Chapter 2
Ava
“OMG, why is it so hard for them to get schedules right?” Macie whined.
We were both waiting our turn in the Registrar’s office, along with approximately fifteen other students.
I had to agree with my roommate. It was completely frustrating that, time and time again, we needed to have them adjust our schedules we set up perfectly online, which for some reason never seemed to work once the semester was about to start.
“I don’t know, but if they don’t get more people helping in here soon, I’m going to make a scene.
” I tried to make my voice as threatening as possible, however, as it carried across the office, I felt it only came across like I was whining.
The rational part of my brain knew the men and women who were attempting to help all of us hadn’t caused our issues, so I immediately hated how I’d acted.
My normal levelheadedness had been railroaded by the temperament of the room, which was escalating.
“Ugh, let’s go sit down, Mace, this looks like it’s going to take a while.
At least they’re using numbers to keep us organized. ”
We found the two remaining seats in the back corner of the office. Many of the other students resorted to waiting outside, either at the nearby tables or on a bench, but I didn’t want to take the chance of missing our number being called. Plus, it was freezing outside.
“Becca texted, she said Logan got to the townhouse,” Macie said as she continued reading on her phone. Her eyes were bright when she looked up from her screen. “I’m excited to meet him, aren’t you?”
Was I excited to meet him?
Excited may not have been the word I’d use.
Intrigued was more like it. Having a guy move in with us was going to be…
interesting, to say the least. Possibly annoying, even.
I’d never lived with a guy, never had to worry about what I was wearing while in my own house.
Now I’d have to. Not that I walked around naked, but I would run to grab stuff from the dryer in my underwear.
Wouldn’t be doing that anymore.
Plus, I wasn’t completely on board with him becoming our roommate to begin with, yet I’d kept that little tidbit to myself. I would have to live with that secret.
“I remember seeing pictures of Lanie and Becca with him from last year. He’s really hot,” Macie went on.
Macie was still hung up on finding the perfect guy.
I, on the other hand, was convinced the perfect guy didn’t exist. They would say exactly what you wanted to hear just to get inside your pants.
Once they got what they wanted, chances were you’d never hear from them again.
And Macie had fallen victim to that time and time again but hadn’t learned from it yet.
I’d sat up with her at night, countless times, as she cried on my shoulder about this guy or that ghosting her.
Me, I’d rather be the one taking what I wanted and walking away. I was not looking for a relationship anytime soon. I was the queen of one-night stands, very unlike Macie. I wasn’t always like this, I had a boyfriend when I was in high school.
But that didn’t end well.
At all.
“Mace, not a good idea.” The absolute worst thing either of us could do was fall for our new roommate.
The tone in my voice was all she needed to hear; she knew exactly what I was talking about.
Her eyes about rolled out of her head as she looked away from me, because telling her that was like talking to a brick wall.
Macie would have feelings for whomever Macie wanted to have feelings for.
“Christ, Ava, you have to lighten up!” Her whisper yell started garnering some unwanted attention from people around us. “What good is living with a hot guy if you can’t enjoy the scenery of it?”
Macie and I met as freshman roommates and hit it off.
She’s the yin to my yang, the peanut butter to my jelly, you get the picture.
We just got each other. I understood her need for a relationship and continue to help her on her journey to find someone.
She understood my lack of need for one and continued to support me on my journey of habitual hookups. And she never judged me.
Ever.
She helped me trust again.
We were the perfect best friends.
But her falling for Logan, or me setting her up with him, would not happen. We’d discussed this and decided together that neither of us would pursue anything with him. I thought she understood how bad it would be for the house.
“Number twelve,” the administrator announced from the counter.
We were lucky number thirteen, only one more to go.
Macie still sat with her arms crossed, a bit angry with me for reprimanding her.
I knew once she thought more about it and remembered the talk we’d had with Becca before break, she’d get over it.
Apparently, she and Jace got together over break, and she’s been confused over her decision about seeing him again.
