“No. She moved into his room last summer. Her name isn’t on the lease; however, I really wasn’t given much of an option if I didn’t want to lose Brandon as my roommate,” I tell her honestly and shrug. “It’s whatever. I ignore her most of the time anyway.”
“You don’t like her? That’s a shame. She made your place look so cute,” she says in an annoying baby voice as she digs into her food.
I do like her.
That’s the goddamn problem.
I fucking like her a lot.
Pushing myself up, I grab Lennon’s stupid, distracting mat and walk down the hall to their bedroom. Flicking on the light, I glance around and see how different it looks. I haven’t really been in here since she moved in, nor had a reason to be, but I know for a fact Brandon didn’t have a house plant in the corner, candles on his dresser, and all this frilly pink shit everywhere.
I scoff with a chuckle and put her mat on the back of his desk chair. There’s a collage on the wall of photographs I’ve never seen before. All pictures of Lennon and Brandon hanging out, hugging, kissing. They look really happy together.
Flicking off the light, I walk back to the living room and dive into the plate of Chinese food I no longer have an appetite for. I don’t know why seeing those pictures affect me so much, considering I see their unrestrained PDA every damn day. Brandon’s like a brother, and his happiness is important to me, so maybe I need to try harder at getting over my feelings for his girlfriend. I can’t resent him just because he got the girl, regardless of how much it eats at me every time I see them together.
“Another beer?”
“Huh?” I snap my eyes to Jenna’s, realizing I’ve ignored her the whole time she’s been going on and on about this movie.
“Would you like another beer? I was just about to get a refill.” She smiles as if she’s eager to wait on me.
I grab my bottle, chug the rest of it, then hand it over to her. “Sure, that’d be great. Thanks.” I flash her a grin, showing my appreciation even if inviting her over tonight was a dick move. Clearly, I’m not in the right headspace, but she’s all too ready to give me whatever I want.
Fuck, I’m an asshole.
Jenna’s a decent chick. Can’t say I really know much about her other than what the old rumor mill at the bar had on her and the few nights we’ve spent together. Not that we talked a lot either.
“Here you go, babe.” Jenna hands me the bottle and rounds the coffee table, then snuggles up next to me. “Your arms are huge, Hunter. They feel like bricks when I lay on you.” She giggles, and I’m not sure what kind of comment that is, but I brush it off. She’s trying, and I should appreciate her compliments, but my heart isn’t in it.
After twenty minutes, I still don’t know what this stupid movie is about. I can’t concentrate for shit and feel all sorts of fucked up for leading Jenna on. While part of me wants to fuck my feelings of Lennon away, the other part of me knows it won’t solve a damn thing. I’ve been trying to forget her for the past two years, and if it’s even possible, she’s more in my head than before. She’s under my skin, and each day I have to be around them drives me closer to finding my own place and moving out.
However, the selfish part of me can’t let go.
This is my apartment. Brandon and I were friends long before they met, and there’s no way I’m letting anyone get between us. I’ll continue—or, rather, try—to push my feelings aside. Eventually, they’ll go away.
They have to, right?
“If you don’t have any plans tomorrow, there’s a great farmers’ market downtown. I try to go a couple of times a month.” Jenna looks at me when I don’t respond, a crease forming between her brows as she studies me. “Would you wanna go with me?”
Unable to get my thoughts together, I scrub a hand over my face and blink a few times.
“I usually just get myself a fresh bouquet and some veggies,” she continues as if she thinks that’ll convince me.
“Uh, what time are you thinking?” I finally reply.
“It’s from six to ten, but we can go around nine?” she responds, then takes a swig of her beer. “We could walk downtown after. There’s a great cafe that serves the best homemade donuts and cinnamon rolls.”
My eyes widen at the mention of cinnamon rolls. Fuck.
“It’ll be a little chilly, but we can wear our hoodies and snuggle up to each other. I bet you’re like an oven with all that muscle.” Jenna flashes me her bedroom eyes, and I know exactly where she’s going with this.