Page 1 of I Wanna Text You Up

One

“Are you sure about this?It seems a bit…sketchy.”

“What exactly is so sketchy aboutit?”

“You’re putting up a flyer and inviting strangers into ourapartment.”

I hold up a finger. “Nuh uh.Youdon’t get to have a say in this. You’re the one leaving me. This ismyapartmentnow.”

Delia, my best friend and soon-to-be former roommate, sighs in defeat and crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine. You’re right. I just think it’s a little…I don’t even know. Makes me worried you’re going to get some creeper trying to move in withyou.”

“I promise to vet each one before I make a decision. Soundgood?”

She nods. “I’ll take what I can get withyou.”

I adjust the laptop on my knees and lean back into the couch, my gaze planted firmly on the blinking cursor on the nearly blank screen. All I have so far isROOMMATE WANTED. I’m going to need more thanthat.

“I still cannot believe you’re ditching me to move in with your stupid boyfriend,” I tellDelia.

“And goats. Don’t forget those sweet baby goats I bought her,” said stupid boyfriend interjects, piping up from behind the stack of boxes he’s preparing to haul out of theapartment.

“Yeah, what he said.” There’s a smile on her lips that tells me if I weren’t in the room right now, they’d likely not beclothed.

These two lovebirds make mesick.

“Gross, stop smiling at him likethat.”

He pops his head out, a shit-eating grin covering his face, green eyes lit with mischief. “Did she do that sexy thing where one side of her lips tilts up? God, I love that fucking smile. Talk about a bonerinducer.”

I throw a disgusted look his way. “Can we not discuss your dick right now, Zach? We’re trying to besad.”

“I mean, I guess we don’thaveto. It is a pretty spectacular subjectthough.”

Delia nods. “He isn’twrong.”

Groaning, I toss myself back on the couch. “You two areterrible.”

“Are we really though,Zoe?”

“Can I kill him now?” I say toDelia.

“No,” Zach answers. “I—”

“ZacharyHastings!”

He throws a grin his girlfriend’s way, not buying the false reprimand from her either. “I’m going, I’m going.” Stacking up two boxes, he hustles his way from the room before I lob something heavy at hishead.

“Are you sure you want to live with him already? You don’t think it’s toosoon?”

She meets my questioning gaze with a serious, sure one of her own. “I’mready.”

I know she is, and that’s what makes me so sad. We’ve been joined at the hip since freshman year. After sharing a dorm room for the last three years, we finally managed to score an apartment off campus last summer for our senior year and beyond. Our friendship, though it was already solid, has grown by leaps andbounds.

She’s my person, and I’m going to miss the hell out ofher.

“Areyouready? For a new roomie, I mean. So soon? That’s a big leap, and we both know you don’tneedsomeone to help foot the bill. Your parents—bless them both—take care of damn near everythingalready.”

“I know, but I think I’m going to get lonely fast. We both know I’m the more social one out of the two ofus.”

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