He ghosted her for a while last semester, and she’d been mad at herself for allowing him back into her life after doing that.
Our entire drive back to school was spent talking about self-worth, self-esteem, and all that shit.
Funny that I seemed to be the one they all come to for that advice. Like, all of them in the house. Every. Single. One.
What kind of wizardry did I use to create the smoke and mirrors there?
Me? The expert on guys and how to handle them and your own self-value?
That’s hilarious.
If they only knew.
If I could only take my own advice. I knew eventually, years down the road, I’d like to be in a committed relationship.
I hoped one of these days, as I was giving these wonderful tips on love and life to the people in my world, they would rub off on me.
Eventually my brain had to realize that if they’re working for others, they could work for me.
Until then, I’d stick with my hookups and no commitments. Much better for me, for sure.
“Ava.” Macie interrupted my self-deprecating thoughts as we sat waiting to be called.
Turning to give her my attention, her sad eyes told me she knew what I’d been thinking about. Most times my thoughts were not obvious or apparent, but I guess I let them slip this time. She reached out and grabbed a hold of my hand, squeezing it tight.
“I won’t cause any problems in the house, Ave, I promise, I’m still just pissed at myself about Jace, I guess.”
I knew that was what was bothering her. We would have to get her mind off him somehow. Usually that involved another guy, but it couldn’t be Logan.
Macie was not what one would call a slut by any means.
She was no virgin, but most times she didn’t give these guys what they wanted.
I think that was why Jace ghosted her last semester; she wasn’t moving along in the physical department as quickly as he wanted.
But I appreciated that about her. She stood her ground when it came to her body.
Eventually she would find the right guy who appreciated that about her as well.
“I know you won’t, babe. And let it go about Jace, he’s not worth it.”
She nodded and went back to looking at her phone while we both waited for our number to be called.
“Thirteen,” the administrator announced over the intercom.
“That’s us,” Macie said with a smile.
We both stood and started our advance to the counter, ready to find the worker we were supposed to speak with. As we approached, the main door swung open, a swift wind forcing it to bang against the wall as the person opening it walked through.
All eyes went to him immediately. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the grand entrance ensured by the wind or the presence he demanded all on his own.
But in walked what could only be described as a behemoth of a man who took up the entire doorway.
Clad in well-worn work boots and equally distressed jeans, he had the appearance of someone who was not a stranger to working with his hands.
The thick flannel he wore clung to thick arms as he threw his backpack over his shoulder.
I wouldn’t have pegged him as a student, not because of his dress but because he had the appearance of being too old.
Once he turned toward us, I could see I was wrong.
His clear blue eyes were shining bright, and they were definitely those of someone our age.
Dark shadows hid in them, like a cloud covering the bright sun on a beautiful day. Like when a moment of darkness takes over, reminding you that everything can be gone in a flash.
His smile seemed a bit forced, too. As if he wasn’t sure he wanted to be in this room full of people, but he knew he needed to have a smile on, regardless. His eyes scanned its entirety but didn’t really see much of anything, I could tell.
Then his eyes landed on mine, and they stayed there.
They stayed there as he made his advance into the room.
And I couldn’t take mine from him.
Macie and I were walking toward the counter, heading to the woman waiting to help us. He was heading to the same counter since it held the dispenser for the numbers being called. We were going to make it there at the same time.
And our eyes were still glued to one another’s.
“Who is that?”
The voice at my side startled me out of the trance, and I broke the stare as I looked at Macie.
She stared at the giant of a man as well, her curiosity piqued by his appearance.
We were only feet from him and the woman was already asking me and Macie some questions.
Macie was doing all the talking, taking care of her class concerns.
But I was having trouble concentrating on what the woman said since my attention wanted to remain on this man who was standing a couple feet to my right.
He should have moved by now. He had his number already. Yet, he stood in place, stalling, looking around the room, almost pretending to figure out where to go to wait his turn.
He wasn’t fooling me, though.
Maybe he wasn’t trying to. Because he looked my way again.
