Chapter 12
Dean
“Dad mentioned you have a new friend,” Mom said. “Or roommate. Which is it?”
“Roommate,” I replied. “It’s been good so far.”
I thought about the late dinner I had with Oli last night. He’d brought food home after work, but he hadn’t eaten his until I got back. Apparently, he’d been waiting for me. That was nice, I guess. He hadn’t even tried to play it off. He’d straight up said, “I wanted to eat with you, so I waited.”
Weird dude, but it was pretty refreshing that he said what he meant. Most people weren’t like that. Minced words and dancing around topics. Saving face. Underhanded comments. Freaking games. I hated all that shit.
Oli was gone when I woke up today, and I hadn’t thought anything of it. He’d told me before I left for my shift yesterday that he had to work early. Regardless, he’d texted me at seven to remind me. Apparently, he was capable of ninja mode because I hadn’t heard a peep this morning.
Nights were a different story. He’d been up playing games after I went to bed.
I figured he’d go to sleep when he realized how late it was, but I heard him talking to his teammates at five in the morning.
Maybe he’d never slept at all. The idea of working a full shift after that sounded like torture.
Mom hummed thoughtfully. “I want to talk to him. Make sure he’s not a creep or something.”
I laughed. “He’s not a creep. I’m a good judge of character.”
“You are, but I’m better.”
“I know. Maybe I’ll convince him to get on a video call or something, but no promises. You’ll embarrass me for sure.”
“You know we worry about you,” she said softly. “You’re so far away.”
“You wanted me to stick it out at Harmon. I’ll come home, you know. Study somewhere closer.”
“No. You’re already almost done with your third year. Stay there. Gain some life experience.”
“The experience has been hit or miss.”
“Dad said you’re going to quit football. I don’t like that.”
“I’m not gonna be able to work, play, and take the amount of classes I need to graduate on time. It’s not a big deal.”
“Then, don’t work. We can send you some money every month.”
“No,” I said firmly. “I’m going to be sending you money, Mom. Don’t you dare think about taking more hours.”
She let out a shuddering breath. “It’s our job, D.”
“It was your job when I was a kid. Promise me you won’t take extra shifts.”
“Okay. For now. But I want you to think about football. I know how much you love it, and I’d hate to see you give it up.”
“It’s just a pastime.”
“You’re allowed to have those.”
I breathed a laugh, which cut off abruptly when I looked at the first page of the lease Oli had left on the counter for me.
I was glad he’d taken care of it quickly, and they apparently didn’t mind at all.
That wasn’t what made me pause. It was the damn price tag.
If we split things down the middle, I should’ve been paying a few hundred more.
What the fuck?
“Can I call you back?” I asked.
“I’m heading into work, but if you’re free tomorrow—”
“I’ll be free. Let me know when.”
“Love you, D.”
“I love you too. Tell Dad also.”
“Of course I will.”
Once again, I wondered why Oli had offered me this room. What did he get out of it? I saw him talk to people at school, plus he had Remi, so it made no sense that he would be lonely, but what else could it be? Boredom, maybe.
He had a management position, but there was no way this was easy to afford. A little help with the rent might’ve been all he needed. Five hundred was still five hundred, and it wasn’t like he’d been using the room anyway.
I quickly scanned through the rest of the lease and signed the parts they’d highlighted for me in green. When I got to the last page, my brows rose. Down in the corner, drawn with the same green highlighter, there was a little dinosaur.
A small laugh escaped me as I gathered the papers together. The office was open for another thirty minutes, and I didn’t want to forget, so I immediately headed out of the apartment and down the stairs.
It was a short walk, but I shivered in the cold. The clouds were looking a little grey, and I found myself hoping it’d rain. Not that I had to hope much. This was Seattle.
“Welcome in,” the woman at the desk called when I walked in the door.
I smiled and made my way over to her, lifting the stack of papers a little. “I’ve got this lease all signed.”
“Oh, for 201?”
I nodded. She took it from me and quickly checked that I’d signed everything.
Pushing my hands into my pockets, I glanced around the little space. “So, do you need anything else from me? I thought there’d be a whole application or something.”
Her eyes seemed to sparkle when she looked at me.
“Generally, but it’s Oli.” She must’ve seen that her statement confused me because she chuckled.
“Mallory trusts that he knows what he’s doing.
Just don’t tell anyone we gave you special treatment.
” She winked conspiratorially. “Seriously, it’s kinda .
. . frowned upon. Fair housing and all that. ”
“Oh, uh, thanks.”
“He’s just the sweetest, and honestly, we were so excited to hear about you.”
“Excited?”
“Cassandra,” another woman said from an office off to the side. She walked out of it, then looked surprised when she saw me. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you doing a tour?”
Cassandra grinned at her. “No, this is Dean.”
