by M. Clarke
“Hi, Seth,” Alex giggled, wearing a huge smile on her face. “I just found out.”
“You’re up early,” Lexy said to me as she entered. “Hey, Alex. How did you sleep last night?”
“Great, thank you. And thanks for offering to take me shopping.”
I guess I should’ve offered, being her roommate and all, but I wasn’t thinking straight. Not that I could, since my mode of transportation wasn’t conducive for a shopping trip. My motorcycle didn’t have much storage.
“Not a problem,” Lexy replied, heading to the kitchen. “Yuck! Gross! I guess you guys didn’t clean the kitchen yet.”
“We just woke up. I mean…I just woke up. You could’ve helped last night,” I stated.
“You know I don’t clean. At least this place looks better than last night,” Lexy scoffed.
Lexy was attractive and an awesome friend, but she could be a total bitch. Not my type, though she tried to kiss me one time. She played if off like she was buzzed, but I’m not stupid. I loved our friendship too much, so I wasn’t going to let her have me for one night. Not to mention, she and Jimmy had dated, and fraternity brothers don’t date each other’s girls, sisters, or cousins.
“Then I guess Alex didn’t have breakfast yet?” Lexy asked, grimacing by the sink. “Eww…it looks like someone puked in here and forgot to rinse.”
Shit! I forgot to offer. She must be hungry, but I didn’t have much in the fridge or in the cabinet. We were too busy talking about whom Ellie was. “I haven’t gone grocery shopping and I didn’t know you were coming—” I started to say, but Alex cut me off.
“It’s okay. You certainly don’t need to feel like you have to take care of me. Lexy was going to take me out today anyway,” she smiled. Her smile was too sweet and she looked like an angel. Damn, it felt like she drugged me with just her smile. I was feeling high from it and I couldn’t look away. My first impression was that she was a good girl with a good head on her shoulders, but we’ll see.
“This is just gross.” Seth took the milk carton out of the fridge and examined it. “It’s outdated by weeks. Don’t you look at the date? You don’t even drink milk. Don’t tell me this was Jimmy’s milk.”
Seth snapped me out of it. I knew I was staring at Alex’s smile longer than I should have, but I couldn’t help myself. Seth was fucking unbelievable, trying to make me look bad. Even if I was a slob, he didn’t have to point it out in front of Alex.
“Come on, Alex, you must be starving. I’ll take you grocery shopping.” Lexy tugged Alex along.
“Wait,” Alex halted, causing Lexy to jerk back. “I need to get my purse.” After a few minutes, she came back out from her room and stood in front of me. “Elijah, do you think I could have my own set of keys?” she asked timidly. “Unless….” She cleared her throat and looked down at her nails. “…unless you’d rather have me move out. I mean, unless you don’t want me as your roommate. I know you thought I was a guy, but obviously, I’m not. I’ll understand.”
While she was talking away, I reached inside my pocket and took out the spare key I was going to give her if she’d decided to stay after I had the talk with her. Knowing that she did made me happy—I think. “Here.”
She peered up, trying to hide the biggest smile I knew she would’ve given me, but she contained herself. “Thanks.”
When she picked up the key, her fingertips brushed against my hand. I felt that touch tingle up my arm and travel throughout my body. Holy shit! What she could do to me with just that simple touch was very unnerving. I wished the situation was different. I could indulge myself, and then let her go.
Seth looked at me strangely while he plopped on the sofa. Did I do something wrong?
“Hey, Alex. Do we get to meet your boyfriend?” Seth asked while looking at me as if to prove a point.
Alex turned to Seth. “I think he’s coming next week, and we’re just seeing each other.”
Of course, she was taken. Someone like her would be snatched up quickly. Did she know “seeing each other” really meant the guy was free to date others while the girl was usually the one that was faithful? I could already imagine this guy in my head—intelligent, loaded, arrogant, then imaging the worst—a dick. Maybe I just wanted him to be one.
“Are you going with them?” I asked Seth. “And don’t put your feet on the coffee table.”
Seth dropped his feet. “Nope. I just came here to get a good laugh, Ellie.”