Our eyes connected. Again.
Fuck, he was hot.
Like, seriously hot.
There hadn’t been a guy I had this much of an immediate physical reaction to since early freshman year.
“Ms. Kennedy?” A voice I’d never heard before saying my name startled me from my dirty thoughts. I turned to see the administrator and Macie both staring at me.
“Uhm, I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
“Is this the class you need switched?” she said again, a bit annoyed this time. They were busy, and I knew that. She pointed to the class I needed changed on her computer screen, so I nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, please. I’d like to be in the Monday, Wednesday section, if possible.”
The woman turned her back to us, working on her computer. Macie looked at me, her conspiratorial smile making me feel a bit uncomfortable.
“What?” I asked her, looking away. As I did, I realized immediately that my sexy distraction from only minutes before was already gone.
My eyes did a quick scan of the entire room to no avail; he must have gone outside.
Astonished at the disappointment I felt, I turned back toward Macie and the woman helping us. Macie leaned closer before whispering in my ear.
“He was really hot, wasn’t he?”
My head snapped to hers as my cheeks heated. Thankfully, our helper turned back around in her wheeled chair just in the nick of time.
“You’re in luck, Ms. Kennedy, there’s room in that section. Here are your confirmation codes, girls.” She handed us the printed forms. “Anything else I can do for you both?”
We looked at each other, happily surprised at how easy this was, and collectively answered, “No thanks, we’re good!” With a smile, we were both on our way.
Macie grabbed my arm as we pushed away from the counter and her mouth was as close to my ear as it could get.
“Who was that guy?”
“What guy?” I responded with indifference, pulling her by the hand through the mass of students waiting their turn. We made it to the door and through to the alley, the gust of wind blinding us initially as we made our way outside.
With a cursory glance, I didn’t see my mystery man out here either.
He just up and vanished.
“What guy?” Her chuckle told me she wasn’t buying my blatant lie. “Ava, you were just about eye fucking him in there. And he was doing the same with you. I mean, I get it, he was hot. Every girl in there was doing the same.”
We hustled to the parking lot because of how cold it was, so it gave me the opportunity to avoid responding to her inquiries.
Macie hit the fob to unlock her car, and we threw ourselves inside, hoping it was still a bit warm from our drive here.
Once we got in, I realized Macie was not about to let the topic die, though.
“I think he looked a lot like our soon-to-be new roommate, don’t you? I mean, he doesn’t have a lot of pics on his Insta, but it looked a bit like him. Wouldn’t that be crazy if that was Logan?”
My heart stopped.
That would be more than crazy, it would be the worst thing possible if it were him.
“I don’t think so, Macie, this guy looked so much bigger. Besides, Logan has really blonde hair.”
I had myself convinced they weren’t the same guy before she pulled the car fully out of its spot. But by the time she exited the parking lot, Macie had me second-guessing myself.
“His beanie covered his hair completely, how could you tell?”
Shit. She was right.
“Whatever, didn’t Becca say he’s at the townhouse, anyway? Besides, we both know he’s a good-looking, off-limits guy who’ll be our roommate, so doesn’t really matter, does it?”
We were both quiet, and I was thankful because I didn’t want to think about Logan anymore.
However, my brain had other ideas.
Last year, when Lanie and Becca came to us with the idea of Logan living with us, I felt a bit backed into a corner. Becca was so excited to have him move in, and Macie was immediately on board.
And Lanie made a strong case. The fact that she needed to convince us he would make a good roommate was part of the problem. See, Logan and Lanie had somewhat of an issue last year. He, well, he touched her when she didn’t want him to.
But everyone couldn’t stop talking about how far he’d come with his sobriety and his mental health recovery. Especially the one he had done the deed to.
He wanted to come back to school. If I said no to him living with us, I was the only one blocking him from doing that.
That was a lot of pressure on me. About a person I’d never even met.
I gave in. I caved.
And now Logan, Becca, Macie, and I would be roommates for the spring semester.
Whether I liked it or not.