Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 34

I hadn't really known how to approach Kent since Saturday. What happened had a more significant impact on me than I had anticipated. We had been on the verge of kissing, but I had never felt that way around guys before. It was an entirely new sensation.

Nonetheless, it was better to leave it unspoken. I needed to move forward and put it behind me. I should attempt to normalize my interactions with Kent, but not just yet.

As we walked home, I found myself at a loss for words.

"You're awfully quiet," he remarked, and I simply shrugged, feeling somewhat apprehensive.

"It's been a long day, and the humidity at the pool makes me want to crawl into bed," I replied in a hushed tone. "You didn't have to walk me home."

"I thought it was the right thing to do," he reasoned. Late at night, he always offered to accompany me home, which was thoughtful.

"You always seem to be there to walk me home," I chuckled.

Upon arriving home, I swung the door open, kicked off my shoes, and tossed my ID onto the table.

"Hey, Julianna," greeted Kyle, sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos and a grin.

"Nobody drowned tonight?" Mark, sitting at the dining room table with his laptop, looked up and inquired. His gaze trailed behind me, catching sight of Kent. "Kent? You just got back too?"

"Yes, just came from the gym," he replied with a nonchalant shrug, then headed to the kitchen. I settled onto the couch next to Kyle, leaning my head back.

"I'm exhausted and ready for bed," I sighed, prompting Kyle to let out a laugh.

"You always look worn out when you return from the pool. What went wrong?" He asked while munching on a chip, and I sighed.

"The heat in there is unbearable, and you have to stay vigilant the whole time," I explained, running my fingers through my hair. "It's not an easy job, and I tend to get stressed easily."

"But I doubt people really drown at that pool," Mark interjected, closing his laptop. I did the same, nodding in agreement.

"People who can't swim well usually find something to hold onto if they're in trouble. But drownings do happen, and it's not confined to open water."

"How so?" Mark inquired, and I merely shrugged.

"Shallow water often conceals dark spots. It happened at the pool last year when I wasn't on duty. A trained synchronized swimmer experienced this during practice."

"What's a blackout in shallow water?" Kyle asked.

"It occurs when someone stays underwater for an extended period without taking a breath. In synchronized swimming, they hold their breath for extended durations, exert themselves strenuously, and may faint underwater, failing to resurface."

"That's terrible," Kent chimed in from the corner chair in the living room.

"Anything else?" Mark questioned me, and I shrugged again.

"There are two bulkheads in the pool, and no one should swim beneath them as they risk getting stuck. In addition, such incidents can result in back injuries, paralysis, and..." I glanced at Kent, who quickly averted his gaze. "They can't turn over in the water."

Kent appeared tense and saddened, and I felt guilty for inadvertently bringing up one of the most terrifying experiences he had endured.

"How does that happen?" Kyle inquired. "What in a pool could injure your back?" Kent clenched his jaw, and my mouth began to feel dry.

"The most common causes are diving from a significant height and missing the water, colliding with the pool wall, or diving into the shallow end," I whispered, prompting Kent to clear his throat.

"Have you finished asking lifeguard Julianna silly questions?" he muttered, and I nervously scratched the back of my neck.

"Take it easy, Kent. We're just asking her some questions," Mark interjected, and I felt my cheeks growing warm.

Kent's frustration was understandable in this situation, and it was apparent that no one else was aware of the ordeal he had been through.

"Yeah, you're always jumping on Julianna," Kyle added.

"That's alright. I understand it's a somber topic," Kent quickly cleared his throat, stood up, and left the room, while I kept shaking my head, berating myself for my thoughtless remarks.

I feel guilty, Julianna," Mark says, and I nod in response.

"No problem," I manage a weak smile and reassure him it's okay. "How was everyone's day?" I inquire.

"I've been packing because we have an away game this weekend," Mark replies. I smile when he shares the reason.

"That's great! How's the football season going?"

"It's going well, and the team's morale is high," he tells me, and I grin.

Then it dawns on me that this is probably what affected Kent. Something he used to enjoy that his roommate has been doing since their first year.

"That's cool," I sigh, trying to divert my thoughts from myself.

"I'll be heading home for the weekend, just like you," Kyle chimes in. I turn to look at him.