“You’re wonderful, Sally,” I teased back.
“Sally?” Alex laughed, and started to walk out the door with Lexy.
“Shut up.” Seth threw a pillow at me before turning to Alex. “Call me Seth, Alex.”
“Okay, Sally. I mean…Seth.”
I enjoyed her humor and so did Seth. My chuckling stopped and my attention went to my bedroom door being opened. Shit! I forgot Heather was in there and even if I had remembered, I didn’t think she would come out. She looked baffled to see all of us staring at her. She was wearing the shorts and T-shirt she had on last night.
I don’t know why, but my eyes shifted to Alex. She looked like the blood had drained out of her, and she was as pale as the wall behind her. I could see it in her face, passing judgment on me, especially since I told her that I didn’t have a girlfriend.
Brushing aside my guilty feelings—I don’t know why I even felt that way—I casually pushed Lexy and Alex out the door. Just before I closed it, Lexy looked at me and mouthed, “I don’t like her. She isn’t good for you.”
I knew that, but she was attractive and she practically jumped on me, so what was a guy to do? After all, Heather knew I didn’t date and didn’t care about the “forever.” It was mutual.
Chapter 6
Alex
Lexy went to grab a cart while I waited for her by the entrance. Being that it was the weekend, the store was crowded. I didn’t mind. I was just glad to get out of the heat as we entered the store together. Glancing at the list I pulled out of my purse, I made a mental note of the items I needed to buy, and shoved the paper back in while Lexy pushed the cart.
“I just want you to know that you can always hang out at my place if things get weird.”
“Weird?” I questioned as we headed down the aisle.
“I mean, if there are too many parties or if too many girls wind up hanging out at your place.” Her voice trailed off, sounding as if she was uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry, Lexy. I can hold my own, but thank you. If I need a place, I’ll let you know.”
“Elijah has a big heart. He’s just been through some rough times.” Lexy steered the cart to the right and I followed. “You said you needed bedding, right?”
“Yes, bedding. Like what, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Ignoring me, she pointed to the left. “Here we are.”
Looking for something simple, I walked down the aisle. About mid-way, a lavender comforter set caught my eye. “What do you think of this one?” I asked, placing it in the cart.
“Love the color,” Lexy smiled, and then placed a hand on my shoulder. “Listen, I didn’t mean to ignore your question earlier. It’s just that Elijah is like a brother to me. We’ve been friends since…I don’t know if you knew Jimmy and I used to date.”
My eyes grew wide from this news. “I never knew. Jimmy and I rarely spoke after he went to college.” I suddenly felt bad.
“That’s okay. We went out for a couple of months. We both knew that it wasn’t going to work out, especially since I started liking someone else…which he didn’t know, but anyway….” She brushed that subject off with a roll of her eyes. “So what I was trying to tell you is that I’ve gotten to know Elijah very well. The four of us, Jimmy, Elijah, Seth, and I became like the four musketeers.”
“This way,” I interrupted, pushing the cart toward the food section. Recalling the refrigerator being empty, and needing supplies of my own, it was the second thing on my list. I changed the subject. “Elijah said he didn’t have
a girlfriend, so is he dating the girl that came out of his room? What’s her name? Heather?” I was trying not to sound nosy or too interested.
Lexy rested her hand on my arm to get my attention while I was shoving apples into the plastic bag. “Alex, you should think of Elijah as being off limits.”
I started laughing. “Oh, no.” I shook my head. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m asking these questions because he’s my roommate and I want to know what to watch out for. I’m already seeing someone, and to tell you the truth, I don’t date guys that smoke. I’m sure he’s nice and all, and I don’t mean to sound like a snob, but….” Thinking of my dad, I stopped.
Lexy snorted and her brown eyes twinkled with amusement. “Well, it doesn’t stop other girls from wanting him, even if they have a boyfriend. And yes, I knew. Seth mentioned it. What’s his name, and when do I get to meet him? Details.” She didn’t wait for my reply. “Since Jimmy isn’t here to play the big brother role, I’m your big sister now.”
