INLOVE WITH THE WRONG ROOMMATE

Chapter 3

The crowd spilled out of the auditorium like water flooding a street, everyone talking at once about speeches, courses, and… of course… Liam.

I was half turned, scanning faces for Tasha so I could introduce her to Chika, when a familiar voice cut through the noise.

“Ama?”

I turned, and there he was, Ethan. Same easy smile, hands tucked casually into his pockets like he had all the time in the world.

“Oh,” I said, trying not to sound too surprised. “Hey.”

“You survived,” he teased. “Orientation speeches can feel like a slow death sometimes.”

I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Barely. I think I counted the ceiling tiles twice just to stay awake.”

Chika nudged me with her elbow, smirking. Oh great. She’s already clocked this.

“I was actually looking for my friend,” I said quickly, scanning the crowd again. “Tasha, she should be around here somewhere. Chika, this is Ethan. Ethan, Chika.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chika said with a little wave.

“Likewise,” Ethan replied, polite as ever.

Before I could say anything else, Tasha’s voice came floating over the crowd. “Ama! There you are!” She squeezed through the herd, her eyes immediately flicking between me, Ethan, and Chika. Her eyebrows lifted just enough to make me want to groan.

“Perfect timing,” I said, motioning between them all. “Chika, meet Tasha. And you already know Ethan, right?”

Tasha’s smile widened a little too much. “Oh, I know Ethan.”

Ethan chuckled under his breath, looking faintly embarrassed, and I knew, just knew, Tasha was about to tease me later.

Still, for a moment, the chaos of the crowd didn’t matter. It felt… nice. Easy. Like maybe this whole “new school, new life” thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Ethan glanced at his watch. “I should probably head out, don’t want to be late for my study group.” He gave me that easy smile again before turning to the girls. “Nice meeting you both. Ama, see you around?”

“Sure,” I said, a little too quickly. Chika raised her brows, and I pretended not to notice.

Once Ethan melted into the crowd, Tasha looped her arm through mine. “So, food?”

“Yes, please,” Chika chimed in. “I’m starving. Orientation speeches should come with free snacks.”

We ended up in a little restaurant just off campus, the kind with fairy lights strung across the ceiling and menus that smelled faintly of grease and comfort food.

By the time our fries hit the table, Tasha was already blushing at nothing. I leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Okay. Spill. You and Jason.”

Her head snapped up. “What about me and Jason?”

“Oh, don’t play innocent.” I pointed a fry at her accusingly. “You were glowing back there.

Glowing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say someone has a crush.”

Chika gasped theatrically. “Wait, Jason? As in Mr. Cute-Cafeteria-Smile?”

Tasha groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, popping the fry in my mouth. “Ridiculous enough to notice how he couldn’t stop looking at you. Honestly, Tash, you should thank me. I might start charging as your personal love detective.”

Chika leaned in, her grin wicked. “So when’s the wedding?”

Tasha threw a napkin at both of us, her ears red all the way to her neck. “You’re impossible.”

“Correction,” I said smugly. “We’re observant.”

By the time our plates were empty and the fairy lights outside started to glow brighter against the night, we were still laughing over Tasha’s dramatic napkin defense.

Chika pulled out her phone. “Okay, Ama, I refuse to let this be a one-time dinner. We’re officially friends now. What’s your WeChat?”

I grinned, unlocking my phone. “Deal. But fair warning, I send way too many reaction memes.”

“Perfect,” she said, typing quickly before showing me her screen. I tapped accept, and my contact list welcomed a new name: Chika .

We lingered a little longer, soaking in the easy warmth of the evening, before finally pushing our chairs back.

Outside, the street buzzed with other students in small groups, some heading back to campus, others drifting into the night for more adventures.

Tasha stretched with a groan. “Dorm bed, here I come.”

“Same,” I said. “My suitcase is probably judging me for abandoning it.”

We hugged Chika goodbye at the corner, promising to catch up again soon. Then Tasha and I walked back together, the cool air carrying the scent of flowers and faint music from a nearby café.

It felt… steady. Like for the first time since arriving, I wasn’t completely lost.

I walked down the hallway to my dorm, already rehearsing my dramatic entrance in my head. Something like Hi, I’m Ama, nice to meet you. Please don’t be a psychopath. Let’s coexist peacefully. That should do. If God truly loves me, my new roommate will be sweet, tidy, and maybe even share her snacks. I really didn’t need awkward greetings or cold stares, not on my first night.

The lights were on when I pushed the main door open, which meant she was probably already in. Lucky me. Maybe she was showering or unpacking. At least I could get a moment to adjust myself before the big roommate reveal.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror by the lounge and winced. My hair looked like a bird had tried to build a nest in it, and my shirt was wrinkled from dragging myself through the day. Nope. Not acceptable. I quickly smoothed my hair down, straightened my shirt, and practiced my smile, the one that said I’m friendly, not crazy, please like me.

With a deep breath, I marched toward the bedroom door, my dramatic knock already loaded and ready. Except I didn’t even get to knock. The door swung open on its own, like it had a grudge against me.

And standing there, very much not my new roommate, was the tall, broad-shouldered egomaniac himself.

I froze. “What the actual….” My eyes widened. “Why are you here? This is the girls’ dorm! Did you….” I pushed against his arm, trying to squeeze past him. “Did you do something to her? Where is she?”

His eyes narrowed, his voice dropping into an icy drawl. “Hey, hey, hey. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I shot back, still pushing at his annoyingly immovable frame. “Trying to rescue my roommate from a possible intruder? Who, by the way, looks way too comfortable for someone trespassing.”

“Comfortable?” he repeated, arching a brow like the word offended him. His posture was so calm it made me want to scream.

“Yes, comfortable. You’re standing here like you own the place. Meanwhile, you’re not even supposed to be in this building, let alone this room!”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his jaw tightening like he was debating whether to laugh or strangle me. Then, in that maddeningly low voice of his, he said, “First of all, I didn’t break in. Second, if anyone here is acting like they own the place, it’s you.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You barged in without asking, you’re trying to push me around, and you haven’t even introduced yourself.”

“Introdu….” I gaped at him. “You’re lucky I didn’t call campus security the moment I saw your face. What do you even want here, Liam? Is stalking girls your evening hobby?”

That smirk. God, that infuriating smirk tugged at his lips like he enjoyed every second of my outrage.

“Relax, princess,” he said smoothly, leaning one shoulder against the doorframe as if he had all the time in the world. “I live here.”

My brain short-circuited. “You… what?”