My Ex’s Roommates: Chapter 2

I hadn’t had time to find another dress so I was sitting at a table with Jake, his roommates, their coach, and the coach’s wife in the same green dress that Jake thought looked cheap. The banquet was being held at a local hotel, one of the nicest ones, and I couldn’t help shifting in my seat in discomfort when I looked at how put together Coach Hogan’s wife was. Jake had made a big fuss about how beautiful she was, playfully telling Hogan that he’d better keep a close eye on all the guys on the team. It’s fine, Harper. You look hot. He’s just tired.

As a server took our plates away, my fish barely touched, I watched as Jake texted from his lap, the phone screen turned slightly away from me. I wasn’t being clingy and I wasn’t going to be accused of it again but it was driving me crazy to see him going back to the phone over and over again, tuning out everyone at the table and missing conversation cues multiple times. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach and I glanced around the table, checking to see if anyone else looked as off as I felt.

My gaze collided with Silas’ and a sharp jolt of embarrassment hit me before I quickly looked away. I couldn’t believe I’d just stood there, staring at his penis. For the first time since the dinner started, Jake met my gaze and I had a moment of panic, thinking he knew about the bathroom incident and thought I’d done it on purpose or something. Who knew what Silas would’ve told him.

“Remember that I know where you come from, Harper.” Jake’s words were spoken softly, barely audibly, but he might as well have slapped me. He patted my thigh under the table and leaned back. “I guess it’s time for the speeches, huh?”

A lump of emotion formed in my throat. I didn’t understand why he’d said what he’d said but I was having a hard time reconciling him with the man I’d sat with the year before. During his speech last year, he’d spoken sweetly about me, thanked me for being by his side. I’d been the belle of the ball, floating on air the entire night, because the star quarterback of a championship team loved me. He was from a wealthy family and he chose me.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as he took the stage. A few people had gone before him and he had to adjust the microphone so he could speak into it. He flashed his signature smirk at the room and clasped his hands together.

“I knew going into my fourth and final year of college football that I wanted something different. I know that what I’m going to say is going to shock a lot of you but I’m like a shark. If I stay in one place too long, I’ll die.” He paused for laughter and got a few awkward laughs. The whole room was picking up the weird vibe finally. “This past week I went on a trip that confirmed what I already knew. My time at Alabama is over.”

A shocked gasp went up around the room. I looked around and noticed several people looking at their phones and showing the person next to them. That bad feeling inside just grew larger.

On stage, Jake smiled like he’d just cured cancer. “I’m leaving tonight for California. SoCal is where my heart is.”

Dylan grabbed my arm. “Did you know about this?”

I couldn’t answer him. I was shocked and horrified. Jake was going to California? I didn’t understand. We were moving in together. How…

The room erupted with questions but I couldn’t make any of them out as I watched Jake stand there, perfect white smile plastered on his face. Around me, another harsh reality loomed. Someone jostled into my chair and I looked up, sort of recognizing a girl from one of my classes. She winced and held her phone out to me.

“I just thought someone should show you.” She watched me as I stared at the screen. “You didn’t know, did you?”

I was staring at a picture of Jake kissing Savannah Walls. Savannah Walls, a cheerleader who hated me for reasons I didn’t understand. The same Savannah Walls that Jake told me I had nothing to worry about. The caption under the photo was just as damning.

My baby and I are moving to Cali tomorrow to start our new journey as Trojans!!!!

I was floating again, just like last year, but this time it was in a state of apocalyptic shock. Somehow I was away from the table, at the front of the room, standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Jake to come down. It couldn’t be real. I was stuck in a nightmare.

When Jake casually came down the stairs, he was still smiling. It has to be a nightmare because why else would he be smiling like that? He went to move past me like I wasn’t standing there in front of everyone and a part of my backbone found its way back into my body.

I grabbed his hand and stepped in front of him again. “What the hell is going on, Jake?”

Still smiling, he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Make a scene and I’ll be sure to let everyone know just where you come from, Harper. You think all your sorority friends are going to want to stay friends with trailer park trash Harper with the junkie dad and criminal brothers?”

White hot pain sliced through me as I took a step back and stared up at him with tears peppering my eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

He patted my shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Harper. If you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.”

“What about our place? Jake! We’re supposed to move in together.” My voice was coming out faster and I could hear the panic in it.

Jake turned his back to the audience and allowed his smile to slip. Scowling at me, he whispered harshly. “Plans change. I never signed the lease for the new place. Jesus, Harper. Figure it out. You come from a resourceful family; I’m sure you’ll beg, borrow, or steal your way into someone’s bed. Now, play nice and stay out of my way.”

Tears pooled in my eyes and streaked their way down my cheeks. “Jake…”

He wrapped his arms around me and I immediately knew it was for the rest of the people in the room who might’ve been watching. It was stiff and too hard and his words made sure I knew it wasn’t a sliver of compassion that made him do it. “You can’t seriously tell me that you thought we were going anywhere with this, can you? I come from a family that has an image to uphold. A Callahan with someone like you? Never going to happen.”

I pushed him away and, crying even harder, I glared up at him. I wanted to hurt him the way he was hurting me but the only thing I could think about was Silas’ penis. Even as I tried to stop myself, the words were already coming out. “You’d better hope that Savannah was a virgin when she met you, too, or you’re going to have a very disappointed woman on your hands. I saw Silas’ dick today and you lied to me when you said yours was big. It’s like a kitten going up against a great dane.”

He was furious, the set of his jaw dangerous as he kept that smile on his face. “Real classy, Harper. Your roots are showing.”

Turning away from him, I ran out of there, fully aware that everyone had just watched my life explode. I didn’t have the strength to stick around and pretend to be unbothered about it all.