I was grateful for what she said. Though she had been nice since we met, hearing her words meant the world to me. I didn’t feel so alone.
“His name is Liam,” I started to say as we headed to another aisle. “We’ve been in a relationship for six months. He wants to go to law school. My best friend from home and I would sneak out to parties, and that’s how I met him. He was at his friend’s house during spring break.” I shrugged my shoulders and gave her an innocent smile.
Lexy shook her head. “My parents would have freaked out if they knew the things I did. Anyway…go on.”
“Liam is sweet and….” I didn’t know what else to say. “He’s a senior, like you.” Putting boxes of cereal in the cart reminded me I needed to buy milk. “Do you have a boyfriend?” I asked, diverting the attention away from me.
“No, I don’t want anything serious right now. Who knows where I’ll end up after graduation?”
“I know what you mean.” Then I began to think about my relationship. I knew Liam wanted to go to graduate school. How would this affect our relationship? I wondered how serious he was about us? I didn’t want to admit it, but Emma was right. He could have driven me to the condo, but at the same time, I’m glad he didn’t. He would’ve seen how crazy it was here. Would he have cared?
“Do you need anything else?” Lexy asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Closing my eyes, I tried to remember the things on my list without taking it out. Giving up, I peered down at the items I bought. “I just need to swing by the other section to get some towels, shampoo, and toilet paper.”
“I’m sure Elijah has them.” Lexy gave me a funny look.
“I’m sure he does, but I don’t want to use his stuff.”
Lexy’s eyes shifted to the cart. “Don’t tell me you’re buying all that food for yourself. You barely ate anything for lunch. If you plan to share with Elijah, then I’m sure he won’t have a problem sharing toilet paper.”
“Lexy, please. I don’t mind giving. I’m just not good at taking,” I pouted.
Lexy rolled her eyes playfully. “Great…you’re one of those.” She wheeled the cart as I followed behind, glancing from aisle to aisle to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Since I didn’t have a car, I didn’t want to bother her again if I didn’t have to.
“What do you mean, ‘one of those’?” I asked, feeling worried. Had I offended her?
“The giver and the pouter. I bet you get away with anything you want when you pout like that with Liam.”
“Emma always did tell me I had a killer pout,” I laughed.
Seth and Elijah weren’t around when we got home. Lexy helped me bring the groceries inside, and we put everything away in the refrigerator and the cabinets. Since the kitchen had been pretty much empty, it was easy to toss them in. Then we went back out in the dreadful heat and brought the rest of the bags into my room. She went out of her way for me today, and the only way I could think of to thank her was to invite her to dinner.
“Wow! I’ve never seen this refrigerator full…like ever, even when Jimmy was around. Elijah would cook for us once in a while, but he’s a guy. They eat out all the time,” she laughed lightly, wiping sweat off her forehead.
“I guess all guys are like that,” I shrugged and changed the subject as I did the same. “Are you free tomorrow?”
“Depends on what time?” Lexy paced toward the living room. “Since school starts next Monday, I’m going back to work. I work at the food court.”
“You do?” That piqued my interest since I needed a job. “Do you know if they’re hiring?” I followed behind her with two bottles of water. “Want one?”
“Thanks.” She took it from my hand and sat on the sofa. “I could ask for you.”
“That would be great.” Both of us chugged down our water.
Lexy got up and turned on the air conditioner. “It’s so freakin’ hot. Don’t mind me, I practically live here.”
I didn’t mind it at all. According to everything she had told me, they all acted like family. “Anyway, Lexy, I want to thank you for helping me out and I would like to make dinner for you, Seth, and Elijah too, tomorrow if you can make it.”
“Really?” She looked at her watch. “Uh oh, I gotta go. I have an orientation in half an hour for work. We do this every freakin’ year. They should cut me some slack. I’ve been there for the three years. Anyway, sure…thanks. I would love a home-cooked meal.” Lexy sounded excited. After grabbing her keys and purse, she paced toward the front door. Just then, the doorknob rattled slightly and Elijah walked in, all sweaty.
