Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 32

"You often use that nickname," I persist, and he chuckles.

"I'm not attempting to belittle you," he reassures me, his hand on my hip causing my thoughts to cloud.

I sneak a quick glance at him, and despite the darkness, his green eyes are captivating. "Even though I'm aware you don't hold me in high regard, I appreciate everything you've done," I mumble, and he shakes his head.

"Julianna, if I didn't like you, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths," he admits, and my eyes widen. "I understand I haven't done much to make you happy since you moved in. I just struggle with people," he confesses, sounding somewhat upset. "I know it's not a valid excuse, but there's something I want you to know."

"Alright," I say slowly, and he nods.

"I'm aware people may have told you that I hop from one girl to another, using them, and that I'm a promiscuous man who sleeps around," he begins in a hushed tone, and I sigh. "That's not true," he asserts in a whisper, and I blink in surprise.

"What about Piper-"

"I've never been intimate with Piper," he asserts. "Never. I don't have romantic feelings for her. People have made assumptions about us because they've seen us kiss, and I've kissed plenty of girls. I've also been intimate with my fair share of them, but I'm trying to change," he admits in a whisper, and I nod.

That might be the most surprising thing he's ever said. From my perspective, it appeared that he and Piper had a mutual interest for a while.

"I don't date, I don't have any close female friends, and to be honest, I'm not close to anyone," he says, shaking his head. "I'm not accustomed to being emotionally open with people, but you naturally bring that out in me, honey," he murmurs, and I chuckle quietly. "I'm trying, but getting under your skin can be amusing sometimes."

I mutter under my breath, "Asshole," and he smiles.

"Just so you know, leaving the apartment in disarray is neither a joke nor a tease. It's just plain rude," I tell him in a hushed tone, and he nods.

"Because you told me to stop," he sighs, and I raise an eyebrow.

I tease him by saying, "Maybe I should wear this shirt more often," and he smiles. "I'm glad to see you smile," I murmur, my drunken confidence gradually fading. "You don't do it often enough."

"Don't do it just for show," he advises, giving me a shrug as he places his hands on my waist. I take a deep breath. The air feels charged, and it's difficult to put into words how his hands feel. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. "What are you thinking?" he asks, and as he does, his thumb gently strokes the exposed part of my waist.

"It can't be comfortable for you to have me lying on top like this," I say, and he laughs, shaking his head when I shrug.

"Never a dull moment," I hear him whisper, and I smile. "You don't weigh much."

"Still," I shrug, and he shakes his head again. "Do you think we'll ever get along?"

"I think we're getting along just fine now," he responds, and I shrug again because he's right. "Maybe we're the kind of people who only get close when there's a lot at stake."

"A lot was at stake here?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, and he just shrugs.

"The stakes had to pay their way into a house party, so it was high stakes for them," he jokes, chuckling. "And to teach Piper a lesson."

"Yes, the lesson is clear: never underestimate Julianna," I nod as I laugh. "My favorite."

"Mine too," he whispers, and I blink in surprise. His eyes keep flicking to my lips, and I can't help but feel like my heart is about to burst. My mind won't stop racing, my throat goes dry, my palms are sweating, and everything around me urges me to lean in closer. "Honey, come here," he murmurs, and I press my forehead against his, our noses brushing.

I can feel his strong hands on my waist, and it feels as if time has stopped. Just thinking about it sends shivers up and down my spine.

Then both my phone and Kent's phone start to ring, abruptly waking me up. What's the point? Oh my god, we were going to—

I quickly disentangle myself from him and, while trying to catch my breath and locate my phone, he does the same. I answer the call.

"H-hello?" I say, taking a deep breath and sounding like I've just run a marathon.

"Julianna? When are you and Kent coming out? Since you won the bet, let's head home and set up," the voice on the other end asks impatiently.

"Um, yeah. We just jumped out the back window. We'll be at the front in a minute," I reply, giving Kent a perplexed look. He seems like he's just taken his first breath in ten years. "See you soon."

After ending the call, I get up and dust myself off. Kent hands me the shoes I had thrown out the window.

"Thanks," I whisper, and he nods, clearing his throat. He signals for me to go first after I fix my skirt. We stick to the line of bushes between the houses and carefully make our way to the front porch.

