Page 11 of Oblivious Roommate

I’m sure he won’t.

Chapter 5

One month later

I hoped to warm up to Logan, I really did, but it’s been way over a month, and every time I see him, he aggravates me more. He’s coming over tonight, so I distract myself by putting up some Halloween decorations while Cass prepares an elaborate dinner. Just for the two of them, of course, because a friend of seven years is not someone another dude cooks for.

It would have been weird.

I buy us these delicious vegetarian burritos sometimes, but that’s different. We also eat together on pizza night, but that makes sense, since it’s buy one get one free. And then in the morning, if I’m already making oatmeal, I might as well make a bigger portion. It goes both ways, too. Cass makes great scrambled eggs, so he prepares enough for both of us.

That’s the thing with being roommates: you can share both the chores and the benefits.

But while Cass promised to set aside some pasta for me once it’s done, it’s not the same as eating it with him as we watch Bear Grylls drink his own pee out of a snake skin.

Cass looks great in everything, even sweatpants and slippers, but he’s dressed all nice for Logan tonight. A Henley shirt with sleeves rolled up to show off the dark hair on his forearms, and the V-shape of his torso, as well as a pair of green jeans that must have shrunk in the wash. Either that or he’s been squatting an extra amount at the gym to get his ass this round.

But I don't want to consider the shape of his butt. It’s enough that whenever Logan spends the night at ours, I keep to my room with headphones playing music loudly enough to drown out whatever noise they are making. It’s never been a problem for me before, and back at my previous college, when I shared the room with another guy, I was perfectly fine with him bringing girls over, even if it meant I had to spend the night on someone’s sofa.

But the thought of overhearing Cass and Logan’s sex noises makes my skin crawl.

So I distract myself by sticking the other end of the ghost garland above the door. I always loved Halloween, and back at school, Cass and I used to match our costumes. Once, we both went as Indiana Jones, but from different movies, because why the hell not.

It makes me wonder if Cass just has a thing for hats and that’s why he‘s into Logan.

“No, don’t use the spiders,” Cassian says as I’m halfway through placing plastic spiders all over our living room.

“What? Why not? Remember that time I dressed up as the spider from It, and you were Spiderman?” It was a pretty elaborate costume, and Cass spent two weeks building the legs with me out of papier mâché and wire.

Cass sighs and tastes the sauce for the pasta before adding some more salt. The Henley shirt makes his shoulders look even firmer than they normally seem. I bet Logan fucking loves it.

“Yeah, but Logan has a bit of an arachnophobia. Those look too real.”

A smile blooms on my face as a dark cloud of glee rises in my chest. “Are you kidding me? Just think how hilarious it would be if he squeaked seeing one that’s fake!” I laugh, but while a smile passes over Cass’s features, he shakes his head.

“Nah, let’s stick to ghosts and skeletons.”

I slam the bag of plastic spiders to the floor in frustration. “Why does he always have to get his way? I like the spiders! Is it his house or ours?”

Cass turns to face me. He‘s angry with me. “If you’re so set on them, put them all in your room. This is a common space, and I don’t want them to make my boyfriend uncomfortable. How is that hard to understand?”

I wave my hand around the room filled with greenery. “But your plants are everywhere, and that’s okay?” When hurt passes over his face, my heart stops. “I didn’t mean it like that! I love the plants. Especially the carnivorous ones!” I gladly feed them extra in hopes that one day they’ll grow big enough to bite Logan’s dick off.

“He gave you no reason to dislike him so much,” Cass says, turning away, as if he no longer wants to see me. “He’s here maybe... twice a week.”

Which is one of the weird things about Cassian’s relationship. They’d been together for seven months now, lived in the same little town, and yet on the whole Cass spends more time on his own or with me than with his boyfriend, who always needs to be treated like a serious guest, as if he isn’t fucking one of the hosts.

Who does that?

Regardless of the way my relationship with Emily ended, in the first two years together, I was with her all the time and couldn’t imagine neglecting her the way Logan did Cass.

It’s as if the relationship is just a way to pass the time to him, and my Cass deserves better.

I spread my arms wide. “Exactly. He’s here every now and then, but we still have to adjust everything to him. It’s driving me crazy, man. Or like that time when he made it weird that I was watching a movie with the two of you? It was in the living room, and I made popcorn, but he still had a problem with it!”

Cass stares at me. “Well, you did sit between us to share that popcorn more easily, and then freaked out when there was a gay kissing scene.”

My cheeks heat up at the memory. I wasn’t expecting to see that in the movie, so maybe I got a bit flustered. “Did not.”