Page 56 of A Bossy Roommate

“Are you telling me I need to hold on to my gardening gloves because we’re about to see green and witness that company bloom brighter than a garden in full springtime splendor?”

“Uh-huh, yep.”

“Sweet heavens! How do I best get in touch?”

“Great question. Via me.” I give my sister the best contact info, and she promises to reach out promptly. “Okay, happy packing, talk to you soon!”

“Waitwaitwait. How are you holding up?” she asks. “How’s the heart?”

Keeping things vague, I tell her, “I might have met someone.”

“What?” There’s silence. “Spill! When? How? Who?”

“Eh…it’s complicated. And special. And impossible. And I want to break promises that I made to myself because of Rob…and I know I shouldn’t…”

“Sweetie, listen. You can’t let the fuckface get to you any longer. That’s how you got into trouble after he left you. And you sound like you did then. I know you don’t openly display your emotions for everyone to see, not even me. But promise me something. If it gets like it was before, you’ll call me.”

It had been a bad time when Rob broke it all off. A really bad time. “I promise I will. I’m all right. Don’t worry about me.”

“Just take your time. Don’t rush into anything. But if you like this guy you’ve met, don’t let the experience you had with the fuckface ruin it for you. Don’t let the fuckface wreck the rest of your life. Or stand in the way of the possibility of a new relationship.”

I love my sister. I’d hated when she’d called him fuckface back then. I love that she does now.

“You deserve to find love,” she continues. “I’ve been saying this forever. Now, I may have been a tiny bit hesitant about you using New York as an escape plan, but if—by some crazy chance—you have happened to stumble upon that special man who’llshow you the moon in the Big Apple, I’ll be the first one to bust out the party hats and celebrate like there’s no tomorrow. Got that, sis?”

“Got it.”

“Good. Be ready for this epic chapter in your life. See you in six months!”

Oh, I’m ready for an epic chapter, but I’m not sure if I can turn the page. “Love you, Diane.”

“Love you too.”

An hour later,I hear the front door close, and half a minute later, there’s a soft knock at my door.

“Are you awake, Eden?” I hear Carter ask.

I don’t answer. It wouldn’t be right to invite him in. We have to be up early to get to the airport.

16

EDEN

SATURDAY MORNING

Idon’t get much sleep.

Not because of the call with my sister.

All I can think about is that my boss had subtle fucked me into oblivion.

Lying here alone in my guest bed, I know that from this day on, I will never be able to enjoy cupcakes the same way again, especially vanilla ones with strawberries on top.

I’ve also lost count of how many times I’ve replayed our just-the-tip sex. Disclaimer: In my mind, the just-the-tip sex hadn’t stayed just-the-tip sex. Oh, no. In my mind, after the lawyer had left, I’d opened my door to Carter and invited him into my bed. All damn night, we were all over that bed and all over each other, entangled, glued together, deeply inside of each other.

In my dream, after our hot tip-including-all-the-cock sex, we fell asleep together in my guest bed—my head on his chest, cuddled up against him, feeling him still inside me.

The just-the-tip sex has made me desperate to have real sex with him.

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