Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 64

I step out of my room and walk down the hall, noticing that it's already starting to get late. I have a shift at the pool every night this week, except for Friday and Saturday. Well, and today, Monday. It's been over a week since our Halloween mess, and things are starting to settle down.

I walk into the kitchen, hearing silence in the apartment. I take out a frozen pizza and set the oven to preheat, leaning back on the counter. I figure most of my roommates would be out; it's getting busier around campus. Mark and Kyle work most weeknights to have their weekends free. Kent has been at the library all weekend working on a major assignment.

I hear a knock on the door, assuming it's one of my roommates forgetting their keys and coming home. I go to open it, and my heart drops. Chase stands in front of me, his brown eyes surrounded by dark circles, and I gulp.

"Juls," he says quietly, and I shake my head.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, feeling confused, and he sighs.

"I-I wanted to talk to you. It's been weeks since I've seen you last, and I-"

"Chase, you need to leave," I answer firmly. I'm home alone, and I don't feel comfortable letting him in.

"Juls, you never let me explain myself. I sent you flowers and messaged you so many times, and you just... you blew me off."

"I needed space from you," I answer seriously. "You overstepped a massive line, and I literally told you that I didn't feel that way about you before you decided we needed to kiss," I remind him, crossing my arms. "You were my friend; I trusted you."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just... I thought you liked me too. I was drunk that night at the bar, and I did something I regret," he insists, and I blink. "I tried to keep you at arm's length because I had a feeling you might have feelings for me," I whisper, feeling uncomfortable. "But you need to understand that I just... don't like you that way. You don't get to grab me and kiss me to try and change my mind."

"You're right, and I'm sorry," he says. "But..."

"No, there's no 'but' here, Chase," I answer, uncrossing my arms. "You said you're sorry, I understand that, and I'll try to forgive you for it, but... we can't be friends."

"What? Why not?" he asks, sounding confused. "It was a mistake, Juls; I didn't want to ruin things with you."

"Well, you did," I answer. "How do you think I could ever move past this with you?"

"I just thought enough time had passed," he sighs, running a hand over his face.

"It's clear that you still have unresolved feelings, and that's not a good idea to try and be friends again. It's going to make you miserable, and... it's going to put me on edge," I answer, running my hands over my pants.

He looks shocked, confused that a simple apology wouldn't change my mind on this. I'm smart enough to know that if we started hanging out again, he'd fall back down this spiral all over again. Not to mention Dane doesn't know about this, and if he found out we were still friends... he'd lose it.

"Alright then," he says coolly. "Well, since I won't see you again anytime soon, I've got nothing to lose. I like you, Juls, alright? I like you, I'd treat you a hell of a lot better than Kent does, and-"

"What did you just say?" I ask, feeling angry and confused.

"Oh, come on, all the shit you two get into?"

"Yeah, and? Kent and I aren't together."

"He's just an example," he answers, starting to sound agitated. "My point is, I'd do absolutely anything for you. I know you so well, and I'd treat you right."

"Chase!" I shout, throwing my hands up. "This is not friendship; do you understand that? This is exactly why I said we can't hang out anymore. I haven't seen you in weeks, and you're worse than last time," I insist, putting my hands on my waist. "You don't have a clue how wrong what you did was, and this is not the way to fix it. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt, but I'll put it to you in simple terms. You and I are never going to happen."



"Juls-"

"No," I huff, "This is too much for me, and it's not fair," I remind him, and he chews the inside of his cheek. "I think you should go."

"Just let me try to get the rest of this out, please. I just want you to know," he begs, holding the door open so I can't shut it on him.

"How much more is there to say? Nothing you're going to say is going to change my mind."

"If you'd just give me a chance, a date-"

"Chase, I have a boyfriend!" I shout, and he stops his ramble, shoulders sagging and his lips part.

"You're lying," he breathes, and I shake my head.

"No, I'm not. I've been seeing him for a few weeks now; his name is Dane," I insist. This was the only silver lining I could spot so far about dating Dane. He was my get out of jail free card. "You can ask anyone, ask Abby; she knows."

"Yeah, and what makes him so great?"

"Maybe the fact that he doesn't try to kiss me when I say no," I snap back. "Now go."

He just looks confused, frustrated. I didn't know what to do, but I was starting to get worried and stressed out. I wasn't sure what he was planning on doing, but I didn't like the look in his eyes.

"Juls, who's at the...." I hear, and I whip my head around, relieved to see Kent. I didn't even know he was home; he was so quiet in his room. I shoot him a desperate look, and he comes marching up to the door, removing Chase's hand from it and shoving him back. "It's time for you to go, Chase," he says firmly, and Chase shakes his head.

"Of course you're here," he chuckles. "Juls, does your boyfriend know you and Kent can't seem to stay away from each other?" He asks in a menacing tone.

