without making me uncomfortable.

"I'd tell you... that sounds like a good celebration to me," I whisper, and he laughs, gently lifting my chin and kissing my lips.

We scramble out of the car like it's on fire, running hand-in-hand to the front door. He retrieves his keys, finding the one for the door, and I lick my lips.

"Hurry!" I whisper.

"I'm going as fast as I can, baby," he replies quickly, unlocking the door. I take his hand, pulling him inside.

He tosses his keys on a table, and I drop my bag by the entrance. He pushes me against the front door, firmly grasping my hips and kissing my lips. I hum, placing my hands on his face to pull him closer, and he groans.

"How about right here?" he whispers, swiftly unzipping my jacket. "Against the door?"

"I don't mind," I breathe, hastily moving my hands to his belt. "Let's do it." He grins against my mouth.

"Jesus Christ!" I hear a male voice gasp, and a door creaks open. We immediately separate, but it's not a voice I've heard recently. I look over Kent's shoulder and see Carlo in the hallway, frozen.

I'm at a loss for words. I haven't seen him in months, and I know Kent hasn't either. He hasn't returned to the city for a while, and he didn't notify anyone about his visit. How did he even get in? The door was locked.

"Carlo?" I inquire, feeling bewildered. He's changed his hairstyle and beard, looking more professional than the last time I saw him. No more thrift store jeans and old t-shirts; he's now in slacks and a dress shirt.

My heart is racing, and I'm breathless, but it feels like a bucket of ice water has been poured over me.

"Damn," Kent mutters, fastening his belt. He looks up at the ceiling, and I run my hands over my face, feeling embarrassed.

"So it's true?" Carlo exclaims, and I blink.

"Why are you here?" I blurt out. "How did you get in?"

"I still have my key," he shrugs. "I was in the city for work, and I knew Kent usually had free time on Tuesday mornings. I didn't realize this was how he spent it now."

"You couldn't send a text?" Kent complains, trying to wrap his head around the situation. "Carlo, why are you lurking here in the dark?"

"I just got here and needed to use the bathroom," Carlo says, scratching the back of his neck. "I was going to text once I was out of the bathroom. I didn't mean to sneak up on you." He awkwardly admits, making the situation even more uncomfortable. "I came to hang out for a bit. I have a meeting tonight, and then I have to head back. But I, um... I guess you're busy?"

"If you're here to lecture us, just get it over with," Kent snaps, leaning against the wall. "Almost everyone I know hasn't approved of our relationship, so your disapproval won't be anything special-"

"Whoa, don't get defensive," Carlo snorts, raising his hands. "I freaked out because I don't want to see you two making out or undressing. It's weird, I won't lie, but I'm not here to lecture you."

"Even though you told Kent to stay away from me?" I remind him, crossing my arms. I still held some resentment against Carlo for that; it was one of the reasons Kent was so distant when I moved in.

"Juls, try to see it from my perspective for a moment," Carlo sighs. "You're about to move your nice, kind friend into an apartment with three guys who you know very well. I couldn't bear to see you move in here and then regret it, hating your life because of a mistake or-"

"Carlo," I sigh, rubbing my temples.

"What? You can say all you want that it's not fair, but it's true and it's how I felt. I knew Kent liked you, and I just wanted you to make your own choice. Not get too involved and then resent me for moving you into the apartment."

"But why would I blame you for that?" I ask, shaking my head. "That wouldn't be your fault at all. I'm more upset about what you've already done."

"I know," he sighs. "I'm sorry for that, but I thought I was doing the right thing."

"I understand you were trying to do what's best," I sigh. "And I hate to say this..." I mumble, moving next to Kent and gripping his hand tightly. "But you kind of messed up." I tease, and Kent's face softens. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer.

"Clearly," he chuckles, rolling his eyes. "I've seen some pictures and heard a bit through the grapevine from Kyle about it too."

"And?" I inquire, and Carlo rolls his eyes.

"Maybe I should have left it alone."

"Yeah, maybe," I sigh, rolling my eyes.

"Well, why don't we go out for lunch or something? You can spend the whole time telling me how right you are," he suggests, and I roll my eyes.

"At least it's the least you can do for breaking into our apartment," Kent laughs, and Carlo chuckles.

"This place used to be mine," he defends.