Will they leave just him and me here? I've been alone with Kent in the apartment for a few hours before, but for an entire weekend?

"Really?" I try not to let my question sound too irritated. I might decide to spend the night at home or something.

"Yeah, my mom's back from her business trip, and she wants me to visit her," he laughs as he mentions it. She's often away, so this is the first time in almost six months that she's been at home.

"Oh, wow," I blink, then realize how odd that situation must be. "Then it's a good thing you're leaving."

I couldn't imagine having the same kind of relationship with my parents as any of my roommates did. Mark had abandoned his faith and never wanted to return to Salt Lake. Kyle only saw his mother a few times a year, and his dad was always working. He once confided that he hadn't been raised by his parents. Kent appeared to have issues with his family and preferred not to be at home.

I cherished my family. I talked to my mom at least once every two weeks and called home at least once a week. It felt strange to think that some people might not get along with their parents. I thought my close relationship with my family was something to be grateful for.

"Yeah," he shakes his head. "She doesn't know what I'm up to, so it's not that exciting. It's like reuniting with an old friend you haven't seen in months. All we do is talk."

That made me feel somewhat chilly.

"Well, I'll see you both on Sunday when you return," I smile, getting up and grabbing my work bag. "I'll read for a while and then head to bed."

"Alright, Julianna, goodnight!" Mark says something, and I wave as I walk down the hall to my room.

I toss my bag onto my bed, unzip my sweater, leaving me in my underwear and swimsuit. I also remove my apron and place it on my bed beside my bag. When I catch sight of Kent's room, I turn around to close my door and remove my sweatpants.

He's standing in front of his dresser, putting away some clothes. I've never spent more than a second in his room, and from my vantage point, I can't see much as his dresser is against the wall opposite the door, with him blocking most of my view.

"I'm sorry," he shakes his head as I whisper. I can hear Kyle and Mark chatting, and the TV has resumed in the main room. "I didn't mean to upset you," I add as I approach his door.

"It's alright; you didn't intend to hurt me," he simply shrugs, not looking at me. "I'll see you in the morning," he mumbles and pushes the door's edge to close it, but I keep it from shutting by placing my hand on it. "What?" he appears confused, wondering why I stopped him, but I'm not certain why I did.

"Would you like to talk about—"

"No," he sighs.

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" I interject again.

"Goodnight, Julianna," I roll my eyes at his response.

"Why do you do this all the time?"

"What do we do? He looks annoyed that I keep pestering him and asks, "What are you doing?"

"You tell me one thing and then clam up about it," I keep thinking about Kyle and Mark, so I whisper. "And you don't have to tell me, but you also don't have to act like I'm the worst for knowing something about you."

"I shouldn't have mentioned it to you," I blink as he mumbles.

"So what?" I ask, feeling upset. That day was crucial to me because it felt like he was making an effort to share something important with me. It was the first time we felt like we could work together, despite everything else that had happened between us.

"Because that look you give me annoys me," he informs me. "I don't care that you've given me that 'oh god, poor you' look. I don't care about what you've said, and I'm not upset by it. Julianna, I'm done with it," he declares, and my eyebrows rise. "Don't feel sorry for me."

"I-I don't feel sorry for you," I respond quietly.

I'd never encountered someone like Kent before, someone I tried to comfort or talk to about their issues. I was adept at dealing with crying fits or emotional outbursts, but Kent was unlike anyone else I'd met. He bottled everything up and claimed he'd rather die than discuss it. I didn't know how to help him, and my usual "trying-to-make-things-better" attitude didn't serve me well in this case.

"So, don't bring it up," he says with the same tone, though his gaze remains fixed on mine. He's made it abundantly clear that this is a topic never to be broached again. "Goodnight," he says once more as he closes the door, leaving me shaking my head.

It seems like the stress won't ease up anytime soon. Since Saturday night, that was the most we'd communicated. Things were challenging, and I struggled to find a solution.

I reminisced about how much fun he was last weekend and pondered what had been different about him that night. What had caused him to smile so genuinely back then?

There had been a shift between us, and it wasn't a positive one. It transformed the tension into something unfamiliar, something I had never experienced before and was certain I wouldn't encounter again.