“Oli’s boyfriend?” Mallory came closer, wearing the same giddy expression. “Wow, I shouldn’t be surprised, but he really did good.”
I blinked a couple of times, trying to catch up. “Wait. Oli’s—”
“So adorable,” Cassandra gushed. “Both of you.”
“I—”
Mallory turned to her. “There’s a maintenance emergency in Ms. Bridget’s unit. Can you get Tom out there?”
“Damn, he just left. I’ll call him.” She sat at her desk and picked up her phone.
Mallory smiled at me. “It was nice to meet you, Dean. I hope you’re settling in.” The phone in her office started ringing, so she gave me an apologetic look before she rushed inside to answer it.
With both women on the phone, it felt weird to wait around, even though I wanted to set the record straight. Next time, I guess.
When I left the office, I stopped at the mailbox. As soon as I opened it, a few letters fell on the ground. The thing was stuffed so full, I struggled to yank it all out. When was the last time he’d checked the damn thing?
I saw Oli’s car pull up next to mine, so I tucked the stack under my arm with a frown. He got out and started jogging to the gate like he was in a hurry.
“Hey,” I called.
He turned around, then his expression went from surprise to something like excitement. Closing the distance between us, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. “What’s up, Broku?”
I gestured at the mail. “You should check this more often.”
With a grimace, he touched the back of his neck. “Ah, probably. I always forget about it.”
“It’s kind of important.”
“I’ll go through it later. Did you meet Mal and Cass?”
“Yeah, about that. Did you tell them we’re dating?”
His eyes widened. “Dating? No, why would I do that?”
“I don’t know, but they think we are.”
“Wow, okay. You said we’re friends, right?”
“Didn’t really get a chance.”
He stared at me for a second, his head cocking the slightest amount. “I can if you want.”
“They’re busy, and it’s not really important right now. They probably just assumed because it’s a one-bedroom.”
“Fair. I’ll make sure to clarify next time I see them, though.”
“Cool. Are you sure you don’t need more from me for rent?” I asked a little awkwardly. “I don’t know what your job pays, but—”
“Don’t worry so much, man.”
“It’s a lot of money, Oli.”
“I have some grants that pay a lot of it.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiled at me. “This life of mine has some perks, surprisingly. We’re square.”
We climbed the stairs together in silence while I tried to decode his response.
I reached for the doorknob at the same time that he did, making the backs of our hands knock together.
I took a step to the side so he could go for it.
After he was inside, he held the door for me, and I just dipped my chin in thanks.
“Work was bananas,” he groaned as he stripped out of his jacket. He tossed it on the counter as he passed, then performed a dramatic stretch.
“Everyone needs their Sunday dinner things.”
“Maybe they should be less grumpy about it.” Turning around, he looked me up and down, like he seemed to do often. “You working tonight?”
“In a couple hours. Remi wants me to run through opening tasks on my own, which means he’ll probably rethink hiring me at all.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
I snorted and walked past him. Collapsing on the couch, I tossed the stack of mail on the coffee table and dropped my head back.
Despite sleeping in, I was exhausted from yesterday.
I’d been there for twelve hours, and since it had been Saturday night, I’d barely stopped moving the entire time. Maybe today would be better.
“I’ve only done one shift,” I said. “He’s throwing me in the deep end and expecting me to swim.”
Oli dropped beside me and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “I’d say it’s because he believes you can do it, but that’s probably not it.”
“That makes me feel so much better.”
With a laugh, he nudged my shoulder with his. “You tackle full-grown men on the regular. Just show him you don’t back down.”
I grunted my agreement.
“Hey,” he said. “Since we’re dating now, maybe you’ll rub my feet.”
Looking at him, I narrowed my eyes. His smile was mischievous, and it was hard to fake annoyance.
“You're hilarious, you know,” I replied, heavy on the sarcasm.
“Cass will be heartbroken when she learns we broke up.”
“Jesus. I’m gonna go tell them now.”
When I made as if to stand up, he put a hand on my leg firmly, his fingers digging into my skin. “Come on. Let them be happy for another day.”
My serious facade broke, and I laughed as I shoved his arm away. “Fine, but only cause they’re nice.”
“Want to kick some ass in Rocket League?” he asked.
“I don’t have much time.”
“You have plenty. And if you lose, you cook dinner tomorrow.”
“I don’t know how.”
He gasped dramatically. “Do you know what year it is, Dean? Don’t tell me you expect a woman to do that for you.”
“No, but I didn’t exactly have a kitchen in the dorm, and what we did back home was minimal.”
“Luckily for you, there is a fully functional kitchen just outside your bedroom door. Feel free to burn a few dishes on your way to culinary fame.”
Actually, learning to cook did sound fun. I might just rise to the challenge. My parents would be super impressed if I came home and was able to whip up a carbonara for them. First, though, I’d have to learn what a carbonara was.