My Roommate is Hot

Campus Tour

•.• Skylar •.•

“Mum, what are you talking about? Does Dad know about this?” I asked, pressing my lips into a thin line. I hated this.

I definitely did not like where this was headed.

“Honey, your dad and I have talked about this, and though he doesn’t appreciate that you’d be living with a boy, there’s nothing we can do right now,” she said.

I huffed, darting out my tongue to wet my bottom lip before running a hand through my hair.

“You both have connections. Hell, you could even buy a building close to campus,” I blurted, and I could hear Mum’s sigh — and Dad’s faint voice in the background. They really were going to do this to me?

“We want you to have the full school experience, and believe me, darling, it would get boring staying alone in a huge house.”

“Harper can move in with me.”

“We don’t know about that, Skylar. We’re not her parents,” Mum said, and I swallowed nothing. Okay, fair point.

“I could ask her mum. She loves me.”

“Sky…”

“Mum, I cannot stay with Jaxon for a semester,” I bit out, a muscle twitching in my jaw as I leaned against the kitchen counter, facing the door.

“He didn’t try anything funny, did he?” Dad piped in, and I rolled my eyes. As if.

“He didn’t even spend the night here. It’s obvious we’re both uncomfortable around each other,” I said, and Dad exhaled.

“Trust me, I don’t want you staying around that boy either, but this is the safest option we could get at such short notice.”

I pinched my brows together as an exasperated sigh escaped me.

“This is temporary, darling. Just for a couple of months. Jaxon will be a great guide,” Dad continued, and I scoffed.

He was not. And he wouldn’t be.

There was muttering in the background, and the line went fuzzy for a second before Mum’s voice came back.

“Baby, let us know if there’s anything — anything you need, anything you think we should know,” she said softly.

By her tone, I knew exactly what she was implying, which was a little ridiculous.

Jaxon wouldn’t even sleep in his own home just because I was spending a night there. I had no idea how the next few months would go, and no — he despised me too much to touch me. Which was mutual, by the way.

I hummed, shoulders sagging in defeat. “I will.”

“Okay. Love you,” Mum said, and the call ended.

I dropped my phone on the counter before dragging both hands through my hair, which looked like a bird’s nest considering I’d just rolled out of bed to get water before Mum called.

Tilting my head back, I shut my eyes and let out an ear-shattering scream. I was already frustrated, and it was only my second day in this goddamn school.

I probably didn’t hear the lock click or the door creak open through my scream, but when I opened my eyes, Jaxon stood by the door — staring at me like I’d lost my mind.

Well, with that blood-piercing scream… maybe I had.

His brows shot up to his hairline, and I stared back, wide-eyed and startled.

“What—” I stopped myself just in time, pressing my lips together as he slowly shut the door.

“Are you okay?” he asked, but it wasn’t out of concern. His tone was flat, deadpan — like he didn’t give two f***s.

He tossed the extra keys on the table, running his fingers through his very rough hair that stuck out in random directions.

Someone had a terrible night. It was obvious from the way he pressed the side of his neck — from a cramp, probably.

He glanced at me, and I dropped my eyes almost immediately, watching my fingers.

“Um, did my mum call you?” I asked, because, well — he had to know I’d be squatting with him for the semester. It was his house, after all.

He hummed.

I glanced up just as he pulled his shirt over his head — and, oh Jesus.

Muscles. Lean, toned muscles. But I didn’t have time to ogle — ogle? Not exactly. It just happened to be in my line of sight.

“Of course. Mummy’s girl will be invading my space for the rest of the session. That’s something to be excited about, don’t you think?” he asked, and I frowned. Was that spite in his voice?

“I don’t want to be here any more than you want me around. You could’ve just declined. You don’t have to say yes to them every time.”

He huffed and turned around to face me. His eyes — the darkest shade of green I’d ever seen — almost looked brown from here.

“And what does that make me?” he asked.

I stared back silently before shaking my head. This wasn’t going to work. Not with him being like this.

“They’re my parents, not yours. You’re not obligated to them, and you definitely don’t have to cater to me,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

That’s when his eyes dropped — down my body.

I was wearing one of Aiden’s worn-out t-shirts. I loved it, which was why I’d taken it, and yeah — it was big, but not thigh-ending big. I had boy shorts underneath, and I was pretty sure I looked decent. Except for my hair, which was everywhere.

His eyes slowly traveled back up, pausing at my breasts, and I shifted on my feet — raising my arms higher until I was covering them. His gaze snapped to mine, and a muscle ticked in his jaw.

“If you want me gone this instant, I will go. Neither of our parents has to know about it,” I added, tilting my head slightly to the side.

Spoken out loud, it sounded like a great idea. I’d find somewhere else to stay, and everyone would think I was here. He’d get me out of his hair, and I’d get him off my back. Win-win, if you ask me.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he bit out, grabbing the keys off the table roughly before sauntering to the other side of the room — probably toward his bedroom.

“Well, think about it. It’s the perfect solution to not having to see each other’s faces again,” I added.

He shot me a cold glance over his shoulder before slamming the door so hard I almost jumped out of my skin.

Phew.

***

“So… you're stuck with him now? That’s interesting,” Harper muttered as I took a bite of my granola bar, staring straight ahead as we followed behind a handful of students.

It was campus tour day, and we were still waiting for our guide to show up.

“I can always leave,” I said dryly, flicking off a crumb that fell on my shirt.

“Girl, you have nowhere to go. But we can always share my bunk bed — not for long though, until my resident advisor finds out.” She grinned and tugged on my sleeve.

“It was fun last night at my dorm. Our resident advisor is a guy,” she added, smirking.

I raised a brow. “Shouldn’t that be normal?”

She blushed. She actually blushed.

“He’s a fine specimen, Sky,” she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “A really fine specimen.”

I scrunched my nose. “Harps, you’re nineteen and a freshman. You cannot have a crush on your RA, who I’m sure is twenty years older than you.”

She rolled her eyes. “There’s a reason I used the term guy instead of man.”

“He’s twenty-three,” she whispered, and my brow shot up. That was… young. Really young — and wrong.

“The girls are all over him, but he’s decent. He turns a blind eye to their advances.” She shrugged, then met my gaze. “Did I mention he wears glasses?”

She made a sound in her throat and rolled her eyes dramatically. I nudged her, and she chuckled.

“Don’t be carried away by those bookish things you read. This is real life. You should stay away from him. I’m pretty sure he’s putting up an act to lure in girls like you.”

She mumbled something under her breath that I heard perfectly well.

“A girl can only fantasize,” she pouted, and I shook my head. We were so different — and yet so alike.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and Harper glanced around, just as I did. Some girls were giggling, others whispering, some even rising on their toes to peek ahead.

“What’s happening?” Harper murmured.

“Sorry for being late, guys. I kind of had an emergency.”

I froze as the mutterings grew louder.

“I’m Jax, and I’ll be your tour guide.”

I felt Harper’s head snap toward me.

“Jaxon?” she whispered, trying to get a better look.

“Oh my God, it’s him,” she chuckled, and I let out a breath.

The hell?

There really was no escaping him, was there?