Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 89

After our meal, he leads me upstairs. We walk through the hallways but don't enter any of the rooms. He takes me to a door on its own, clearly leading to a large room. When he opens the door, my eyes widen. I was correct; there's a large bed, a wall covered in trophies and awards, a gaming system that would put any teenager's setup to shame, and a spacious sitting area with a couch and two armchairs.

"My room," he says, placing his hands on his hips, and I clear my throat.

"What are you going to do with all this space? Run laps?" I tease him, and he laughs, lifting me up and carrying me inside. I laugh and wrap my arms around the back of his neck.

"That kind of thing," he jests. "This isn't actually my bedroom. When I was going to school in the city, I lived in an apartment. When my parents moved here permanently, I just stored all my stuff in this room."

"I really, really wish I had this," I sigh as he helps me stand back up. "You know this is bigger than our hotel room and maybe even our entire apartment, right?"

"I'm sure it is," he says with a soft sigh. "But for tonight, this is also your space, so make yourself at home."

"I'll get right on that," I whisper with a smile, and he nods with a small grin. "What were you planning to do until 5?"

"That depends on how long you think you'll need to get ready."

"I think I'll need about an hour," I say, seeing that it's almost 3 o'clock. "So nothing too fancy."

"Nap?" he suggests, and I smile.

"I took one on the way here. Accidentally picked the drowsy one this time."

"Alright, how about watching something on TV?" I suggest with a shrug.

"Sure, let me just hang up my dress and-"

"Someone's already taken care of that," he reassures me. I head to the closet, and sure enough, our outfits for the evening are neatly hung up.

"I can't believe people just do everything for you," I mumble and shake my head. Kent switches off the closet light, puts his hands on my waist, and guides me back to his bed.

"That's why I'm not great at doing chores," he says softly. "I never had to do them as a kid; someone else always handled it for me. I know that's not a good excuse."

"Well, at least it makes sense," I sigh, kick off my shoes, and drape my jacket over the bed's end. "You've been better about it lately."

"Because I realized how hard it was for you to break up with Dane," he whispers as he pulls me into bed, and I tense up. I haven't talked much about Dane with Kent, as going from dating Dane to finally being with Kent was a major shift. "You've seemed so down recently."

"I'm not upset about us breaking up," I shake my head and sigh. "I'm mostly mad at myself. I didn't even want to get back together with him, but I guess I was looking for something, anything, to make me forget about..." I begin to drift off, and he turns his head to look me in the eyes. "Well, I guess that's how I felt about you."

"You guess?" he teases, and my cheeks flush. "I thought it'd be better if you were with him... I didn't know it would just make me feel worse."

"I really tried to hold back my feelings because you seemed so against us being anything more," I whisper, still pained by the past. "So I asked myself if I could have those feelings for someone else."

"Nor could I," he says softly. "Back in September, when I kissed Piper, I was trying to prove the same thing to myself. That I wasn't fixated on you or changing because of you. But it didn't feel right to kiss her. It was nothing like the first time we kissed."

"Why did you leave so quickly after that?" I ask in a hushed tone, and he lets out a sigh.

"Because I wanted to kiss you, and I was so happy when I did, but I knew nobody would understand. I felt like I still owed it to Carlo to honor his wishes. I didn't realize you two weren't that close. The way he spoke, it sounded like you were like family. We have an unspoken rule that we don't pursue family, but I wish I had treated you differently," he explains with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"I wish I could give Carlo a piece of my mind," I respond with a chuckle. "If it happened just once, he'd learn not to speak for me."

"I'd consider it too," he admits.

"What makes you... like me?" I inquire softly, as all these questions swirl in my head. "I'm sure you could have your pick of anyone, maybe someone more like Piper." I raise an eyebrow as I speak.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" He looks puzzled as he continues. "You're the perfect girl, Juls. You're pretty, you have those adorable freckles on your cheekbones, and your heart is as vast as the Pacific Ocean. You don't realize how many heads turn when you enter a room. Piper and those other girls are mean to you because they know you're fantastic all on your own."

I could hardly handle all the compliments; it made me so happy to know that he held me in such high regard. It was a refreshing change from the lack of positive feedback about my appearance that I'd received before.

"And I know you're self-conscious about your looks. I want you to know that I love it. I've met plenty of girls like Piper, but only one girl like Juls," I gush, and he smiles, looking somewhat bashful himself.

"I didn't know you were such a softie," I tease, and he grins, grasping my hip. He draws me closer, and I breathe a sigh of contentment.

"I'm sorry if that video doesn't work out," he says, running his fingers through my hair. "I don't want anything bad for you."

"If it happens, it happens," I sigh, knowing there isn't much I can do to prevent Piper from causing trouble on her own. "Can you please promise me you'll keep me in the loop? I don't want to suddenly find out you're dating Piper just to protect the day." I mutter as my heart sinks in my chest. "In fact, I'd rather have her give it a shot than have you do that."

"I'll share everything with you," he says somberly. "I want you, Juls. That's it."