"Watch what you say about the people I care about," I answer, crossing my arms. "And get lost."

"I'll call the police," Kent threatens, and Chase throws his hands up and walks back up the steps away from the front door. He shuts it and locks it, and I let out a tense breath.

"Thanks," I whisper, and he nods.

"Why'd you answer it?" He asks, and I blink.

"I-I didn't know it was him," I admit with a shrug, walking back to the kitchen. "God, why can't everyone just leave me alone?" I whisper, leaning my elbows on the counter and putting my face in my hands. I feel the urge to cry, but I'm trying to hold it in. "My life is a mess."

"Why? Because Chase is a stalker? I guarantee that's the last time you'll see him," Kent says nonchalantly.

"It's not just Chase," I whisper, keeping my face in my hands so I don't have to look at him.

"What's been going on with you lately, Juls?" He asks quietly, and I sigh. "You're never here anymore; we see you less and less every single day, and you're always with your boyfriend-"

"My boyfriend can't cope with the fact that I live with you," I answer, finally managing to pull my hands away from my eyes. He just blinks back, and I press my lips together.

"He still hasn't gotten over the fact that you live with three guys?" He asks, seeming confused.

"It's not the guys... it's you," I whisper, shaking my head, and he furrows his eyebrows. "He thinks there's something going on between us, and I don't know why. He told me... never mind," I whisper, chewing the inside of my cheek and walking back to the oven to put my pizza in.

I feel him wrap a hand around my wrist, and I gasp, spinning back around and nearly running into him in the process. "He told you what?"

"That I wasn't allowed to see you anymore," I mumble quietly. "Even though I've told him not to worry about it."

"Is this why you won't look at me anymore? Why do you run past me all the time?" He asks, sounding confused, and I look up at the ceiling. "Juls-"

"I mean... I guess he's sort of right," I admit, shaking my head. "Because we have kissed, and... let's be realistic. We've exchanged a lot of feelings on what's going on here, and... it's harder for me to try and make my relationship work when I spend more time getting to like you when you refuse to like me."

"I do," he insists, thumb running back and forth over my arm. "Things are just complicated, and... if you want to be with him, then I'm okay with that."

"I waited for you that night, I begged you to tell me what was going through your head and told you how I felt... and you just stared at me. You didn't say anything, and then you went upstairs with Piper."

"You went home with him!" He counters, sounding irritated.

"Only because you pushed me back towards him, because I-"

"I didn't make you do anything," he insists, shaking his head, and I huff. "You keep doing this to me," I answer firmly. "You pull me in with some stupid thing, you make me think you're different, and I get vulnerable with you... and then you back off. You blame all of these feelings on me and my mind when you're the one who keeps stirring them up. I'd be so happy with Dane if you would just."

"If I'd what?" He asks, and I pause. "And what the hell do you mean you would be happy? You're not happy?"

"I am happy," I answer, and he chuckles.

"Bullshit, you are," he whispers. "I thought you were on Halloween, you hugged him, he made you smile... but that's not true, is it?"

"You have no idea what my relationship is like," I answer, pulling my arm free from his grasp. "You'd have to date someone to know. I wonder if Piper's available."

"You don't even sound confident about that," he counters, crossing his arms.

"If you're so sure I'm miserable, then why on earth would you send me back to him?" I ask, shaking my head. In the same breath, he said he wanted me to be with my boyfriend and we deserved each other, now he was telling me my relationship sucked.

"Because I guarantee he makes you a lot happier than I ever would," he answers firmly, chest heaving, and I feel my lips part. We look at each other for a few moments, and I blink.

How would he know? He doesn't even see what he could be if he'd give himself a chance and stop wallowing in his mistakes. If Kent would cut out the bullshit and stop claiming he wasn't good enough... things would be different.

"You... you think about how."

"No, I don't let myself go there because I know it would be a mess," I whisper, looking pained, and I feel the urge to go give him a hug. Tell him I want him, that I'm sick of how my relationship with Dane is. That I've been thinking about him for months.

"Kent-"

"It's cool," he says quietly, shaking his head. "I'll... I'll leave you alone," he whispers, leaving the kitchen, and I shake my head, blinking rapidly.

I hurry after him and grab his arm, pulling him back to me. He just looks confused, but like he didn't want to be so close. Like I was hurting him by wanting to be near him.

"Just listen to me," I whisper, and he sighs. "I don't want that, I know it would make things so much easier if we just stopped this."

"So don't do it to yourself," he sighs. "Because it hurts like fucking crazy, Juls. It's killing me." I shake my head, feeling confused, and he clears his throat. "I don't want to be the thing that ruins your relationship."

He just lets my hand fall, walks back down to his room, and I sigh. He was right; if I didn't stay away from him, my relationship would undoubtedly fall apart. I just didn't know if I wanted my relationship anymore. I don't know what I want.