My Ex’s Roommates: Chapter 58

I waited in my room that night with my breath held to see if the guys would come talk to me. Vance made it seem like whatever they’d been doing, it was for me so I’d assumed they’d come to tell me about it. They didn’t. The next morning when I opened my door to use the bathroom I found my usual breakfast tray like the day before hadn’t happened. We were just going back to the routine.

My skin itched with the need to know what they were doing. I couldn’t stop thinking about everything Vance said. If they’d done everything that Vance said they had, I wasn’t sure what to think. They were doing things that had nothing to do with Jake. They were all about me.

My heart raced when I dared to think that maybe they cared about it and I’d been wrong. I missed them. I slept like shit without them. Even the tiny bud of hope that maybe they cared about me made me feel ten-feet-tall. I just didn’t know how to find out the truth. I didn’t think I could face them unless I knew for sure. It would hurt too much if I was wrong about being wrong.

The guys had a game that Saturday night and I was tangled up about not going. After talking to Vance I felt like I was letting people down. I was also worried about…the team. If… the team had been sleeping as well as I had, I worried they’d make a bad move during the game and get hurt.

That was why when someone knocked at my door just before lunch I nearly launched myself across the room to open it. I was terrified to face them but I was more terrified to not.

It was a punch to the guy seeing the three of them standing on the other side of the door. It felt like they were always so close but I hadn’t seen them in days. I held tight to the door and its frame to stay steady as I looked up at them and waited to see what they would say.

“We’re about to leave for the game. Casey’s going to come over.” Silas frowned. “She knows to call us if you need anything. We’ll have our phones on hand.”

My heart thumped harder.

Carter smiled suddenly. “Before we go, we wanted to tell you about Jake.”

Annnddd there went my heart. Why did we need to talk about Jake?

“He got kicked off the USC team. Not only that, Casey made sure to let his girlfriend know that he’s been having explicit conversations with no less than five other-”

“I don’t give a fuck about Jake!” I slammed my door shut and then decided I wasn’t done. I opened it again and glared at them. “Do you think Jake matters? Is that what you’re worried about still? Jake?”

Dylan frowned at me. “Jake matters in the way that he needed to be punished for hurting you.”

“Jake didn’t hurt me! You did!” I watched his face fall and pressed my fist to my chest as my lungs squeezed. Gripping the door tighter, I shook my head and kept my eyes away from their faces. I didn’t want to see how they were watching me. “It’s a mistake to do this before the game. You should be focused and-”

“Fuck the game!” Carter’s sudden shout made me jump but he didn’t care as he continued. “Honestly, Harper, if you think we give a shit about this game tonight, you don’t have a clue. I wanted to tell you about Jake so you’d know that he wasn’t going to get away with sending that email. I thought you’d care that Casey made sure karma kicked his ass. Not because I still give a shit about Jake or because of some dick measuring contest you think we’re in with him. We care about you! If you’d just give us a chance, we’d show you.”

Silas put his hand on Carter’s shoulder and shook his head. “Come on. We’re not getting anywhere right now.”

I stood there, frozen as I watched them leave. There were a million things going through my head but I couldn’t get anything out. I wanted to tell them to be safe. I wanted to tell them I was still so angry at them for taking what we had away from me. I wanted to tell them that I loved them, that I hated them, that I just needed a little more time to figure things out.

Instead I said nothing as they left without looking back.

I was still sitting at the top of the stairs when Casey came in a little bit later. She took one look at me and her hands went to her hips.

“I have several bones to pick with you. First of all, I know Carter gave you a new phone and I know you have my number. Why haven’t you messaged me back? Second of all, refusing to have visitors is so fucking uppity that I’d almost believe you were the Hayes child instead of me. I am your best friend. You do not get to refuse to see me. Third of all, you’re starting to push the best friend code with how mopey you’ve made my brother. He’s not any fun to mess with anymore because you’re breaking him. Lastly, missing class for a few days is understandable. Missing a football game when you are freakishly in love with the sport? Unacceptable.

“I have figured out how to get into government programs that are easier to solve than you! You love them. I know you love them. You know you love them. They clearly love you or they wouldn’t be playing concierge, bringing you your special snacks and shit all day long. The reunion is inevitable so why don’t you just knock this shit off and take what they’re trying to give you?! You have no idea how lucky you are to have them, Harper. Not everyone gets the men they care about. You can.”