Page 34 of Keep Me

Was it crazy to say that even though I wasn’t enjoying the conversation, I loved this apartment and the two guys I lived with? Tanner, Jackson, and I picked it out about a month ago after finding out Aiden wasn’t going to let us stay with him after the summer. I didn’t think many things could top a newly renovated house with a pool, but I was wrong.

The apartment was a little farther from campus, but it had three good-sized rooms with a modern kitchen and a large living room. Everything about it was perfect for the three of us. The best part being that we didn’t have to listen to Aiden and Lyss competing for the world record of loudest moans on the planet every night. His soundproof room wasn’t as quiet as he thought, or maybe they knew we could hear and that was part of the fun for them.

“This isn’t something to joke about, Thea,” Tanner warned.

“What makes you think I’m joking? I need a place to stay, and there’s space there. Unless you want me to sleep on your couch for the foreseeable future, then I would hop on board the sorority train and let me rush.”

“Why can’t you stay in the same dorm from last year?”

“That room was a broom closet. I couldn’t even do my yoga in there.”

Jackson snorted. “You do yoga?”

“Shut up, Baseball Cap.”

“Baseball cap?”

She shrugged, looking him up and down. “Yeah, baseball cap. Why are you always wearing one? Are you trying to grow out a bad set of bangs or something?”

“No.” Jackson scoffed, adjusting the bill of his cap and skulking into the couch.

“Thea, Jackson’s haircut is not important right now. We’re talking about you joining a sorority that’s known for bullying its members.”

“Wasknown.Key point because all the members that bullied were kicked out, which is why they have space with awesome rooms. You know one of them has a bathroom with a clawfoot tub?” She looked between Tanner and Jackson with her eyebrows raised to her hairline. “I’ve never had a bathroom with a tub, let alone one with fancy gold feet.”

“Do you ever listen?”

“Do you?” She countered before rolling her eyes. “You know. If you weren’t my twin, I’d have blocked you by now? You’re like that annoying gnat in summertime making it impossible to get a good tan.”

Jackson snorted at that. “Is that your excuse for being paler than a polar bear?”

“Oh,you’regoing to go there?” She stepped forward, glaring at Jackson.

“Thea,” Tanner said more forcefully. “If you hated me that much, I doubt you’d be standing in my apartment right now, let alone sleeping on our couch until you find a place.”

“Will you two stop. Please?” Jackson interrupted, glowering at them. “I’m trying to watch the Catfish game, and your arguing is making it impossible to be impressed by Hawk’s pitch count. He’s on twenty-eight in the third inning.”

Thea rolled her eyes, then narrowed them at my roommate. “Well, if you could talk some sense into my brother, then you’d be able to watch your bird man in peace.”

She dramatically sighed, and as much as I agreed with Jackson, I couldn’t be bothered to stop the yelling. I had other things on my mind.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

My phone was lying on the counter in front of me, and when I saw her name, disappointment slithered through my veins.

Olana: Have you told them yet? They need to know so they can find a new roommate before it’s too late.

Pressing my lips together, I slid my phone across the counter so it was resting against a stack of papers that Thea had left on it. It was technically her room, after all.

When the phone buzzed again, I wanted to growl, but I stopped myself. After Olana’s confession at the wedding, she was doing everything in her power to get me to get back with her. That included living together. Fat chance of that happening.

I’d tasted perfection with Britt, and it only made me realize I had never been in love with Olana. I just thought I owed her something after she helped me with my dad.

I did owe her something, and she did need my help. The guilt I felt because of it was gnawing at my insides. Maybe if I bought her an apartment, she would leave me alone.

It wasn’t like she actually wanted me to live with her. Sheneededme. We argued, hardly ever saw eye to eye, and I refused to let her isolate me from my friends. Something she’d been trying to do since freshman year.

As I looked at Tanner and Jackson, I smiled. She’d always hated them, but the feeling was mutual. My friends didn’t watch what they said when it came to my ex. They found her controlling, obnoxious, and overbearing. They were right, but they’d never fully understood why I was so loyal to her. None of them were around when I was growing up. None of them saw what happened to my mom and how it changed me.

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