I Thought Your Roommate Was a Girl

The smell of pancakes reached Eddie’s nose as she woke. Assuming Marc was cooking, she smiled, slowly getting out of bed. She headed to her wardrobe to find her clothes for the day.

After changing her panties and T-shirt, she was grabbing her jeans off the floor when Luca’s loud voice echoed through the townhouse.

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?”

Suddenly, the events of last night came back to her. ~Parker stayed the night.~ She looked at the empty left side of her bed and mentally slapped herself.

Abandoning her jeans, she ran out of her room in a pair of white cotton panties and one of Luca’s band tees.

“Luca!” she yelled as she reached the kitchen. The two men were having a standoff, staring at each other without blinking.

Eddie touched Luca’s forearm. “Luke, calm down.”

Eddie stepped beside Parker, who immediately wrapped his arm around her waist. She cringed slightly as he forcefully pulled her to his side.

Luca looked between the pair, and Eddie noticed sadness in his eyes. It only stayed for a second before anger took its place.

Marc entered the kitchen, oblivious to the tension in the room.

“What the hell, people?”

Luca ignored him, still staring at Parker. Without lowering his gaze, he addressed Eddie.

“Who the hell is this, Eddison?”

“Luca, this is Parker. Parker, this is my roommate, Luca Moretti.”

Parker turns to Eddie with a confused expression on his face.

“I thought your roommate was a girl.”

Parker’s revelation caused Marc to fall to the floor in a fit of laughter.

Luca stepped over his brother. “Leave,” he growled at Parker.

Eddie moved in front of Parker, as though protecting him.

Luca threw his hands in the air. “Giuro su Dio bella voglio tirarlo fuori!”

Eddie rolled her eyes at her roommate. “In English, Luciano!”

“I want him out, Eddison,” Luca said quietly.

Eddie grabbed Luca’s wrist, pulling him away from Parker.

“Parker, they smell great. I’m just going to talk to Luca for a second. Marcello, get off the floor and introduce yourself,” Eddie said calmly as she dragged Luca to her bedroom.

“Okay, what the hell? I have woken up to countless strange women in this apartment and don’t say a word. I bring home a guy, and you lose your shit!” she said, pulling on her jeans.

Without thinking, Luca stepped forward and took advantage of their proximity. Cupping Eddie’s face, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. Eddie gasped under his touch. She started to speak, but Luca stopped her.

“Shhh, cara.”

Luca dipped his head so his lips were almost touching Eddie’s. Eddie knew what was coming. Her brain was telling her to push him away, but a small part of her desperately wanted her lips on his.

Luca’s eyes locked with hers before flickering to her lips as though asking for permission. “Bella,” he breathed out.

The two sprang away from each other as the door opened. Marc appeared in the doorway, smirking at his brother.

“And what’s happening here?”

Eddie stepped back from Luca. “Nothing,” she said, moving toward the door. Luca grabbed her wrist.

“Parker is looking for you, Eddie,” Marc said as Eddie pulled out of Luca’s grip.

“Thanks, Marc.”

Eddie left her bedroom and walked down the hall to the kitchen, imagining what would have happened if she and Luca were not interrupted. She shook her head at the thought.

Parker’s smile greeted her as she entered the kitchen.

“Everything okay?” he asked with a concerned look. Eddie nodded.

“So…pancakes?” Parker put a plate of pancakes in her hands, and they sat at the kitchen counter.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie said after a few minutes.

“For?”

“For not telling you Luca was a guy.”

“I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“I should have corrected you.”

“He likes you,” Parker said with a shrug.

Eddie stared at him, shocked. She shook her head repeatedly.

“No, no. He has just never seen me with a guy. Especially not in the apartment.”

Parker nodded at Eddie’s comment, but she could see he didn’t believe her.

Eddie placed her hand on Parker’s thigh and rested her head on his shoulder, partly to convince him of her feelings but also to convince herself.

***

“What the hell did I just walk in on?” Marc asked his brother.

Luca pushed past his brother and walked into his room.

“Luciano, spill! I know what I saw.”

“Well, you tell me then!”

“You need to tell her how you feel.”

“Why? She has that guy now.”

“Did you look at him? He didn’t have the look of a guy who had just had sex. Parker staying the night was innocent.”

Luca tried to picture what his brother was talking about. He wished it was true. The thought of Eddie with some guy plunging into her made him physically ill.

Luca moved to the kitchen, planning to befriend Parker and show Eddie that he could be a good guy. But then he saw Eddie with her head on Parker’s shoulder, and his hands balled into fists.

Changing his direction, he pulled on his hoodie that was on the couch and headed for the front door.

“Where are you going?” Marc asked with Luca halfway out the door.

“Out,” Luca snapped, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialed and pressed the phone to his ear.

“What do you want, Luca?” Kate’s voice sneered through the line.

“You. Fancy some fun?” Luca replied, his signature smirk evident in his voice.

“Be here in ten minutes.”

“I want you naked and waiting,” Luca ordered into the phone. As he hung up, he heard Kate giggle.

This was just what he needed. A distraction.