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Someone knocked on the front door causing Josie’s spine to stiffen. I watched her walk over, and straighten her hair and clothes before opening the door. I had no idea how to appear gay, what did a gay guy even look or act like?
Most of the time I couldn’t tell. Mygaydarfelt nonexistent.
Josie’s mother walked inside first, her eyes scanned the room and paused on Jordan and me. I felt the fear radiate across the room. She was Asian, short, with soft curves and a beautiful complexion.
Josie’s Dad wasn’t what I expected. He wore steel-toe work boots with worn jeans and a Carhart t-shirt. A look of shock traveled across his tired face.
“Momma, Daddy, these are my roommates Maverick and Jordan.”
Silence enveloped the room. Jordan hummed the Jeopardy theme song under his breath.
Her mother turned to her and said, “You said you were moving in with a girl? These,” she said, gesturing toward the two of us, “are not girls.”
Josie’s Dad wrapped his palm around her mother’s shoulder in a soothing motion, but it didn’t seem to work.
Josie’s cheeks turned bright red. “Well, Momma, the girl I was supposed to move in with decided last minute she wanted her boyfriend to move in, and this was the only apartment I could find last minute.”
She didn’t believe her, it was written all over her face. Stepping forward, I offered my hand to her dad. “I’m Maverick. It’s the truth, my—uh—boyfriend—Jordan found Josie in a coffee shop looking for available rooms. We had one, so we offered it to her.”
“Boyfriend?” her mother asked with skeptical eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hmm.”
Her dad didn’t look like he believed it either.
Oh God.As selfish as it was, I didn’t want Josie to move out, even though it’d been the plan. Jordan cleared his throat and walked over, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I fought the urge to knock his head off.
“Don’t worry about us hitting on Josie, I like the d—,”
I elbowed him—hard.
Josie sighed, wiping her palm down her face. “Y’all want a tour?”
Her mother didn’t budge, but her dad smiled. “Come on, show us your room.” Josie led the way toward her room, stopping when she realized her mother didn’t follow.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
Oh crap.I hadn’t thought about her noticing me, since Josie wasn’t in sports, they didn’t attend the football games from what I remembered. “I don’t think so. I’m from out of state.”
“Paige,” Josie’s father said. “Come on. Josie is going to show us her room.” She reluctantly walked over and shut Josie’s door.
Jordan let out a huge breath. “That is intense.”
Softly, I walked toward my room and listened through the wall. Josie’s mother spoke Chinese most of the time, only letting Josie get a few words in before cutting her off. “And that!” she shouted. “I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t waste your college time with that outlandish art!”
I cringed. Josie was talented, and I hated that her mother couldn’t see it, but I couldn’t cut in. I was the gay roommate. I clutched my fingers into a tight fist at the sound of Josie softly crying.
When her door opened, I stayed in my room until I heard them make their way into the living room, and I stepped out into the hallway. Someone knocked against the front door before they made it, and I prayed it wasn’t Frankie.
I’d texted him and told him to stay down in the apartment’s gym until I told him to come up.
Josie answered the door, and King’s voice wafted from the other side. When I rounded the corner, Josie let him inside, and they greeted him kindly. Heat swarmed my body at hisnice guyact, not that he’d proved any different to me, but I hated that they liked him.
I hated that he treated Josie well, and gave her no reason to turn to me. I’d brought this upon myself, but how could I redeem myself with Prince Charming trying to woo her every day?
“Come on in,” her mother said. “Did you two have plans?”
King rocked back on his heels. “I wanted to take Josie out to eat—,”
“Nonsense,” her mother said. “We’ll cook. Do you have groceries, Josie?”