His tank top clung to his chest, framing his toned abs; his workout shorts did the same. The vision of him walking in hot and sweaty, the sun beaming perfectly around him as if God had presented a gift at the front door, was a heart fluttering moment. I could tell Lexy was captivated, too. I don’t know how long he stood there as I stared at him, but I broke out of my trance when Lexy spoke.
“Hey, Elijah. Did you go to the gym?”
“Lexy, what do you think?” he chuckled as if she should have known. Little did he know that Lexy was possibly tongue twisted from the sight of him.
“Come here and give me a hug.” Just as he reached for her, Lexy jerked back.
“Hell no. You’re all sweaty.”
Elijah cut his laugh short when he saw me. “Hey,” he said in monotone. That was all he had to say to me as he walked into the kitchen.
“I gotta go, Ellie,” Lexy laughed, halfway out the door.
“Bye, Lexy. And don’t call me that.” Elijah’s good-bye was somewhat muffled from his face being inside the refrigerator.
“By the way, Alex is going to cook dinner for the three of us tomorrow night. I’ll let Seth know.” Looking over her shoulder to me, she asked, “What time?”
“How about six?”
“Perfect. Seth and I will bring beer and if we have time, we’ll get dessert. What do you like?”
“How about ice cream? Any kind except for vanilla, unless you bring some sprinkles or hot fudge syrup.”
“Damn girl, you sound just like Ellie. See you tomorrow,” she waved and left.
The sound of the front door and the refrigerator door closing simultaneously startled me. They were both loud. Elijah turned to me with a frown.
“Alex, you bought so much. That’s fine. I’m not going to tell you what to buy or how much to buy, but you need to save some room for me. Not that I buy much.” His tone was loud, but it sure wasn’t friendly.
Suddenly, I got nervous and couldn’t look at him. What he said was so weird and awkward, as if I would be that selfish and take up all the room. I should have thought about what he would have thought, but never having a roommate, how the hell was I supposed to know? He didn’t mention anything about sharing space before I left.
“I’m sorry. I know I bought a lot but I was actually thinking that we could share. I don’t expect you to pay me a penny for it. Lexy told me that you can cook, so I thought maybe if there w
as more food in the refrigerator, you would eat more home-cooked meals instead of eating out so often. It’s not good for you.” Oh God! I said too much. When I get nervous, I just spit out whatever I’m thinking. It was a bad habit of mine.
The awkward silence made me look up at him. I could tell he didn’t like what I had said. Elijah’s head tilted and he was narrowing his eyes on me. They flickered, as if he couldn’t believe what I had just said. Then he opened his mouth to speak. “Just because Jimmy and I are good friends, you don’t have to feel obligated to take care of me. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself and I don’t need anyone to tell me what I should or shouldn’t eat.” Though his tone was soft, it was stone cold.
I couldn’t believe his reaction. Anger and embarrassment shot through me. I knew he didn’t like me when we first met, but I thought he would at least have the decency to be nice to me since I was his roommate. He had painfully twisted my heart with his words. We were off to a great start! Not what I had in mind when I thought about having a roommate, imagining how much fun Ellie and I would have together. How ironic.
Elijah didn’t move, but he looked away. I could have told him off, but it would have made things worse, so I decided to bite my tongue. Though a huge part of me wanted to yell at him for being a jerk, I knew once I said something, I couldn’t take it back. I also didn’t want to get kicked out. Not having another place to live, I had to stay calm.
I wasn’t mad at Jimmy for not letting me know Ellie was really Elijah, but he was going to hear from me…today. Making sure I had a water bottle in my hand because I had no intention of coming out of my room as long as he was here, I stormed to my bedroom. Instead of slamming the door, I closed it softly behind me.
Chapter 7
Elijah
What the fuck did I just say? I couldn’t believe the words that flew out of my mouth. Shit! I had practically yelled at her. For what? For doing something so sweet, it actually surprised me. Brushing my hair back with my hand, I contemplated what to do. Do I knock on her door and apologize or do I just forget about it? Either way, I felt like shit, especially when I saw her eyes glisten. Hopefully, those weren’t actual tears.
