Cocky Roomie_ A Bad Boy Romance Novel(47)
But it hasn’t been that long.
Of course he feels the same way.
And a man always wants what he can’t have.
I delete the message and hit ‘Clear all,’ banishing it to wherever deleted, heart-breaking messages go. Is there a room somewhere where people listen to them, saying things like, “Oh, how sad?”
I guess I have to find a new home soon. I can’t live with a guy who did what he did, and now won’t leave me alone. Is this how he says he’s sorry? Pretending like he didn’t fuck Bernie all night long while I slept past the start of my workday?
Why is life so damned hard?
I unlock the door and scream.
“Drew! It’s just me!” Jason shouts with his hands reaching to soothe me.
“Jesus H. Crimminy, Jason! What the hell!” I grab my heart and gasp my breath. “You scared the daylights outta me!”
“I’m sorry. I have a key. I should have left a note on the front or something. Wasn’t thinking.” Then he starts laughing, takes off his baseball hat, rakes a hand through his dark-blonde hair and says, “You should have seen your face. Shit, that was funny.”
“Not funny, Jason. NOT funny,” I mutter as I slip off my flats and lay them on the mat. “You’re wearing your shoes. Would you take them off please?”
“You sound like my brother.”
“I’m just trying to be respectful.”
He throws up his hands, the muscles flexing under sleeves of a loose t-shirt with a picture of Prince on it. “Yes, maam.” As soon as they’re off, he follows me into the kitchen.
I need some water. I’m nervous, now that the initial terror has died down. Jason being here isn’t entirely unexpected. Don asked me one more time a week ago if he could give this nephew my number. Why he wants it is a mystery I don’t care to solve. I’d rather just stay under the radar. I’m still trying to get over his brother.
“So, how’s it been without Jake?” he asks.
“You tell me,” I shrug, pretending not to be curious. “How’s your family handling him being far away for the first time, what with Jett and Jeremy gone?”
Jason jumps up to sit on the counter, socks swinging. “Nice memory, Drew.”
“Well, it’s your family.”
“Uh huh.”
“Stop looking at me like that.”
He smiles wide. “Like what?”
“Like you know things you don’t.” I motion for him to let me into the cupboard he’s blocking. Grabbing two glasses, I pour and hand him one.
As he glugs down half the glass, I head away.
“Okay, see you later.”
He starts laughing.
I whip around. “What?!”
“I didn’t come over here to watch Jake’s T.V. I have three of my own.”
“You have three T.V.s?”
“Yep.”
Sighing, I jut my hip out to lean on the kitchen island. “Okay, then why are you here?”
His face goes surprisingly sober. “I want to talk to you, Drew. It’s not an easy subject. I guess that’s why I haven’t come earlier.” He jumps down and walks toward me. He’s much taller than I remember, and from the look on his face, whatever he’s about to tell me, it isn’t all light and roses. “Let’s go to the living room.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Well…yeah.”
He motions for me to lead the way. I tuck my legs under me on Jake’s couch, and grab the throw blanket I bought so I’d have something of my own out here. I wait for him to rearrange his baseball hat a couple more times as he preps himself. He’s staring at Creative Loafing on the coffee table. “I haven’t got that issue yet.”
“Jason!”
“Sorry. Right.” He faces me. “It’s about Bernie.”
I bristle immediately. “I don’t want to hear this, Jason. I don’t want to hear you apologize for your brother. He’s a big man. He can do it himself.”
Ice-green eyes blink at me. “Why do I have to apologize for Jake?”
“Are you kidding me?!” I start to remove the blanket and leave, but he reaches out and stops me.
“Hold on! Hold on! Let me just say what I came all the way here to say. It’s not polite to not give me the chance, is it?” He cocks his head with a sincerity I can’t ignore.
“Well, that’s not fair.”
“If it’s what I have to do, then I’ll do it. For Jake.”
I’m very confused and extremely reticent, but I was raised right and you don’t turn someone away when they ask for your ear. Not where I come from. You hear them out and THEN you walk away.
“Fine. Go ahead. But I’m not happy about this.”