8. Liam
8
LIAM
I s it technically eavesdropping if it’s mostly unintentional?
It’s not like I had my ear to the door, praying to catch a bit of my roommate’s conversation. Whoever her friend is, she’s the loudest person I’ve ever had the (not) pleasure of listening in on, so it’s not my fault that I overheard every word they were saying. I suppose I could’ve put my headphones in, like a decent lad would.
Too bad there’s none of those around here.
Instead, since my door was wide open, and Whitney’s friend was screaming like a banshee and at one point singing Here Comes the Bride, I’m now aware that my new roommate is in the market for a husband.
When I first hear their debate, I could hardly contain my laughter. What a ridiculous pair these two are — like a modern-day Thelma and Louise , cackling like hyenas and from the sound of it blowing through wine like it’s water.
But then I heard the number.
A million dollars.
That’s a lot of money.
No, correction: that’s a fuck ton of money. Enough money to get started on Luke’s foundation. To make his dreams a reality, even if he’s not here to see it. Selfishly, there’s part of me that hopes that if I can see this through, I’ll finally be able to move on.
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I check my piece of paper again, making sure I’m at the right room.
304.
I shouldn’t be so bloody nervous. It’s just a roommate. It’ll be awkward at first, yeah, but then we’ll just be normal. Pushing the door forward, I walk in and see a tall, Black guy with braids laying in the bed on the right, reading a book.
“Hey,” I greet him.
His head shoots up and he tosses the book to the side, sitting up. “Hey! You my new roomie?”
“Yeah, I’m Liam.”
“Whoa. You British?”
I chuckle. “Apparently.”
He smiles widely. “Awesome. First day of college and I’ve already got a cool British roommate. I’m Luke.” He slips his hand into mine in a bro-shake. Shit. He’s a fucking cool guy, isn’t he?
“Where are you from?” I ask him.
“Long Island.” He sits back down on his bed. “I hope it’s cool I took the right side. You wouldn’t have liked me on the left, trust me.”
I’m not sure what that means, so I just drop my bag on the other bed and roll my suitcase over to the corner. I take in the room, which isn’t huge, but it’s not terrible, either. Luke has a TV set up on his side and what looks like a video game console.
“What’s your major?” Luke asks from beside me.
“Biological sciences. You?”
“Chemistry. I bet we’ll have classes together,” he replies. “I don’t know if you like gaming, but I set up my PS5 and I’ve got tons of stuff: Skyrim, 2K, Elden Ring, GTA. We could play together, or you’re free to use it whenever.”
“Thanks, mate. That’s golden.”
“Yeah.” He rubs the back of his head and smiles ruefully.
“I’m just gonna unpack.” I gesture towards my stuff, and he nods, looking slightly disappointed.
It’s quiet for a while as I start putting my clothes into the dresser. After a few minutes, Luke pipes up again. “Sorry if I’m being annoying as shit. To be honest, I’m really excited about college. I’m the first in my family to go, and I’m just… yeah. It’s a lot of pressure and excitement, but you know, if you ever want me to shut up, just say it. You can definitely be straight with me.”
“You’re not annoying. If you’re bothering me, I’ll just tell you to fuck off, won’t I?”
He smiles, wide and clear. “Dude. You rock.”
Blinking back tears, I refocus. I need to get started on Luke’s plan. Already it feels like everyone else from school has forgotten him. Somehow, they can go on with their studies and their jobs and not feel this crippling sense of… wrongness.
One million dollars. Is that much money worth getting married for? To Chore Wheel Girl?
I have to think about this rationally. Pros and cons.
I already live with her, and we’d only be married on paper. From her lips, after three years we could cut each other loose. It’s not like I’m getting into a relationship anytime soon. So, really, my life wouldn’t change at all, I’d just be half-a-million richer. I could honor Luke and find some way to fill this emptiness that exists inside me, do something that Luke would be proud of.
Just do… something .
All I have to do is get Whitney to marry me, and I can finally figure out some way to stop this endless sense that I failed Luke, that I’m the one responsible.
I know what I have to do.
I need to convince my new roommate that I’m husband material. Unfortunately, my schedule never lines up with Whitney’s long enough for me to talk to her. Every time I get home, she’s gone. I’d almost think she were avoiding me if I thought she cared about me even slightly.
If I go out there now, she’ll know that I know that Abbi is gone. And if she knows I know that, then she knows I can hear from my bedroom. And if she knows that, she’ll know I’m a nosy bastard.
I’ll deal with this tomorrow.
I wait until things go quiet and then make my way to the bathroom, ready for a shower instead, towel in hand.
“Hey.”
I turn, startled despite my embarrassing eavesdropping. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to disrupt, just heading for a shower.”
Her brow furrows and she smirks — a tipsy smirk. “You don’t have to apologize for showering.”
“Right.”
“Just letting you know Abbi left.” She offers a small smile, then turns around to resume tidying up. Chore Wheel Girl in action.
Chore Wheel Girl.
“You know what,” I say before I have time to talk myself out of it. “I thought about your chore rotation thing, and it’s a great idea. We should do it.”
Her head snaps towards mine, her face clouded in skepticism. “Really?”
Really, Liam?
“Absolutely, yeah.”
Absolutely, yeah?
She narrows her eyes further. “I thought you hated it.”
I shrug. “Well, I changed my mind, didn’t I?”
She glances away from me, still seeming unsure. “Okay,” she says finally. “If you really want to.”
“I really do,” I say, trying to inject as little sarcasm into my voice as possible.
“Well…” She perks up, smiling now. “If you want, we could make the wheel together? Like a craft project?”
I force a smile to match hers. “I love crafts.”
Who am I?
“Great, let’s do it tomorrow night!” She claps, an even wider smile spreading across her face. It’s like her face comes alive when she smiles. She should do that all the time. “We can drink wine! And I’ll make a charcuterie board!”
“Yay!” I flash a thumbs up.
Now I just have to figure out how to propose.