Page 23 of Roommating

“I can’t be held accountable for what I say when my bladder is about to explode.” I work to keep the tone of my voice from being overly friendly, since I can’t unhear his warning to Marcia that I might rob her blind. But I don’t want to cross into hostile without getting his side. Now that I finally have a chance to confront him, it’s literally the last thing I want to do. The first is relieve my bladder.

“I read that there are over ten thousand bars in Manhattan. Kind of wild that we both came to the same one tonight.”

“I guess.” I look pleadingly at the closed bathroom door.

“What is up with you lately, Sabrina?”

I turn to face him and bat my eyelashes innocently. “Whatever do you mean?”

He grunts. “You’ve barely spoken to me in days. I’d understand if you were upset about what happened to my grandma… entirely my fault… but you were cold to me way before today. What did I do?”

When he follows the question with serious puppy-dog… correction…Siberian huskyeyes, it takes all the restraint I can muster to keep calm.

The bathroom door opens and the girl who was in front of me gives me a toothy smile. “All yours!”

I return a grateful grin before turning back to Adam with the door open. “I can’t have this conversation with you right now because Ireallyhave to pee.” I enter the bathroom and close the door behind me with force. The latch doesn’t engage. I grunt, “Motherfuckingclose!” and try again. This time it works.

Peeing is sweet relief, but it’s short-lived. When I open the door after washing my hands, Adam is still there, waiting for me.

He taps his foot. “You’ve peed. Now can we talk?”

“For the love of…” It must be liquid courage because suddenly I can’t hold back another second. I grab his hand, pull him inside the bathroom with me, and slam the door shut again. “I overheard you tell Marcia that she shouldn’t trust me with her passwords because I might… and I quote… rob her blind.” I raise my chin.

His face drains of color.

I smile smugly. “So excuse me if I don’t want to watch trashy television or start a book club with someone who thinks so little of me.” The alcohol in my system does nothing to slow my heart.

Adam scrubs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry you heard that.”

“But not sorry you said it. Gee, thanks.”

“I just don’t think my grandma should share her passwords with a stranger.”

I get up in his face, which is obscenely close to my face. How did I not notice how small this bathroom was sooner? A bead of sweat drips between my boobs at the realization. The one we share at home is a mansion in comparison, but that’s beside the point. “I’m not a stranger! In fact,you’remore of a stranger to her than me. Some grandson you’ve been for the past ten years. And now you think you can swoop in and try to play hero against an imaginary villain?” I feel immediate guilt when Adam’s eyes go heavy and the corners of his lips pull down.Who am I to talk?

“You’re right. I haven’t been around, but I am now, and maybe I’m overly protective of her to make up for it. I know you wouldn’t steal from her, but the thing is, she didn’t know that when she first met you, and I wanted to stress the need to be more careful in general.”

My pulse slows down marginally. “I get that.”

He scratches at his stubbled jaw. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”

“I’m over it.” I said I would forgive him if he provided a valid reason and apologized, and he’s done both.

His eyes soften. “I’m glad.”

“Me too.”

“Because I like you, Sabrina. And you smell—”

“I smell?”

His face turns red. “Good. You smell good.”

My eyes widen. His are unblinking. He’s so close, I wouldn’t even need to move to kiss him. I could just lean forward slightly and…

Someone bangs on the door. “Hurry the fuck up in there!”

We both jump.

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