Page 24 of Take Her On

“Hey, we’ll have no hate on Hendo’s in this flat.”

Maddie snorted. “And all you did was boil the kettle, Han. Did you strain your finger switching it on?”

They cracked out laughing. God, I’ve missed these two.

Maya’s mind snagged on the other bedroom door, the one that used to be hers. They’d successfully avoided the conversation thus far, but she wanted to know if they’d found a new roommate. Perhaps someone from Hannah’s netball team—as long as it wasn’t Chloe. Or maybe somebody from Maddie’s art class. Maybe we could have a new member of the Pot Noodle Gang?

She wanted to immediately reject the idea. Where would a fourth person sit, after all? But the more reasonable side of her brain insisted that change wasn’t always so bad. She and Grandpa had enjoyed doing something different last night.

Plus, without change, she would never have met these two idiots.

“So…” she began, waiting until she’d finished her mouthful of sandwich before continuing. “Any news on the roommate situation?”

Hannah stirred her mug with her fork. “We did want to talk about that, actually. We filled it.”

“Oh, yeah?” She tried not to sound too heartbroken. She was expecting it. She couldn’t make her roommates leave the room open for her just in case she changed her mind. And she couldn’t change her mind, anyway. Her family needed her. “Who is it?”

Hannah glanced at Maddie. “Alex.”

Alex was Maddie’s boyfriend. The two had been inseparable ever since they started dating two years ago. Pot Noodle Night was one of the few nights they got Maddie to themselves.

Maya relaxed a little. “Ah, cool. But what about his roommates?”

“He spends most of his time here anyway, and it’s closer to campus, so he just thought it made sense. Plus, it helps us out, money-wise.”

The mention of money made Maya a little uncomfortable. It had been a concern of hers when considering moving back home. Her room was too much for Maddie and Hannah to cover between them if they couldn’t find someone to fill it. She’d offered to pay anyway, but they’d refused.

Alex was a much safer choice than Maddie’s ex, who’d insisted moving in wasn’t part of a plan to get her back—though the barrage of texts and the stream of flowers delivered to her door suggested differently. And Alex was a much better choice than Chloe.

Maya cringed at the memory of them in the bar. How she’d completely shut down and blown Chloe off when she’d seen Carly leave.

Hannah mistook her reaction and squeezed her knee. “We’re still the Pot Noodle Gang. No matter where we are. Right, Mads?”

Maddie nodded, giving her a small, awkward smile. This conversation must’ve been especially painful for her. She hated any topic that had the potential to result in tears.

And Maya could feel them pricking the back of her eyes.

Dammit. Crying is not a part of Pot Noodle Night.

She swallowed. “I’m glad you sorted it out and it’s working for you both.”

“Yep. Living with a couple is an excellent daily reminder of just how single I am.” Hannah toasted us with her fork. “Cheers to that.”

“Being single isn’t so bad,” Maya said, jostling her. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

They finished their food as Hannah went into great detail about how having no viable options in both men and women made being bisexual a curse rather than a positive.

“It means twice the amount of rejection,” she concluded, having swapped the noodle cup for a beer.

“I think you might be overreacting a tad,” Maddie said.

Hannah blew a raspberry. “Easy for you to say. You and Alex have been together for ages.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s been a walk in the park. We’ve had our challenges too, as you know.”

Hannah reached for Maddie’s hand. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being insensitive.”

Maddie tapped it for a moment before sliding hers away. “It’s okay. I know you don’t mean anything by it, but nothing is ever linear, is it?”