Cocky Roomie_ A Bad Boy Romance Novel(37)

“Small town,” I shrug. “How ya doin’ Bernie?”

“Not good, Jake,” she snarls. “I’ve been better, and now I see your fucking face. Why is he at your house, Drew? You guys aren’t dating. Please tell me you’re not dating Jake Cocker.” Her face is filled with so much disgust I want to punch her.

“This is his place, Bern,” she quietly says, looking from her to me. “I’m his roommate.”

“Oh!” Bernie exhales, but then her eyes narrow on me and her voice reverts back to disgust. “Oh,” she repeats, this time flatly.

I don’t have to ask why. I know why she hates me. I cross my arms. “Can we help you?”

She dogs me with another death-stare. “Drew is like my best friend since forever, Jake. So don’t look at me like I’m a piece of trash that rolled up on your door. Show a woman some respect, you fuck.”

Drew closes her eyes with embarrassment then says, “Ummm…”

Bernie cuts her off. “I’m being stalked, Drew. Can I come in??”

“Of course!” Waving her friend in, Drew starts for her room. “We’ll just go in there, Jake.”

“Take off your stilettos first,” I grumble.

Drew spins around. “Okay, I don’t know what your history is, but you are being rude and it’s very unattractive.”

“I don’t give a shit.”

“I don’t deserve that shit from you, Jake.” Bernie shouts. “Especially you!” Her hands are shaking.

I clamp my mouth shut, knowing there’s no way this argument will end well. The two of them disappear, but not before Drew stares at me with all kinds of questions in her mind.

Bernie didn’t take off her shoes. Bitch.

An hour later, Drew’s bedroom door opens. I’m on the couch watching The Walking Dead on Netflix, Season Two. Seen ‘em all a long time ago but only a show this good can distract me from what is goin’ on in my house.

Drew appears, worried and much more distant than before. “Jake?” She glances to the T.V. and mutters, “Oh…Shane. I never trusted him,” then looks back at me. “I think Judith is his. So sad.”

“Doesn’t matter now. Rick will raise her as his own.”

“Yeah.”

I lean back. “So?”

“Bernie’s goin’ to stay the night, here on the couch. And before you say anythin’, please just let me say she’s gotten herself into trouble. Not with the stalker.” She’s ringing her hands in front of her sundress. “I’m not sure there even is one, but she needs me. I’m not going to go into her personal details because that isn’t polite, but do you trust me?”

Exhaling loudly through my nose, I nod that I do.

It’s Bernie I don’t trust.

Just then I hear footsteps padding toward us. The bitch took off her shoes after all. I’ve no doubt she did it to manipulate Drew, probably while crying about how awful her life is. As if she had no part in that. God, I’d hoped never to see her again. After all we went through.

Bernie rounds the corner, eyes much softer than when she arrived. I was right, her mascara’s gone. Hair is smoothed down now. I can just picture Drew petting her and telling her, it’s gonna be alright. Let me help. I can fix everythin’.

“Fine. She can stay on the couch. But not tomorrow because it’s my last night here and I need to get a lot done.”

Glancing to Bernie, Drew says, “I’ll stay at Bernie’s tomorrow night. Okay, Bern?”

For a second I almost take it back because that means Drew’ll be gone on my last night. But having her bat-shit-crazy bitch of a friend here wouldn’t do me any good anyway. Not in any way, shape or form. I keep my mouth shut and watch the two of them come to an agreement.

Bernie is looking at me like she’s a child who’s been damaged. She looks vulnerable and lost. I have to admit it’s persuasive. “Thank you, Jake. I know I don’t deserve the help.”

I don’t want to come off as the asshole here, so I say, “It’s not that. It’s just…never mind. Water under the bridge.” I stand up and head for my room. Two against one. No man ever won this war. It’s why we fight them against other men. At least there is a chance at victory.

I just can’t believe these two are best friends. And here I had planned to get even closer to Drew tonight. That’s shot. She’s gone tomorrow night. I won’t see her for who knows how fucking long.

And Bernie Lancaster is sleeping in my apartment. If she steals anything, I won’t be surprised. Nothing she does will ever surprise me again.