Page 7 of Roommates
There was nothing I could do about that, though. I simply had to stay strong and wait this out.
Back in our room, I sat on my bed and rested my head in my hands. The nausea was subsiding, at least.
“Did you eat something bad or were you actually out partying while I wasn't looking?” Adam asked.
“I just... I don't know... Probably ate something bad,” I went with the explanation he offered me.
“That sucks. I hope you feel better soon.” The expression of sympathy in Adam's tone was genuine.
When I looked up again, he sat on his bed, opposite mine, watching me with kind eyes. People in my circle sometimes assumed he had to be an ass because he was an alpha and a jock, and because his parents were rich, but he really wasn't like that at all. I didn't like the fact that he'd watched me puke, but the way he'd been there for me meant a lot.
“Thank you,” I said. “You really didn't have to help me in the restroom.”
“It was no problem,” he waved me off. “Especially not after all you've done for me. I would have failed today's exam so hard if it wasn't for you. Let me know if there's any way I can make it up to you.”
“I can't think of anything right now.”At least not anything I would say out loud.I lowered my gaze to the floor, afraid that Adam might see something in my eyes if I looked at him straight on. Now that the nausea was gone, I had a new problem. A part of me—abigpart of me—wanted to get up and walk over to Adam’s bed, lower myself on his lap and then...
I couldn't continue following that line of thought, not if I didn't want to get a visible hard-on.
“You know what?” Adam spoke up. “Maybe I can think of something.”
Tilting my head at him, I noticed a glint in his eyes that made me steel myself for whatever he had to say next.
“Let me take you to a party on Saturday.”
“A party?” I asked. Where was that coming from?
“Yeah, there's one happening at the gamma-delta house. I have a standing invitation and I'm sure no one would mind if I brought a friend. It'll be fun. We'll hang out, celebrate the end of exams, have a few drinks... and if I have to throw up afterward, you won't be so embarrassed that I saw you do the same.”
I didn't think it was a good idea for me to go to a party with Adam. I really didn't, especially not with the state I was in.
So why the hell did I say yes?
5
A D A M
Saturday morning, hours before Lucas and I would leave for the party, I was scheduled for a shift atCaffeine Explosion, the coffee shop where I worked. It was true that I didn'thaveto work to get through college, but I preferred not having to ask my parents for every little thing. Besides, I enjoyed the work. Well, maybe not the work itself. For the most part, pouring coffee wasn't super exciting, but my coworkers were great. I'd made a lot of friends over the years I'd worked at this small shop.
That morning, I was working with a fellow student, an alpha named Nathan. I liked Nathan. He was a year or two younger than me, but smart as hell—when he set his mind on something other than his love life, anyway.
“How are things going with you?” he asked, casually wiping the counter after the first morning rush of people desperate for caffeine was over. We both knew nothing much was going to happen until the early lunch crowd came in around noon.
“I'm doing okay I guess,” I said, checking the espresso machine. The thing was getting old and had stopped warning us when it needed a refill. As expected, our first wave of guests had left it depleted.
Breathing in the dark fragrance of the coffee beans, I set to filling it up again.
“Are you going to that party tonight?” Nathan asked.
“You know I wouldn't miss it.” I threw a glance at my friend, who was done wiping the counter and was now packing a muffin for a new customer. He was smiling as he served the middle-aged lady, but there was something uneasy about his posture. I'd noticed it earlier too, but we hadn't had time to talk then. “Is something bothering you?” I asked when the customer was on her way with the muffin
“It's nothing, I'm just... Thinking about getting a tattoo.”
“A tattoo?” My eyebrows climbed up my forehead. Where was he getting that idea?
“It's no big deal, okay?” Nathan said, stroking a lock of blond hair out of his face.
“Wait,” I said, catching on. “Is this because of Raph?” I was done filling up the espresso machine and there was no new customer in sight, so I could devote all my attention to my friend and his strange ideas.