"I can honestly say I don't wish you stayed," Kent laughs, squeezing my hand. He leans in really close, almost touching my ear with his lips, and lowers his voice to a near-whisper. "Are you okay with lunch instead of sex?" he softly asks, making my cheeks flush.

I nod without saying much, unsure of how to respond. I can't believe he just said that with Carlo so close by.

"I don't want to know what you told her, but no more of that while we're out," Carlo insists, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

I shake it off, nudge Kent lightly, and pick up my bag from the floor. "Let me put this in my room first," I quickly say, clearing my throat and trying to hide my flushed face.

I hear Kent and Carlo chatting and laughing while I'm in my room. As unexpected as this situation is, it's nice. Seeing Carlo genuinely make an effort to come by and reconcile with Kent is important to me. It gives them a chance to patch things up the right way.

We all get into Kent's car, and Carlo chooses the lunch spot. I text Kyle and Mark, even though I know they're usually in class. It would be good for all of them to hang out, considering they used to be close friends.

"Did you Uber to our house?" Kent asks, sounding puzzled. "Yeah, I took the train this morning. Figured I'd come by. If you weren't there, I was just going to nap on your couch," Carlo chuckles, smoothing out his suit. Kent reaches for my hand, and I hold it firmly. I love it when he touches me just because he wants to.

Kent manages to find a parking spot on a nearby side street, and we all hop out into the chilly early afternoon air. Kent takes my hand again, and I smile as I follow Carlo. It feels like my different worlds are oddly merging. Carlo represents most of my past, three years of commuting to class and feeling lonely, while Kent symbolizes my present, making my life fuller and better. Seeing those two halves of my life come together is surreal.

"You think he's trying to trick us with how cool he is about this?" Kent whispers as we approach a Greek restaurant.

"No, Carlo isn't good at hiding his feelings for that," I snort, stepping through the restaurant's door after Carlo.

The aroma inside is incredible, making my mouth water instantly. It's filled with herbs and seasonings, and the slow-cooked meat smells amazing. I love Greek food.

"This place is a bit fancier than we usually go," Kent comments, and Carlo shrugs as the waitress hands us menus and leads us to a table in the back. The place is bustling, and I can see why. The food here must be amazing.

"I have a real job now," Carlo shrugs. "The least I can do is take you guys to lunch in the city."

I sit next to Kent, facing Carlo at a dark, solid wood table. Despite it being daytime, the ambiance here is warm and cozy. I take off my jacket and start perusing the menu.

I'm starving, and I can't wait for the food. We place our orders, and I clear my throat, trying to ease some of the awkwardness. It's been a while since we've seen each other, and now that Kent and I are dating, a lot of things are unsaid.

"So... how's school and everything?" Carlo asks, and both Kent and I shrug.

"Good. I took the GMAT over the summer, and Brown accepted me into their MBA program for next year. Juls is in a similar boat," Kent explains, and I nod.

"I received my placement for my master's program at Brown today."

"That's great," Carlo nods. "So you're both staying in Providence next year?" We both nod, and he grins. "Are you staying at the same apartment?"

I bite the inside of my cheek, and Kent hesitates. We hadn't informed anyone that we were moving in together next year, not because we thought it would upset people or because we were abandoning Kyle and Mark, but because we worried that people would think we were moving too fast.

"No, Kyle is applying for jobs out of the city, Mark's moving in with his teammates, and so is Abby," I shrug. "Besides, it's not fair to ask people to live with us while we're together."

"So what's your plan?" Carlo asks, and Kent places his hand on my knee, signaling that he was going to tell him and that everything would be okay.

"Well, I've been-"

"There you are!" I hear, and I quickly look over my shoulder to see Kyle hurrying in with Mark behind him. "They really tucked this table in the back corner, huh?"

Saved by the bell.

"What are you two doing here?" Carlo chuckles, rising from the table to greet them.

"What, you think you can break into our apartment and we wouldn't find out?" Mark chuckles. "Haven't seen you in months, man. You're not avoiding us."

"Juls texted us to tell us where you were going so we could meet you," Kyle explains, taking a seat beside Carlo. I suddenly realize that I hadn't checked my phone at all, and I pull it out. Sure enough, there were messages from the two of them about joining us and where we were seated. "So, what are you discussing?" Mark asks, and we shrug.

"Just catching up on our lives and stuff," I reply. "We only got here a little while ago."

"You didn't catch up back at our place at all?" Before I can answer, Carlo jumps in.

