Chapter 5
Oliver
My phone chimed, making me groan. I knew the notification sound, was intimately familiar with it. That was why I nearly got to my feet and went home. Instead, I checked Discord quickly, then put my phone back on the table.
No games. Not yet, at least.
I flipped to the next page in my statistics textbook and scanned it until I reached the part I’d been looking for.
This was from a class last quarter, and I’d forgotten to return the rental, so I owed the bookstore money, but I’d deal with it later.
Maybe I’d call it fate because I’d remembered something that I thought would be helpful for our project, and lo and behold, I’d been right.
The phone went off again. At this point, I was considering dropping it in the toilet. Or dropping Remi in the toilet. Seriously, did he ever sleep?
I wasn’t one to talk. I’d barely gotten a few hours every night for the past week.
Between work and the two classes I was taking, I found it difficult to carve out time for myself.
So, what was my answer to that dilemma? I decided sleep was the least important part of my life.
I’d never really been a fan of it anyway.
There was a whole world out here, so why would I want to close my eyes for eight hours every day?
“I’m going to be locking up soon,” a guy said.
“Jesus,” I exclaimed, putting a hand to my chest.
“Sorry. You must’ve been super focused.”
I looked over at him. I was pretty sure we’d been in a class together at some point. He was watching me curiously with his hands in his pockets. When he shifted, his copper hair fell over his forehead, and he jerked his head a little to move it to the side.
With a nod, I stretched my arms above my head. “I was. Once I put my mind to something, I sort of get locked in.”
“Any particular reason you’re doing it here?”
“It’s the library. Isn’t that what it’s for?”
“Sure, but you’ve been here for six hours. Loud roommates?”
I chuckled as I flipped my notebook closed. “Nah. Not yet, anyway.”
My mind went to Dean, who hadn’t given me an answer yet. I figured he’d come to his decision on his own, so I was just waiting.
Shifting my gaze to the windows, I frowned. “It’s raining.”
I stopped at the door, staring at the downpour. I loved the rain, but I hadn’t brought a backpack. Adjusting my hoodie, I slipped my book underneath and crossed my arms over it.
“I’ve got an umbrella,” the guy said. “I’m heading to the parking lot.”
“You’re a freaking star, man. What’s your name?”
“Aiden.”
I opened the door, then held it for him.
After he locked up, he angled the umbrella over both of us.
I squeezed closer to keep from getting wet, and as if it had a vendetta against letting us stay dry, the rain started coming down harder.
It even slanted so that it could hit both of us beneath the umbrella.
I laughed. “This is pointless.”
“Run for it?”
“I like the way you think, Aiden.”
He grinned before he took off. I held my book to my body as I ran through the courtyard, laughing the entire way.
Aiden pointed to the left once we reached the curb. “I’m going this way.”
“Alright, man. Thanks for trying to keep me dry.”
“I’ll see you around.”
“For sure.”
I rushed to my car, but instead of getting in, I just stood there, then I dropped my book inside and closed the door. Without it, it was easier for me to run back across campus.
After I reached Marshall Hall, I leaned against a wall inside and tipped my head back to catch my breath.
When I felt less at risk of cardiac arrest, I ran my fingers through my hair, then headed to the second floor.
I knew that I must look like a wreck, but it didn’t really matter.
I wasn’t out to impress. Despite that, I felt a little nervous as I knocked on Dean’s door.
A guy with angry eyes opened it. He’d barely been standing there for a second when he raised his brows in a ‘What the fuck do you want?’ kind of way.
“Is Dean here?” I asked, leaning my arm against the frame.
He rolled his eyes and turned around. I heard him say something, then Dean appeared at the door. He looked behind him before he slipped out and closed it. I remained where I was, partly because I was tired, but mostly because this damn man was shirtless.
“Hey,” I said, pinching the corner of my lip between my canines.
“What are you doing at my place?”
“Just checking in. I haven’t heard from you.”
“You see me in class, you know. Or you could text me.”
I shrugged. “I was giving you space. Call it boundaries.”
“Yeah, boundaries.” He looked at me like there was some joke I’d missed.
“I was on campus, so I decided to stop by.”
With a sigh, he matched my position on the opposite side of the door. My gaze traveled over his chest, then to his abs. Really, it was his own fault for coming out here like this. I knew Dean was a linebacker, but there were no rules stating he had to have the physical fitness of a gladiator.
“Well, Tilian told me I’d be dumb not to do it,” he said.
“Smart guy.”
“Yeah. Anyway, the school said I can move out of the dorm, but . . .”
I studied him blatantly, not caring if it made him uncomfortable this time. Dean was starting to seem like a careful person. It wasn’t the way I expected him to be, but he clearly thought things through before he did them.
“You know,” I drawled, “there’s this quote by Luffy.”
“Who the hell is that?”
“Ah, you uncultured man. If I tell you, you’ll probably just think I’m weird. The quote is, ‘If you don’t take risks, you can’t create a future.’”
“How’s that relevant?”
“I think you’re making excuses because you’re freaked out.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re comfortable here, and that’s cool. The dorm has been a constant for you. I don’t know if you don’t like change or if it’s something else, but personally, I wouldn’t want to room with that grumpy goblin. You wanted to move for a reason, so why not just do it?”
His lips were thin as he listened to me. After a moment, he relaxed. “If anything happens, I’ll be fucked. I don’t know if I can get back into a dorm, and I don’t like the idea of being uncertain about my housing situation.”
“What’s going to happen, big guy?”
“I don’t know, but my family has never had the luxury of bouncing back, so we stay where things are secure. I lived in the same house my entire life, my mom has had the same job, and she drives the same car.”
“Then stay.”
“But . . .”
With a smile, I shook my head. “Look, I have no idea what that life you described is like. I’ll bounce back no matter what life throws at me, so maybe this doesn’t mean much coming from me, but I think that if you want something and it’s within reach, you should go for it. It’s just a room.”
“And if we end up not being able to stand each other?”
“Ever lived in a house with people who liked to backhand you when you moved wrong?”
His eyes widened. “Well, no. Have you?”
I waved my hand, as if batting the question away. “I think whatever issues we could have with each other are manageable. It’s not that deep.”
“Alright.” After a second, he nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“Cool. Wanna move in Thursday? I’m off that day.”
“Sure, I’ll catch an Uber after class.”
“You don’t have a car?”
His gaze fell to the floor. “I do, but it’s not working right now.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll drive you. I’m sure you don’t have much stuff.”
“Probably just a box or two.”
“Easy peasy.”
“Alright, well thanks, man. Really.”
“For sure.”
I offered him a smile before I made my way down the hall. It looked like I was about to have a roommate, which was cool. I’d have to make sure not to leave expired yogurt in the fridge. If he accidentally ate one, I’d feel terrible.
Damn, I still hadn’t thrown those away. It was the first thing on my list when I got home.