Pov: Jules
Nathan had left about twenty minutes ago, muttering something about needing air. Sure, because a guy like Nathan probably needs time to brood about his deeply mysterious life. I didn't ask questionsâif his fresh air escapade meant I got the room to myself, I was happy to let him go brood in peace.
With the room blissfully quiet, I turned to my suitcase, sitting open on my bed like Pandora's box. Unpacking wasn't exactly my favourite activity. Okay, it ranked somewhere between cleaning out the fridge and watching paint dry. But seeing as this was my new 'home,' I figured I should at least try.
I tugged out a sweater, holding it up like it might magically fold itself. Spoiler: it didn't. "Why do I own so many clothes?" I muttered under my breath.
Nathan's side of the room caught my eye. It looked like a thrift store and a junkyard had gotten into a fight and both lost. Clothes, papers, random objects I couldn't even identifyâit was chaos. For a moment, I wondered if one of those random objects was a dead plant or just really sad socks.
'Focus, Jules,' I told myself, shoving a pair of jeans into the drawer. My own suitcase wasn't exactly a masterpiece of organization either, but at least I knew what was in it. Or so I thought.
Digging around, my fingers brushed against a familiar pack. I pulled it out and stared at the slightly squished carton of cigarettes. Great. My one vice.
I knew I shouldn't have brought them. Boarding school dorms were not exactly smoker friendly. But they were like a safety blanket for my nerves. Not that I could light up in here without setting off the smoke alarms and announcing to the entire building, "Hey, new girl can't keep her act together!"
I shoved the pack into the corner of my drawer with a sigh. "Later," I muttered. "When I'm not stuck inside Nathan Talon's Bro Palace."
As if summoned by my thoughtsâor maybe my bad luckâthe door swung open with a bang. I jumped, clutching a hoodie like it might double as a weapon.
"Whoa! Easy there, killer."
The guy standing in the doorway grinned at me like he'd just won the lottery. His hair was a mess of brown waves, sticking up in all directions, and he looked like he'd just stepped out of a whirlwind.
"Uh, hi?" I said, my grip on the hoodie loosening.
"You must be the new roommate!" he announced, striding into the room without hesitation. He held out a hand, and I blinked at him. "Finnley West. Finn. Nathan's bestâand onlyâfriend. And you are?"
I hesitated, shaking his hand cautiously. "Jules. Jules Wilder."
Finn grinned wider, like my name was the answer to some unspoken joke. "Nice. So, how's it going? Rooming with Nathan yet? He's a real delight, isn't he?"
I blinked, unsure how to respond. "Delight" wasn't the word I would've picked. "It's, uh... going."
Finn let out a bark of laughter and flopped onto Nathan's bed, sprawling like he owned the place. "Yeah, that sounds about right. He's not much of a talker, huh?"
"No kidding," I said, sitting on my own bed and tossing the hoodie aside. "I think I've gotten more words out of my cat than him."
Finn slapped his knee, laughing like I'd just told the funniest joke in the world. "Oh, I like you, Jules. You've got that dry humor thing going on. Nathan needs someone like you to keep him from turning into a complete grump."
I raised an eyebrow. "That ship has already sailed."
Finn nodded solemnly. "Fair point."
He reached for a half-empty bag of chips on Nathan's desk and popped a handful into his mouth. "Listen, though," he said around a mouthful. "Nathan's not as bad as he seems. Sure, he's got that 'angry bad boy' vibe going on, but he's loyal. Like, save-your-life loyal. Once you're in, you're in for life."
I frowned. "That's... weirdly comforting?"
"Good!" Finn said, brushing crumbs off his shirt. "But don't let him scare you off. Beneath all that broodiness, he's just a big ol' marshmallow."
I snorted. "I'll believe that when I see it."
Finn hopped up, grabbing his phone from Nathan's desk. "Oh, you will. Just give it time. Anyway, I've got to go meet him. Gym time. But hey, Jules, don't let him push you around, okay?"
"Thanks for the tip," I said dryly, waving as he headed for the door.
Finn shot me a wink before disappearing into the hallway, leaving the room feeling a little quieterâand a lot less annoying.
As I turned back to my unpacking, I couldn't help but grin. Nathan might be a handful, but with Finn around, maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.
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FINN Nathans bestie!!! What do we think of him??!??!!!
I'm also on a writing roll!! I upublished it so I can work ahead and upload consitantly for you guys <3
PS dont forget to vote ð