"Damn, it's still Zack," I mutter.

"Rack-loving Zack," Kent mutters to himself, and I roll my eyes and make a sarcastic face.

"Very amusing," I sigh, and he chuckles softly, showing he found his own joke funny. "We got in because of my figure."

"I know, and we managed to get out because I served as a landing cushion," he says humorously.

"Alright, I can't jump out of windows while wearing a skirt and drinking. Sue me," I sigh, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's my weak point."

"Well, there's something that can bring down every Superman," Kent says with a sigh, and I roll my eyes.

"Wow, you're really nailing those clever one-liners," I laugh as I tease him. "Okay, let's get serious. What's our plan now?" I ask, and he simply shrugs.

"Just hop over the bushes to the other side, and we'll run down to the street," he suggests, leaving me somewhat perplexed. He pushes his way through, so I gather my courage and squeeze between two bushes to reach the other side.

Then he and I sprint to the street, where everyone is waiting for our return. I can't help but laugh, feeling liberated as though I've just done something daring. But then it hits me: this is how college is supposed to feel. It's not just about classes and homework; it's not just about eagerly waiting for your high school friends to visit. It's about creating enduring memories that will stay with you forever.

"There they are!" Kyle exclaims, and as we approach the group, we both share a laugh.

"What happened?" Abby, who has just joined the group, asks. I chuckle.

"I persuaded a freshman to let Kent and me join the fraternity," I shrug, opting for honesty, which surprisingly wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

"Well, with your looks, I'd believe you could talk anyone into anything," she teases, and I roll my eyes. "Thanks for taking one for the team; I really didn't want to spend the night there."

"So, everything went smoothly?" Mark inquires, and I take a deep breath, glancing back at Kent, whose expression remains unchanged. "What did you guys do in there, and what's the story?"

"Yes, Julianna did her best with what she had," Mark says, prompting eye rolls from Abby, me, and the guys as he elaborates, "I meant her persuasive skills." Everyone laughs in unison.

And where did Piper and her friends go? I inquire.

"They decided to wait in line for the party," Kyle chuckles. "They didn't want to wait for more updates after receiving your message."

"She had it coming," I shrug.

"I think you provided her with a valuable lesson on what not to do," Mark remarks to me. "Let's head back home now; this entire block reeks of Axe body spray." We all laugh and turn around, walking along the sidewalk toward our apartment.

As I look up from putting my shoes back on for the walk, Kent is waiting for me. Everyone else in the group has already moved ahead.

"Thanks," I say, speaking slowly, and he nods.

"Yeah," he replies, and we share a soft laugh.

"In the heat of the moment, I let out a swear," he mumbles, and I simply nod. Since he was right, I didn't expect any further explanation. My point was that I didn't want to become one of those carefree girls he casually kissed.

I wouldn't delve into this even if I suspected there might be more to it. Not when we share the same living space, and especially not when his friends are also our roommates. It would disrupt not only the harmony in our apartment but also my own life.

When someone is as emotionally damaged as he is, I can't afford to get too close. Hanging out together? Yes, but part of being a compassionate person is recognizing when someone is searching for love in the wrong place. Kent isn't in the right place for that now, given everything he's dealing with.

"Agreed," I say, and he nods in response to my sigh. "Do you think this could be a turning point?" I whisper the question, taking a deep breath and looking up at him. "I mean, we've been pretty fierce enemies, but do you think we could give living together a shot?"

"I'd like that," he replies softly, eliciting a smile from me.

"Good," I sigh. "By the way, that also means you'll have to load the dishwasher," I inform him, to which he rolls his eyes.

"You've got not doing chores on the top of your list, I get it," he says, making me smile. "I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings in the past or if I hurt them again in the future," he tells me, and it warms my heart. That's all I wanted to hear from him at the pool two weeks ago, and it seems like time has helped him come to terms with it.

"That's very kind of you," I respond. "Thank you for extending a hand."

"Hey, do you want a free beer and someone to catch you if you decide to jump off a frat house? Anytime," he quips, and we both share a laugh.

I always knew he had this side to him, hidden behind his bad moods and rudeness. It took almost a month and a half for it to surface, but I appreciate it. Strangely enough, Piper is the one who inadvertently brought it out of him.