My Roommate is Hot

Start Afresh

Skylar

There was a knock on my door. I hesitated for a second before taking off my earphones. I already had an inkling of who it might be, and that only made me more curious.

There were only two of us in this apartment, and I had no idea what Jaxon could possibly want to say at this hour. Speaking of which, I glanced at my phone.

12:15 a.m.

Yeah—what did he have to say by midnight?

We’d been giving each other the silent treatment since he returned home, and while I felt bad for ignoring him earlier, I didn’t let it show. The man could not know I felt even an iota of pity toward him.

I sat up on the bed, just to be sure I’d heard the knock.

Then I heard it again—soft, but firm.

I got up, tightening the sash of my robe as I walked toward the door. I unlocked it and pulled it open slightly, green eyes staring straight into mine.

I raised a brow. “Jaxon?”

He lifted his hand in a small wave of greeting.

Really?

“Is there anything you want?” I asked. His gaze flicked past me, into the room, before returning to my face.

“I was hoping we could talk. It’s a little boring at my end,” he said, and my brows arched higher.

“You’re bored?” I snapped, and he c****d his head to the side.

“What? I can’t feel boredom?” he asked, and I shook my head with a huff.

“That’s very unlike you. Don’t you have somewhere to be? A new girl to—” I gestured vaguely, realizing mid-sentence that using the f word to his face felt harder than expected.

“Wow,” he breathed, nodding as he pushed a few strands of hair out of his face.

“Are you going to let me in, or are we having this discussion out here?” he asked.

I pressed my lips together, debating.

With a sigh, I stepped aside and opened the door wider.

“Fine. You have twenty minutes,” I muttered.

His lips tipped upward as he brushed past me, and that was when I noticed what he was wearing.

A T-shirt.

And shorts.

Shorts that exposed long, toned legs.

There really should be laws against legs like his being on public display.

I shut the door and lingered there as he sank into the only sofa in the room. He looked bigger here—though I knew that was ridiculous. This had once been his space, but now it was filled with my things, making it feel smaller by comparison.

I crossed my arms over my chest, staying by the door.

“I don’t bite, Blue,” he said, turning his gaze toward me.

I clicked my tongue. “That’s for me to decide, don’t you think?”

He chuckled, nodding.

It still felt strange—him being friendly. Worse, chuckling.

“So,” I said, moving toward my bed and sitting down, pulling a pillow onto my lap. “What is it you wanted?”

“Nothing,” he said, staring at me. “I just wanted to talk.”

He looked away.

“It’s been a long time since we did that. Just talked.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Cool. Whose fault is that?”

The sweetness in my tone was deliberate, and he caught it immediately. His eyes snapped back to mine.

“Well, we can’t really apportion blame,” he said, exhaling. “Yeah, I know I f****d up and all that, but… it’s in the past now. Maybe we could start something new. Fresh.”

I shook my head, rubbing my hand down my face.

I was still confused about why he’d stopped talking to me all those years ago. And to this day, no one had given me the answers I wanted.

“Why did you stop?” I asked quietly.

He hummed.

I stared at him. “Why did you stop talking to me?”

His expression closed off instantly. For a moment, I thought he might get up and leave. It would’ve stung—but I would’ve appreciated it.

Instead, he stayed.

“Three dates,” he muttered.

I blinked. “What?”

He leaned back into the couch, draping an arm over it and spreading his legs slightly.

I looked away immediately.

There was something about men who sat like that—dangerous and unfairly appealing.

“Go out on three dates with me,” he said, “and I’ll tell you the reason.”

I gave him a flat look. “Are you being serious right now?”

He tilted his head. “Why? It’s not a bad deal. I’m not asking for much.”

“You do realize there’s already a rumor about us dating,” I said. “Being seen with you is the last thing I want.”

He leaned forward, suddenly serious.

“I didn’t know you were that repelled by the idea of me.”

I let out a humorless laugh.

The tearful nights.

The days I felt unwanted.

Invisible.

Heartbroken.

He had absolutely no idea.

“It’s nice to see you finally figured that out,” I muttered.

He ran a hand through his hair, mumbling something under his breath.

“Let me make it up to you,” he said, our eyes locking. “Please.”

I bit my bottom lip and looked away. Starting over wasn’t the worst idea.

“Do you have a place in mind?” I asked.

His face lit up instantly, breaking into a grin. I just stared.

Perfect teeth. A beautiful smile. A shame he was usually so broody.

“Oh, I sure do,” he said, standing to his full height. “Trust me—you’re going to love it.”

He walked to the door, opened it, then glanced back at me.

“Sleep tight, Blue,” he whispered.

There was something in his eyes—a flicker—but it vanished too quickly for me to name.

“Yeah. Good night,” I muttered.

He stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

I stared at it long after he was gone.

Somehow, I felt… excited. And that was strange.