"It's hard to talk to them when they're practically swallowing each other's tongues," he chuckles, and I roll my eyes, feeling embarrassed.

"You weren't supposed to be there," I remind him, raising my eyebrows.

"Any other day, Juls and I would've been alone," Kent agrees, and Mark raises his hand.

"And that's more than enough details," Mark insists. "So, Carlo, what brings you here? Besides being a cock-block?" Kent laughs, and I crack a smile too.

"Business meeting this afternoon," Carlo answers. Mark and Kyle exchange a bewildered look, prompting laughter from Carlo. "I know, I'm all grown up."

"It's kind of stupid that you're climbing the corporate ladder when you used to smash through folding tables in frat houses," Mark counters.

"That was a one-time thing," Carlo insists, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you'll be in a similar position in a year or two, young grasshopper."

"The day I start wearing a suit and tie every single weekday is the day I die."

"If only it was acceptable to wear Bud Light t-shirts and jeans you pulled out of the dirty hamper to work," I sigh, and everyone shares a chuckle.

"So, you've already experienced the Juls and Kent show?" Mark asks Carlo, and I kick him under the table. "What?" He asks, and I roll my eyes.

"Yep," Carlo laughs. "Are you two like that all the time?" He chuckles, directing his question to Kent and me, and we wince.

"No," I firmly reply. "Can we stop talking about all of this? Kent does all of the stuff he does with the girls he brings home from bars. We know that, everyone knows that. We don't do it in front of anyone, so please stop bringing it up." I whine, and Carlo clears his throat.

"It's not what you think," Kyle shrugs. "It's weird at times, but they're still ready to fight all the time."

Kyle always acted as a mediator, not caring about what others did as long as it made them happy. He refused to argue or take sides in most matters.

"How did you two start dating, anyway?" Carlo asks curiously, and I shrug.

"It didn't happen all at once," Kent replies, and I nod. "I liked Juls for a while, and she told me the feeling was mutual. But we used to argue a lot over trivial things, so we kind of tried to stay away from each other for the sake of the apartment."

"Kent asked me to go with him to Thanksgiving, we went to New York, and it was the first time we weren't influenced by anyone else's opinions. We returned and tried to gradually start a relationship. It wasn't always easy, but-"

"It was worth it," Kent finishes for me, and I grin, nodding. "Now we're dating."

"And apparently making everyone miserable in the process," I tease, raising my water glass to his, and he taps his against mine. "Except each other."

"Random," Carlo shrugs, and I nod. "But... I don't know, it makes sense. It makes sense, right?" He asks Kyle and Mark, who both nod.

"Way too much sense," Mark agrees. "Almost creepy how similar they are."

"I should have known better than to try and tell either of them what to do," Carlo sighs, and we all chuckle.

Once we finish lunch, we all pile back into Kent's car. He makes all of them squeeze into the backseat, leaving room for me to sit up front with him. Oddly enough, three large men don't love being jammed into a confined space because of love and chivalry.

We pull around our block, talking about how much more time Carlo has this afternoon before he has to go be an adult. As we pull up in front of our place, Kent slows down.

A large moving truck is blocking our driveway.

"Oh, what the heck," Kent groans. He honks the horn, but it's no use; there's no driver, and the back is open with a ramp down to the street. "This is insane! Who the heck would be moving in at the end of February?"

He parks on the side of the street, squeezing into a spot on the curb, and we all pile out. All five of us are way too curious, though, so we just stand beside the car.

What I see, though, almost makes me jump for joy in the street.

Piper is on the doorstep, on the phone, screaming into it as workers carry out furniture to the truck.

"What the heck is happening here?" Carlo hisses, and we all shrug, except for Kent, who smiles evily.

"I may have sent an anonymous tip to our landlord that Piper had installed cameras in her room upstairs. Last month he was in measuring all the windows in the house to get them replaced, and... I guess he didn't like being filmed or the pictures she took on it. I also screenshotted the texts she tried to blackmail me with to her parents on Facebook. If I was guessing... she's being evicted, and her parents are removing her from her apartment."

"What?" I gape. "Look, I know she's a jerk, but she's like two months from graduating."

"No, she wasn't," Mark snorts. "Do you know how many classes she's failed?" He asks, and I blink, turning back to look at him. "She got kicked out at Christmas."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she used to harass me for notes and work like no one's business. She finally stopped, I never saw her in my classes anymore. I heard through a classmate what was going on."

