HIS ROOMMATE

AWKWARD MORNING

CHAPTER 21

KAI'S POV

I woke up to warmth. And to arms around me.

For a second I panicked. Then I recognized the smell - Adrian’s cologne, mixed with coffee from last night. I remembered the nightmare. The alley. Williams’ hands. Then Adrian’s voice cutting through it all.

I was still curled against his chest. His chin rested on top of my head. One arm locked around my waist like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go.

He was asleep. Actually asleep. Face relaxed. No frown. No guard up.

My first thought wasn’t about Valerie. It wasn’t about what this meant.

My first thought was: I haven’t slept like this in years. Without checking the locks three times. Without a knife under my pillow.

I stayed still, listening to his breathing. Safe.

I don’t know how long I lay there, listening to his breathing. Safe. Warm. Too safe.

Then Adrian shifted. His arm tightened around me for half a second before he froze.

I felt him go still. Like he just realized where we were. On my bed. His arms around me. Both of us tangled in my blanket.

“Oh. Uh.” He jerked back so fast he almost fell off the bed. “Kai, I— I’m sorry, you were having a nightmare and I—”

I shot upright too, clutching the blanket to my chest like it could fix everything. My face was burning. “I know. You were just... comforting me. Right? Because of the nightmare. That’s all.”

“Right. Yeah. Comforting.” He ran a hand through his hair, not meeting my eyes. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I was supposed to stay on the couch.”

“Obviously.” I laughed, but it came out too high, too sharp. “Couch. Definitely the couch.”

Silence. Awkward, heavy silence.

He stood up too fast, nearly tripping over my slipper. “I should... check the locks? Coffee? Yeah, coffee. I’ll make coffee.”

He bolted for the door like the room was on fire.

I stared at the empty space where he’d been. My chest felt weird. Hollow and full at the same time.

From the kitchen I heard him muttering to himself. “Smooth, Adrian. Real smooth. Sleeping in her bed.”

I buried my face in my hands. “This is fine,” I whispered to no one. “This is totally fine.”

ADRIAN'S POV

Coffee. I needed coffee. And distance.

I gripped the counter, waiting for the kettle to boil. My heart was still hammering like I’d run a mile.

She was having a nightmare. I was just supposed to hold her till it passed. Just till she was breathing normal again.

Then how did we end up both asleep on the bed?

I scrubbed a hand over my face. Valerie’s gonna murder me. Ash is gonna roast me for the next month. And Kai... Kai probably thinks I’m a creep now.

The kettle clicked. I poured water with shaking hands.

“Kai?” I called, voice cracking. “Coffee? Black, right?”

A pause. Then her voice, small from the doorway. “Yeah. Black’s fine.”

I didn’t turn around. Couldn’t. Because if I did, I’d see her eyes. And I wasn’t ready for whatever was in them yet.

The awkwardness was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Emm... I have to go now Kai, I have some really important to do... You are going to be okay, right?" God.. Why am I so nervous?

"yeah.. Sure"

The awkwardness was suffocating. I was literally running away from the tension. "You’re going to be okay, right?" Ugh, why did I ask that? She’s not a fragile doll, Adrian.

And her answer? "Yeah.. Sure". Flat. Like she was checking me out of her life.

I forced myself to keep moving, grabbing my stuff. "I’ll, uh, check on you later." Smooth. Real smooth.

I closed the door behind me, and the sound seemed to echo down the hallway. I leaned against it for a second, listening. No sound from inside. No footsteps, no movement, nothing. Like Kai had already checked out, left me to deal with the mess alone.

I pushed off the door and headed for the elevator. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Valerie. Again.

I ignored it. Couldn’t deal with her right now. Couldn’t deal with anything right now except getting out of there before I did something stupid like knock back and tell Kai I didn’t mean to make things weird.

The elevator took forever. I stared at my reflection in the metal doors. Who was this guy? The guy who slept in Kai’s bed. The guy who couldn’t look her in the eye afterward. Not the Adrian I knew.

The doors opened. I stepped in. Hit the ground floor. Took a breath.

The lobby was bright. Too bright. Like everyone was smiling and laughing and I was just... existing. I nodded at the doorman. He nodded back. Normal. Just another day.

The Manhattan streets were a blur as I drove. Prom. I totally forgot. Valerie’s been talking about it for weeks. And I just... forgot.

I hit a pothole, waving at the cabbie who flipped me off. Focus, Adrian.

Valerie was right to ask questions. I skipped school yesterday. I skipped a lot of things yesterday. But Kai needed me. And now...

Now I was stuck between two worlds. The one where I was Valerie’s boyfriend, prepping for prom, and the one where Kai needed someone and I was there. Needed to be there.

I pulled into Central Park, parked near the lake. Turned off the engine. People jogged by. Tourists took pics. Normal life.

What was I doing? Valerie deserved better than a guy who forgot prom. Who couldn’t even tell her the truth – that sleeping in Kai’s bed meant nothing.

I love Valerie a lot that is what matters, what happened meant nothing and I shouldn't think too much of it and make things weird for Kai and I.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter. Yeah, that’s it. I love Valerie. We’ve been together three years. She’s stable. She’s safe. She’s what I need.

Sleeping in Kai’s bed meant nothing. It was a mistake. A lapse. I was just being... protective. Yeah. That’s it. Protective.

So why couldn’t I shake the feeling I was lying to myself? Why did part of me want to go back to Kai’s, make sure she was okay, make sure she didn’t think...

No. Stop it, Adrian. Valerie’s the one who matters. Kai’s fine. She’s strong. She doesn’t need me like that.

I started the car, pulled back into traffic. Headed to Valerie’s.

And I’d forget. Forget the way Kai looked when I left. Forget the way she felt in my arms.

Forget.

KAI'S POV

It has been three days since Williams incident. Adrian has been acting weird ever since then, he was practically avoiding me. I don't understand why, maybe because Valerie started her obsession again or does this have anything to do with what happened at my apartment? But what is there to be weird about, I mean it meant nothing right?

Today is the prom night but I wasn't planning on going going. But Nancy just showed up in my apartment with dresses and forcing me into one. I tried telling her that I don't have a date but she said she didn't have a date either.... It is so hard to convince Nancy. When I thought I was just going to stay home or head to the Cafe, Nancy just had to show up. Of course Nancy showed up. If there’s one person who treats “I’m not going” as a challenge instead of an answer, it’s her. She burst in like the prom committee + SWAT team, arms full of tulle, glitter, and zero respect for personal boundaries.

“Not going isn’t an option,” she announces, already unzipping dress bags like she’s defusing a bomb.

“Nance, I don’t have a date,” I tell her, which is true. After Adrian’s weird avoidance act, the last thing I want is a slow dance and small talk.

She throws a midnight-blue dress at me. It lands perfectly. Because of course it does.

“Neither do I,” she says, grinning like she planned this ambush weeks ago. “That’s the point. We go as us. Me, you, terrible punch, and judging everyone’s dance moves.”

It’s impossible to argue with Nancy when she’s like this. She’s already holding up heels and doing that thing where she stares until you give in.

So now I’m standing here, dress in one hand, excuses dying on my tongue, wondering if walking into prom alone is braver than walking in with with a date pretending I’m invisible.

TBC