Hollywood Roommates

18

“Yeah, I do.” I glance around the apartment again. “Where’s your new girlfriend?”

He rubs the back of his neck and won’t meet my eyes. “She uh…decided not to move in with me after all.”

“Figures.” I start for the door, but then stop. Luke’s words about closure echo in my brain. This is my last chance to get it. I turn around. “Why did you do it?”

“Because I’m an i***t,” he says, his face falling. “I gave up the best thing in my life for a stupid fling. I’m sorry.”

“You are an i***t. But I’m glad you cheated on me so I found out what a dickhead you are now and not after we were married. I just wish I hadn’t wasted a year of my life on you.” I open the door. “Goodbye, Parker.”

I step outside, where my three roommates are waiting for me, and my shoulders relax. I was so worried about facing Parker again, but now I feel vindicated—and like I can breathe for the first time in days. Luke was right, this was a good idea.

I smile at the three men holding my stuff. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Fourteen

ALLIE

We return home triumphant, like the underdog sports team in a sappy movie right after they finally won the big game against their rivals. After the guys help me bring all my stuff in, Shane pops open a bottle of red wine, while the rest of us spread out around the living room. I get comfortable on one of the boxy white couches, while Shane sits beside me and begins pouring wine for all of us. The two Hart brothers lounge around me on the other furniture, effortlessly moving into i********:-worthy poses that somehow look both sexy and casual. Genetics, man. So unfair.

“How are you feeling, Allie?” Luke asks.

“Like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” I smile at him and then the other guys. “Thanks for all your help tonight.”

“It was nothing,” Shane says.

“That guy was a tool,” Matt says, raising his glass. “Good riddance.”

“Yes, he was. I think I can finally move on now.” I take a slow sip of my wine and let it warm me up. “But enough about Parker. I’m done letting him take up space in my brain. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?” Matt asks.

I swirl my glass as I consider. “Hmm. How did you all meet?”

“This guy?” Matt says, pointing his wine at Luke. “I have no idea who this guy is.”

Luke grabs his little brother in a rough hug and messes up his hair, while Matt groans. I love seeing them together. It reminds me of being with my older sister.

Shane shakes his head at them. “I met Matt in an improv class.”

“Improv?” I let out a surprised laugh.

Matt yanks away from his brother with a grin. “Yep. The one thing Shane is terrible at.”

Shane scowls and pours himself more wine. “I took it as a way to keep from losing my mind while I was in law school. Or perhaps to piss off my parents. As Matt says, it wasn’t my favorite thing, but we became roommates after that. I met Luke through him a year later.”

“I know Shane and Brooke grew up in Los Angeles, but what about you two?” I ask the brothers.

“Our family’s in Kansas,” Luke says. “I moved here the minute I finished college. Matt followed me two years later.”

“Wow, that must have been a big change for you.”

“Definitely. It was rough at first. I was just another dumb kid moving to LA to try to become an actor, working as a waiter on the side. Sometimes I’m amazed it worked out.”

“For one of us anyway,” Matt mutters.

Luke clasps him on the shoulder. “Your time will come.”

“What do your parents think of that?” I asked.

“They’re proud of us.” Luke shrugs. “But they’d be proud no matter what we did.”

“Mine are like that too,” I say. “But—”

Then I shriek when I see a spider crawl across the couch beside me. I jump up and back into the glass windows, nearly spilling my wine in the process. “Get it away from me!”

All three guys stare at me like I’m completely nuts. “Are you all right?” Shane asks.

“Spider!” I point at it, then cover my eyes. “Oh god, I can’t look.”

Luke bursts out into loud, friendly laughter, and Matt joins in too. When I peek, even Shane is smirking.

I stomp my foot. “This is serious!” That only makes them laugh even harder. “Your face,” Matt says, doubling over.

“It’s just a small spider,” Shane says, shaking his head. “But I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” I refuse to inch any closer until he retrieves a paper towel and gets rid of the vicious monster.

Luke chuckles. “So when you said you were deathly afraid of spiders, you weren’t kidding.”

“I always have been.” I shudder. “They’re just so creepy.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe,” Matt says, with a flirty smile.

“All you did was laugh at me!” Now that the threat is gone, my heart rate is slowing down to normal levels again and I can laugh it off. “Shane’s the only one who was willing to save me.” I sit back down beside him and flutter my eyelashes at him dramatically. “My brave defender.”

Heat sparks between us as our eyes meet, but then he clears his throat and looks away with a frown. “It was just a spider. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” He abruptly rises to his feet. “I’ve got an early morning. Good night.”

My heart sinks as he storms off. Every time I think the two of us are forming a connection, he shoots me down.