"So wait, she's just been-"

"Picking on you for months as a full-time job," he finishes for me.

"Mark, I can't believe you've been sitting on a hot piece of gossip like that for months and didn't say anything."

"Hey, what goes around comes around. And I'd say homeless, degree-less, friendless is about as around as it gets," he snorts. "You can thank Kent; he's the one who's responsible for this," he chuckles, and I watch one of the men drop a box on the lawn. It's full of clothes, which explode out when it hits the ground.

Piper's hysterical, screaming, crying, yelling at everyone about everything. She's leaving, the person who's been trying to ruin my life for months is finally about to disappear from it. I quickly pull out my phone and text Abby.

ME [1:38 PM]

*How fast can you get here? Piper's having a MELTDOWN on the lawn and is being evicted!!! Get here soon!*

ABBY [1:39 PM]

*SHUT UP*

*Leaving my house now, I need to see this!*

This girl teased me, called me ugly and fat, flirted with the boy I love, tried to ruin our relationship, slept with my ex when we were still dating, and tried to blackmail me. I want her gone. Maybe I'll finally sleep at night.

"I picked a good day for a visit," Carlo remarks, and we all laugh.

That's when her head twists all the way around to us, like an owl. She glares at us, and her eyes widen unbelievably. If looks could kill.

She sprints over, and Kent yanks me into his side. "You jerks, I know one of you has something to do with this!"

"Why would we? You're so neighborly," Kyle says sarcastically. "Juls, if you think this crap's over, you're delusional. You're a jerk, and you don't know your place; you'll regret ever meeting me." She says, eyes bright red from crying and her face flushed from anger. Little does she know I already wish I'd never met her.

"Looks pretty over to me," I shrug. "You should go pick your underwear up off the lawn."

"Just remember one thing for me, Juls," she huffs, pointing her finger at me. "Every boy that you've been with this year, I've been with this year. I always get what I want." Kent flinches to step forward, and I put up my hand to stop him.

"Let's be honest here, Piper, I have what you want right now," I whisper, taking a bold step towards her. "While you sit upstairs as a dropout without anyone in your life who loves you, below your floor, I'm about to graduate with an honors degree while Kent..." I say in a low, even tone, "...freaks the heck out of me every single night." I say in a low, even tone. "You are one of the emptiest people I know; you're pathetic, and I hope you finally learn your lesson."

She just stands there, staring at me, and I narrow my eyes. "I know you're having a crap day, but if you don't want me to punch you again, then get away from me right now. This is my only warning; I'm trying to be nice." She doesn't move, so I flinch at her, and she scrambles away, hurrying back across the street with a death stare.

The last time we had a confrontation, she still won to some degree. This time I won; I made it hurt as much as I could.

That's when the reality sets in that all four guys had heard me say out loud what I had about Kent. I don't want to turn around.

A hand rests on my shoulder, and I sigh. I'm still angry too, which isn't helping. I feel that person force me to spin around. I'm met with Kent's frame, and I look at the ground.

"Every single night, huh?" He asks, and I smirk a bit, feeling a laugh.

"Why did I say that?" I groan, running a hand over my face, and he chuckles.

"To make her mad," he shrugs. "It worked, by the way." I manage to look up at him, and that's when I realize Kyle, Mark, and Carlo had all moved away, giving us space.

"I'm sorry if it embarrassed you."

"No, it's a glowing endorsement," he chuckles, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"They left when I said that, didn't they?" I mumble, and he nods with a soft laugh.

"Yeah, Julianna Macey, you sure can clear a room," he teases, picking me up and sitting me on the hood of the car. "Next year, I'll really be able to do it every single night," he whispers, and I smirk. "She's gone; this is good."

"It is good," I agree. "It's a fresh start for us." I whisper, and he smiles. "I need to be done with her and all of the drama that comes with her."

"We're done with her; there's nothing before us," he whispers. "All that I think about is the after part, everything after I met you."

"I love you," I breathe, and he nods.

"And I love you," he responds. "You want to hear something that'll make you happy?"

"Yes, please tell me," I plead, and he grins, placing his hands on my knees. His face is just inches away from mine, and I gaze into it, recalling how it felt when I first met him. I love his green eyes more and more each day.

"I've found a place for us to visit during spring break."