Page 8 of Screwed By My Roommate

I open it and a small smile hits my lips when I see she made grilled cheese. She used to make these all the time for us when we were younger. I don’t know what she did differently, but hers always tasted better than mine or Henry’s.

I quickly heat it and after I take the first bite, I allow my smile to show. It tastes exactly the same.

After I finish, I loosen my tie and look around, wondering if she’s in her room or out. I don’t know which I’m hoping for more.

I take a shower and throw on a pair of jeans and a black shirt, deciding to watch some TV before I call it a night. I grab a beer out of the fridge and glance toward her bedroom door.

“Fuck it,” I whisper.

I knock on the door and when there’s no answer, I open it. I look around and see that she in fact isn’t home. She went out and some lucky asshole probably has his hands all over her. I slam her door and toss back half my beer before emptying the rest down the drain.

I’m not about to sit up and wait for her to walk in with a satisfied grin on her face. I go into my room, slamming the door shut and hoping sleep takes me over.

I jump up out of a dead sleep when I hear something break. I glance at my phone seeing it’s two in the morning. I shake my head as I open my door. Does she not know how to hold something without dropping it? I look around but don’t see anything broken, but I hear it again and look toward her room.

I lean against her doorway as she throws boxes, knocking things over each time she does. “Where the fuck is it?” she cries.

Wait, she’s crying. What the fuck?

“Penny?”

She snaps her head toward me and my fucking heart stops. Her eyes are red as tears run down her beautiful face. Her makeup is messed up and her hair looks like she’s been pulling it. She sits down on the bed and covers her face, crying harder.

“What the fuck is wrong?” I ask, unable to move.

She drops her hands and looks at me, her green eyes full of anger. “I’m drunk and ugh, get out,” she yells.

“You’re drunk so that makes you cry?” I ask, crossing my arms.

She stands up and leans a bit to the side before righting herself. Yeah, she’s drunk. Her eyes take me in. She slowly allows her gaze to drag up and down my body. My cock is hardening watching her and I do nothing to hide it. She won’t remember this, but I sure as hell will.

When her eyes reach mine, she shakes her head. “You should put some fucking clothes on too.”

I hold back a laugh as I watch her. “Just tell me why you’re crying so I can go back to sleep. Are you hurt?”

“Yes, Jace,” she whispers.

I move into the room and grab her chin to force her to look at me. I want to know who the fuck hurt her because they are fucking dead. “What happened, Penny? Who hurt you?”

She pulls away from me and I allow it. I shouldn’t be teasing myself with the feel of her skin against mine.

“Get out of my room,” she says, looking at the floor.

“Who the fuck hurt you?” I hiss.

Her head lifts and her green eyes are filled with more tears. “You.”

Fuck me. I step back and scrub my face. “Penny, you’re drunk and confused. Get some sleep.”

I did hurt her. I know I did. But I did it to prevent any bigger hurt. If I had acted on my feelings, it wouldn’t just be me and her who were in pain. It would be Henry and his parents too.

I’m not risking that.

I’ll let her hate me, even if it causes me to continue to be miserable.

“I am drunk, but you know I’m right. You hurt me and you don’t even give a shit. You don’t care that you still cause me pain,” she cries.

My eyes close as I take a deep breath. I spin around and pin her with my stare. “You think you don’t cause me pain? Every fucking day I feel it. Every fucking day it burns me.”

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