The Roommate (Roommates, #1)

After making our statements to the police, Paige and I were exhausted, both mentally and emotionally drained. She stuck close to me throughout the ordeal, and my protective nature, the need to keep her close, flared inside me. With her tucked close to my side, we surveyed her place. Thankfully, the damage was minimal. The fire had barely caught, only really ruining the blankets on my bed before Paige came home and found me passed out from lack of sleep.

She paced the living room, ringing her hands. I sensed that her home was the last place she wanted to be right now.

“Do you want to go out? Get something to eat?” I asked, running my hands up and down her arms. I hated that she’d been put through this. Hated my history and long list of unstable exes.

Paige nodded. Neither of us felt like cooking, but we were both hungry, it seemed.

I drove us to a nearby pizza place where we sat at a booth with paper plates of greasy pepperoni pie. It was about as far from a romantic first date as you could get.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

We’d barely spoken in the hours since she’d come home. The shock and potentially devastating consequences of what could have happened were weighing on us both. If I hadn’t woken and the fire had spread, that gas can at the door would have ensured my demise. I didn’t want to think about that, though.

When the police had asked if anything unusual had happened lately, Paige mentioned that Michelle had stopped by looking for me just a few days ago. Knowing that solidified in my mind exactly which of my exes must have done this. I gave the police a thorough description of Michelle including her car, where she lived, where she liked to hang out, everything. Allie had been right-I should have filed a restraining order back when Michelle broke into my apartment. I never imagined she’d up the ante like this.

“I guess you were right,” Paige said, setting down her half-eaten slice and wiping her hands with a paper napkin.

“About what?”

“Being a god in bed and women falling in love with you.” She looked down as she said this, and I wanted more than anything to see her eyes in that moment.

I wanted to believe she was talking about herself, but I knew she was talking about Michelle. “You broke the curse. Guess I should say thank you for that.”

This time she looked up and her eyes met mine, but I hated what I saw in their depths. She looked so unhappy. I wanted more than anything to make that sadness go away, but all I could offer her was a smile. Paige returned the gesture, but her own smile was sad and didn’t reach her eyes.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“I don’t want to leave things weird and unfinished between us,” I said.

“How are things supposed to be now, Cannon? I don’t see you for two weeks, and then your psycho ex shows up out of nowhere. Allie’s still pissed at me, and . . .”

When she paused and let out a shaky breath, I reached over and squeezed her hand. It had been a traumatic day, and I didn’t want to push her.

“I’m just tired, Cannon.”

I nodded. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”