Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
ROMAN
The last thing I want to do after last night is leave Jill home alone. I knew it would piss her off if I asked James or Kat to come over, so I didn’t. But now as I’m getting ready to leave, suitcase in hand, I’m wondering if I made the right call.
“Roman, quit fussing, I’m fine,” Jill emphasizes the last word.
“Saying it and meaning it are incredibly different things.”
She rolls her eyes from the couch, where she’s wrapped up in one of her cozy blankets. “I’m good, I’ve got cookies, the Real Housewives, and a cleared social calendar. I’m living my best life.”
I shoot a few daggers her way.
“Okay, look, if I need anything, I’ll call Kat.”
She can tell I’m unconvinced.
“I promise. Yesterday was an off day, I’ll be good here. I’ll call Kat. Go,” she gestures toward the door.
We got lucky that yesterday’s episode wasn’t caught by the press. Instead of caring about Jill and how she’s doing, it would’ve pissed Deacon off for making the Everetts look “unstable” or “weak,” as he’s said in the past.
“I can text you daily if you need, you mother hen,” she laments.
“Yes, please.”
“Hurry and go get Clover, or you’ll be late.”
Before I leave, I shoot James a quick text.
Me
Check in on Jill while I’m away. She says she’s fine, but I don’t buy it.
James
On it. Kat’s planning to kidnap her tonight for a reality TV marathon.
I smile and shut my phone. My hand is on the doorknob when I hear her call out.
“Hey Ro?”
“Yeah?”
“You be good.”
“Always am.” I give my signature grin.
“I mean it. I like Clover. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Not sure what constitutes as stupid in her books, but I bring my hand up to my chest and cross my heart before stepping into the hallway.
“See you in a few days.”
After waiting for five minutes outside Clover’s building, I decide to head in.
I figure I can come in and help her with her suitcase, that’s what a loving boyfriend would do, right?
That’s my only motivation, I tell myself.
Some indifferent teenager lets me in when he leaves, so I whip out my phone.
Roman
What unit are you?
Clover
Why?
Oh God, you’re in the building, aren’t you?
Roman
I repeat, what unit are you?
Clover
508. You’re a lucky boy, Roman Everett.
Roman
Why’s that?
Clover
You get the pleasure of meeting my roommate.
When I get to the door and knock, I’m expecting to see Clover, but there’s a flurry of sound, and when it opens, I’m face to face with who I presume to be her roommate.
She has long dark hair, and her lips curl into a feline smile. “Hi,” she says in a tone that belongs in the bedroom. “I’m Maren.” She puts her hand forward for me to shake. Her greeting me like that tells me everything I need to know about the sort of person this girl is.
I give her the world’s briefest handshake. “Roman. Clover here?”
Inappropriate Roommate pops a hip and looks to the side before shouting Clover’s name. Clover pops out of a room a few seconds later, face slightly pink and hair dishevelled.
“Hey,” she smiles over at me slightly awkwardly. Internally, I roll my eyes. She needs to get better at showing affection in front of people if we’re going to pull this off. Fine, she can follow my lead then.
“Hey,” I say before pulling her into a hug and pressing a kiss to her forehead. I pause there for a second to inhale the smell of her perfume and shampoo, because that’s what any normal boyfriend would do and I’m simply playing a role.
After a couple of seconds, Clover steps back, “I need a couple more minutes to pack, then I’m good. Do you want to come in?”
“As opposed to standing out here in the hall?” I tease before stepping into the apartment.
“I’m this way,” Clover says as she gestures to the nearby hallway and the door on the left-hand side.
When I step into her room, it’s like a small peek into who she is behind the snark and fire I see on set.
The space is small and very well kept, but brimming with personality.
There are various knickknacks along her dresser, and old Hollywood movie posters taped to her wall, a giant one for the 1954 Creature from the Black Lagoon hangs above where she sleeps.
On her bed is a suitcase that’s overflowing with clothes.
“Jesus, are you planning for a few days or a few weeks?”
She shoots me a glare. “I don’t want to forget anything.”
“Trust me, by the looks of it, you haven’t.”
She scrunches her nose, and before she has the chance to reply we’re interrupted by a soft meow from the corner of the room.
Looking over, I see a gray fluff ball of a cat with large orange eyes. The cat gets up from the oversized pet bed in the corner of the room and does an over-the-top stretch before sauntering up to me.
“Who do we have here?” I ask, gently outstretching my hand toward the cat so it can give me a sniff.
“This is Smokey.”
“Smokey?”
“Yes. Oh, what? Don’t say it,” she says when she sees me chuckling.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m impressed by your creativity and uniqueness, is all.”
“Shut up, I named her when I was ten.”
The little fluff comes over and knocks my hand up with her nose, prompting my hand to land on top of her head for some pets.
I give her a couple and then move away, but it would appear that Smokey has other ideas.
Walking between my legs and rubbing her body along my shins, she meows insistently until I drop to pet her again.
Clover analyzes us closely.
“What?” I ask, annoyed at the inspection.
“She’s just taken a liking to you, and I’m shocked. I thought pets and young children could easily sense demonic entities.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re positively charming?
” My voice drips with sarcasm. “I’m sorry that your mother is such a cow,” I say to the cat.
I expect a snarky response, but Clover is quiet.
Looking toward her, I see her back is to me and she’s still for a minute.
I’m not used to her not taking up the opportunity to verbally spar, so I give her a few more seconds before following up. “Clover?”
“Yeah?”
“You good?”
“Yep. Give me a minute here.” She tosses a few more items of clothing into the suitcase before heading out into the hallway in search of some more things.
“What’s her deal?” I ask Smokey before she prances off after Clover. “Bye to you too,” I whisper.
When Clover returns a minute later, she zips up the suitcase and looks at me expectantly. “Time to put all those muscles to use, wonder boy.” She pauses, “unless they’re only good for show.”
I chuckle and lean over, my arm brushing against hers in the process. “Don’t worry, my muscles are good for plenty of things.” Picking up her suitcase, I gesture toward the door.
We head into the main room, where Inappropriate Roommate is standing beside the couch, clearly not knowing what else to do in my presence.
“So Clover tells me you’re taking her to Napa for a few days,” she pries.
“That’s the plan.” This girl rubs me the wrong way.
“Thanks again for looking after Smokey while I’m away,” Clover says to her. “Her food is in the kitchen drawer, and she should–”
“It’s a cat, Clover. I’ve got it.” The Clover I’ve come to know would normally shoot back a rebuttal, but instead she’s quiet. I wait for anyone to say something, but it’s obvious after a few seconds no one is going to.
“We should get going, sweetheart.” I wrap my arm around her, palm settling on the soft swell of her hip. I’ll never admit it to anyone, but she feels good underneath my hands.
“Right, okay. Well, I’ll see you in a few days,” she says to Maren before picking up Smokey and giving her a kiss on top of the head.
The cat purrs and looks over at me. I know cats can’t fucking talk, but I swear this thing is asking me to pet it once more, so I oblige.
She purrs even louder, and it makes me crack a small smile.
We never had pets growing up, so this is new to me.
I give her a final pat goodbye, and then Clover and I head out the door, ready to start our first getaway as a “couple”.