Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 31

"Alright, we have a couple of options," I propose, aiming to make sure our plan is solid before venturing into the party scene. "First, we could pretend I'm an exchange student from London looking to attend a frat party." He chuckles, seeming open to the idea.

"That doesn't sound too bad," he agrees. "What else have you got?"

"Option two: you play the 'I'm Kent' card and leverage your fame to get us as far as possible." He simply shrugs in response.

"Piper wasn't kidding; those guys don't take well to challenges," he mutters, and I nod in agreement. "But let's keep it as a backup plan."

"Alright, for option three, we can team up with a group of girls already waiting in line. It'll look like you're bringing about six girls to the party."

"That seems like our best shot to me," he concurs, and I smile. "Let's give it a try." He lets out a sigh as he surveys the line of people. Our group of friends had been waiting for Abby and her friends, and now we found ourselves alone in this situation.

"What if we tried the cousin angle?" I suggest. "Like, I'm your cousin visiting from out of town." I offer the idea, but he groans in response.

"That sounds pretty awkward to me, and anyone on campus who sees you will know it's a load of nonsense," he whispers, and I nod, acknowledging his point. "Why don't we attempt this with a group of girls?"

The only issue was that there didn't seem to be any groups of single girls in line, probably because the frat had already admitted them. Everyone else was in mixed-gender groups of friends wanting to stick together. No one was willing to split from their group, no matter who we asked. A few guys even tried hitting on me because of what I was wearing, but I had to turn them down.

I let out a sigh. "Well, I guess that didn't work out," I say, and he nods. "Shall we proceed with the British approach?" He chuckles again.

"Hey!" I hear a friendly voice call out, and instantly, a burly guy in a frat t-shirt stands behind me. Accent or not, I nod awkwardly, and he grins. "Beautiful, why are you still waiting in line? The party's happening." I take a deep breath as he says this, his smile practically stretching his jaw.

He's got neatly cropped blonde hair, slicked back with gel, and he smells like cologne. He looks like the kind of guy who would question why the wealthy should pay more taxes in a wealth and humanities class. We seem to click.

"I'm just hanging out and waiting," I reply, smiling and shrugging, my arms crossed behind my back. When I flutter my eyelashes, he gives me an even bigger grin. Men can be so easily fooled.

"Oh no, there's no line for someone like you. Different rules apply," he tells me, and I act flattered, widening my eyes. Normally, I'm not confident when talking to guys, but the alcohol and adrenaline boost my courage.

"Really?" I ask, placing a hand on his shoulder, and he nods. "That's so sweet it hurts."

"I'm just looking out for you. I wouldn't be much of a doorman if I didn't want to let you in," he says.

At least Piper was wrong. He doesn't think I'm unattractive; he just wanted me to come inside.

"What's your name?" I inquire softly, smoothing his shirt on his shoulder, and he clears his throat.

"Zack," he answers. "And you?"

"Julianna," I respond with a similar gesture. "What year are you in?"

"I'm a freshman, just rushed a couple of weeks ago." This could work in my favor. "Do you think we could go inside and chat while I get you a drink?"

I sigh and say, "As much as I'd love that," but he looks puzzled, furrowing his brows. "Right now, it looks like none of the guys are getting in."

"What's the problem with that?" Kent asks when he speaks up.

"I live with these guys," I explain, causing Zack's pupils to dilate in fear of Kent's imposing figure.

"Sorry, we're almost at capacity right now, and your roommate would need to pay," he stammers, clearing his throat, and I sigh.

"I had a feeling you'd say that," I pretend to sigh, shaking my head. Kent chuckles when I glance up at him and add, "This keeps happening. I just wanted to go out tonight, you know? But Kent was concerned about my safety getting home, right?" I inquire, and he nods, nearly spitting out his response.

Wow, I had no idea this group could pull off something like this.

"He decided to accompany me home to ensure my safety. He's not here to party or cause any trouble; he's just waiting for me. How can I catch up with you if you're going to kick him out?" I adopt a polite tone.

"I'm sorry, but I'd like to let both of you in. We're nearly at capacity right now," he says with a sigh and a shake of his head. "No more girls allowed, that's what I've been told."

Darn it.

"Why don't you bend the rules a bit?" I speak softly, fluttering my eyelashes. "Just this once, for me?" I watch him hesitate, and it brings a smile to my face. "Zack, please," I implore, clasping my hands together and accentuating my cleavage.

"Well, I..." He sighs. "Are you certain your roommate is only here to ensure your safety?" He seems to be asking if Kent won't interfere.

"Of course, I'm sure," I wink. "Just give it to me now." As I whisper, I take out a pen from my bag and click it open. He eagerly offers his hand, and I smile as I write a 10-digit number on a piece of paper. "That's my number, alright? Will you let us in?" I ask.

"O-okay," he nods, as though someone had just asked a preschooler if he wanted his face painted.

He motions for us to follow him up the stairs, and as I flash a smile at Kent, he looks at me as if to say, "What just happened?"

"Thank you so much, Zack," I whisper, placing my hand on his shoulder. He ushers us through the door.

Kent follows me, his hand resting on my lower back, guiding me to the unused room at the back of the house, which looks like a place to hang out or study.

"Oh my god!" I exclaim, jumping up and squealing as I wrap my arms around Kent's neck. "I can't believe that worked!" He laughs and pulls back slightly, but he keeps his hands on my waist, so our eyes remain level.

"You make things happen," he remarks, making me smile suddenly. I realize we're closer than ever.

"Ah, no," I smile. "It's the number for the pizza place near my house. I'll be long gone before he figures it out."

"That's sneaky!" he chuckles. "People are really drawn to you."

"Or maybe it's the revealing clothes, it's open to interpretation," I laugh as I shrug. "Let's sneak out a window and take a picture," I suggest.

"This life of crime suits you, doesn't it?" I grip his wrist and lead him out of the back room and into the main area when he inquires. We each grab a beer, then I snap a photo of us both with Solo cups in hand in the kitchen. I give Piper a mischievous smile and send it to her.

Juliana (19:32) 11MAGE ATTACHMENT" "Suck it xx"

He laughs over my shoulder as we both enjoy our beers. Neither of us wanted to stay. Once we finish our drinks, we return to the empty study room.

He swiftly approaches a window and opens it, revealing enough space to sneak through. I glance over my shoulder, nodding to indicate he should go for it.

"That's a decent leap, and if you need my assistance, I'm here," I tell him when he asks, and he leaps out. I hear a thud on the grass, so I peek out to check on him. He's dusting himself off. "Hurry up," he urges, and I swiftly bend down, slip off my shoes, and toss them onto the grass. One last look behind me, and I hop to the edge and follow suit.

As I jump, he catches me around the waist, and we both lose our balance, tumbling onto the damp grass in fits of laughter.

"Thank you," I say, taking a deep breath. Kent nods, and there's no urge to put distance between us, even though we're right beside each other. "I appreciate everything you did tonight, Kent," I say in a hushed tone. He responds with a gentle smile.

"You're not like the others," he whispers. "You're different from any other girl I know."

"Is that a good thing?" I inquire softly, and he nods.

"It's more than good," he reassures me. "It's wonderful, darling," he adds.

As he says that, I realize I'm sitting on top of him, and he's holding onto my waist. We used to be adversaries, but now we're so friendly that I didn't even notice how we ended up like this.