Chapter 17 Why Are My Friends Living Here
My friends were moving into the mansion.
The mansion.
I still could not believe that sentence was real.
Clara and Sophie followed me upstairs while looking around like they had just entered a museum.
Clara stopped in the middle of the hallway and slowly turned in a circle.
"Why is this hallway bigger than our entire apartment?"
"I don't know," I said.
Sophie looked up at the high ceiling.
"This place is ridiculous."
I laughed.
"You two are being dramatic."
Clara pointed ahead.
"Which room is yours?"
I opened my door and stepped aside so they could see.
They both walked in.
Then froze.
Slowly... very slowly... they turned toward me.
"Amelia," Clara said.
"Yes."
"You live like royalty."
"I do not!"
Sophie walked further inside and looked at the huge windows.
"You did not tell us it was like this."
"I did not know it would be like this!"
Clara sat on the edge of the bed.
"This mattress alone probably costs more than my car."
"You do not even have a car."
"Exactly."
I laughed and leaned against the door.
Clara looked at me again.
"So."
I narrowed my eyes.
"No."
"You and Dominic."
"No."
"You think he is attractive."
"I DID NOT SAY THAT."
Sophie looked between us.
"He is attractive."
I pointed at her.
"You are supposed to be on my side!"
Clara grinned.
"She is just honest."
I groaned.
"We are not talking about Dominic."
Clara crossed her arms.
"You live in his house."
"Because I work here."
"You also trended online with him."
I covered my face.
"Please stop saying that."
Sophie laughed quietly.
The door suddenly opened.
Ryan walked in carrying one of Clara's suitcases.
"Delivery."
He walked two steps inside the room.
Then dropped the suitcase.
Very loudly.
Clara jumped.
"HEY!"
Ryan looked completely innocent.
"What?"
"You dropped it!"
"It slipped."
"You did that on purpose!"
Ryan smiled.
"I would never."
Clara crossed her arms.
"You are annoying."
"I get that a lot."
Sebastian stepped in behind him carrying Sophie's suitcase.
He placed it gently near the door.
Sophie looked at him immediately.
"Thank you."
Sebastian nodded slightly.
"You're welcome."
Ryan leaned toward Clara.
"Your room is down the hall."
Clara grabbed her suitcase.
"You better not drop this one."
Ryan grinned.
"No promises."
Sophie picked up her bag and looked at Sebastian again.
"Which room is mine?"
Sebastian pointed toward the end of the hallway.
"I'll show you."
She nodded quickly.
"Okay."
Clara walked out first.
Ryan followed her.
Sebastian walked beside Sophie.
And just like that... everyone disappeared down the hallway.
Leaving me standing alone in my room.
I shook my head.
"My friends live here now."
That was still insane.
I grabbed my phone.
"I need water."
Then I walked out into the hallway.
Ryan's POV
Clara was walking ahead of me with her suitcase.
And she was still annoyed.
Which I found very entertaining.
She stopped outside one of the guest rooms.
"This one?"
"Yes."
She opened the door and looked around.
Then she turned back toward me.
"This room is bigger than my apartment."
"I hear that a lot."
She rolled her eyes.
"You dropped my suitcase."
"It slipped."
She pointed a finger at me.
"You are doing that on purpose."
I leaned against the wall.
"Doing what?"
"Annoying me."
I smiled.
"Maybe."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
That was easy.
"Because when you are annoyed you pay attention to me."
She blinked.
For a second she looked surprised.
Then she scoffed.
"You are unbelievable."
"But you are still talking to me."
She grabbed the suitcase and pulled it inside the room.
"You are exhausting."
I laughed.
And honestly...
I was already having fun.
Sebastian's POV
Sophie walked beside me quietly.
She looked around the hallway like she was still trying to understand where she was.
"This house is huge," she said softly.
"Yes."
I opened the door to one of the guest rooms.
"This one."
She stepped inside.
Then slowly turned in a circle.
"This is my room?"
"For now."
She smiled slightly.
"It is bigger than my university dorm."
I leaned against the doorframe.
She looked nervous.
But in a calm way.
Different from Clara's fiery energy.
Sophie looked at me again.
"Thank you for helping."
"It was not difficult."
She laughed softly.
Then she looked down at her suitcase.
"I hope we are not causing trouble by staying here."
"You are not."
She nodded slowly.
Then looked back at me again.
And for some reason...
I noticed her smile.
It was quiet.
But warm.
And I found myself thinking something unexpected.
The house might actually become more interesting with them here.
Meanwhile...
Amelia was walking down the hallway.
And just a few seconds later...
She turned the corner.
And ran straight into Dominic.
Which was about to become a whole new problem