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I raised a brow as I took a sip from my glass, finally shaking my head. “I don’t really know about a roommate. I mean a stranger living with me sounds like the perfect plot for a Forensic Files episode,” I mused.
Ava giggled. “I’d say that you’re being super paranoid, but that idea is a bit valid since Oakley Falls is in the middle of nowhere.”
I nodded. “Yeah, plenty of open fields and forests to dump bodies in,” I said and laughed.
“I’m two seconds away from disowning you both for being insane,” Alex said, picking up her glass when Kyle returned with it. “But seriously, you should consider it. I mean at least get one until you’re able to find something that pays better than the phone sex gig.”
“I agree,” Ava said. “Just make it a temporary thing for now, maybe until you’re caught up on your bills or something.”
“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh. “It just feels like my entire life is falling apart now.”
And it was.
I’d gone from being in what I thought was a happy relationship to being dumped, humiliated, and now broke. After losing my job after the incident, bills became harder to pay, even after starting as a phone sex operator. Even though sex sells, it still wasn’t quite enough to maintain my current responsibilities. As nervous as I was about the idea of a roommate, it seemed like the only option I had if I wanted to avoid moving back in with my parents.
Ava leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a tight squeeze. “Just know we’re here for you.”
“I know things are tough right now, but I think things can only go up from here. I mean there’s nowhere else to go when you’ve hit rock bottom,” Alex added. I gave a small shrug and took a big gulp from my drink.
“In the event that I was to want a roommate, how would I go about doing—”
“Say no more! I know exactly how to handle this,” Alex interrupted and held her hand out. “Let me see your phone.”
I leaned back a little. “What for?”
“To post an ad, duh,” Alex scoffed. My hand tightened on my phone for a moment before I reluctantly handed it to her. She tossed her hair over her shoulders and straightened her posture. “Now watch a pro work.” She furiously typed on the screen for a few moments before she paused and looked up at me. “Does it matter the gender?”
I shrugged. “I mean not really. As long as the guy isn’t a creep. I just want them to be around the same age as me,” I answered.
“So no creepers, same age,” Alex repeated, typing again.
“Oh and no smoking since Ash isn’t a smoker,” Ava added.
“Right,” I confirmed. “And no pets. The complex doesn’t allow them.”
“No smoking or pets, got it,” Alex murmured. She continued typing for another minute before passing my phone back to me. “Done.”
“Done?” I exclaimed. “But I didn’t even get to see it!”
“I put what you told me to put on it.”
“But what if Steve or someone we know sees it?” I exclaimed. Being the asshole he was, he’d have a field day to know that I was struggling to pay him back.
“For starters, fuck Steve. Second, the point of posting an ad is for people to see it. You never know who’s looking for a roommate,” she said, sipping her drink.
“Speak of the asshole,” Ava said, looking past me.
I turned around and saw Steve, Clarissa, and Steve’s two friends, Todd and Carter, walking toward the bar. The three guys slapped hands with each other and laughed about something as Steve had his arm draped over Clarissa’s shoulders. My hand tightened on my glass at the sight of them. It was so crazy how things changed within a few months. Not long ago, that used to be me under his arms as he had drinks with his friends, having a good time together. Oh well. Such was life.
His smile still had the potential to make a woman melt off her barstool into a pool of goo and his piercing blue eyes were so easy to get lost in. I remembered spending countless nights staring into them, wondering how I’d gotten so lucky. His eyes drifted in our direction and locked on mine, his smile fading as he averted his attention back to his friends and Clarissa and continued joking around.
To say my heart sank was an understatement. What the hell did I expect anyway? It wasn’t as if everything was going to go in slow motion around us as he approached me, took me into his arms to kiss my pain away, and apologize for what he did to me. Hell, he never even showed remorse for what he’d done.
Ava snapped her fingers in front of my face.
“Wha…what is it?” I asked, shaking myself from my Steve trance. She shook her head.
“I was telling you not to worry about them. We’re here to have a good time, so no drama,” she warned.
