AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fifteen minutes later, we’re sitting at the breakfast bar with a stool between us, and I’m digging into the most heavenly buttery pile of mash I have ever tasted in my life, rivaled only by the whole smoked paprika chicken grilled to perfection.
Not that I’d ever say this out loud, but if I had to go and get stuck with a roommate, I’m glad I ended up with Lauren and not Trista. Not just because I’m finding Lauren’s presence relaxing and comforting, but because my sister couldn’t even season a salad to save her life, and that’s backed up with real-life experience of thenever againvariety.
“How was work?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“Good.” Lauren nods then looks at me with a glint of excitement in her eyes. “The fangirls invited me for drinks tomorrow, so I’ll be out.”
“Nice!” I grin at her. “I’ll probably be in the studio late trying to salvage the recordings from today’s session, so you don’t have to worry about me getting lonely or anything.”
“Will you take me someday, to the studio?” Her eyes are full of hopeful excitement.
“It’s part of the arm candy duties, honey.” And the way she beams at me makes my insides warm, and all the crap of the day melts away in an instant.
“And how was your day, Cupcake?”
“Fucking dreadful.”
Lauren gasps and tsks. “No swearing at the table.”
“I apologize.” I chuckle at her appalled façade. “But if that’s the case, my story will have to wait until after we eat because there will bea lotof profanities involved.”
“Fair enough,” she concedes.
Lauren looks up at me with a small smile on her lips as she watches me tuck in, then she sighs and takes a bite of her chicken, chewing slowly before swallowing and turning to me again. “Real talk?”
“Is there any other kind of talk?”
“Dirty talk,” she deadpans, and I find myself blushing yet again when I think of all the things I would whisper into her ear if I got the opportunity.Which I won’t.
“Touché, Miss Banks.” I tip my imaginary hat at her. “What did you want to talk about?”
“This feels…” Lauren takes a deep breath, no doubt thinking of what term to use, though I could easily fill in the gap with a few choice words of my own. “Cozy, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s a bit intense,” I agree, poking at the now relatively small pile of mashed potato still on my plate. “Do you want me to go to a hotel?”
Lauren’s eyes grow wide, and she shakes her head with vigor. “No, I like having you here.”
“Good because I like being here.”
“It’s just…” She pauses again, swiping her long fingers through her bangs. “We never really hashed out the elephant in the room, which is that we’re attracted to each other.”
I nod. “Right, but we can’t act on it.”
“No, and not just because of the living arrangements, Mikey. And, maybe, if it weren’t for Jason, I would have jumped on the opportunity. But I can’t start something with another man that I’ll constantly feel indebted to.”
I feel my anger flare at the thought of that asshole, how he exploited her innocence and trusting nature, her goodness. “I would never make you feel that way, Lauren.”
“I know,” she hurries to assure me. “But I’m living for free in your house and adding sex into the mix?” She shakes her head without continuing the thought, eyes cast to the floor.
“Hey.” I gently touch her hand, and her hazel eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, turn to me. “I would never use you, Lore. I will never abuse your trust, and I willneverfuck you.”
She bursts into laughter, the tears breaking free from her eyes at the same time, and she wipes them away. “No swearing at the table!”
“Right. No, that’s never going to stick. Sorry.” I flash her a half-grin, and Lauren releases a long, heartbreaking sigh.
“I was so stupid. I’d barely set foot on campus, and he swooped in, said all the right things,didall the right things.” Her eyes drop to her lap, and she sniffs. “The worst part is that I knew something wasn’t right, but I ignored that little voice in my head. For years I just gave him everything, and he took it all away.”
“No, he didn’t.” I jump off my seat and round the chair between us, grabbing the sides of Lauren’s stool and swerving it with a swift motion, so she’s facing me, causing her to let out a surprised yelp and grab my biceps. “He didn’t take away your laughter that lights up the room or that beautiful smile that makes me forget how awful the world can be. He didn’t take away your warmth and creativity, and even though he probably tried, that sorry excuse for a man could never take away that brilliant, resilient, smartass character that kept me going through this shit of a day, knowing I’d be coming home to you.”
