“Honestly, I’ve been so busy with work that I have had little time to look. I know Amanda can’t wait to get me out of their house with the new baby coming, so I’ll have to figure out something soon,” he replies.
I nod, listening intently, though I had already known based on what Amanda had just told me. I clear my throat and try to ignore the anxiety churning in my gut.
“So… my boyfriend and I just broke up, and I actually found a nice apartment, but I need a roommate…”
He raises one eyebrow for me to continue.
“Do you… Do you want to move in with me? I mean, as a roommate?” I bite down on my lower lip, letting the question hang heavily in the air between us.
He stares at me for several seconds, his eyes bouncing between mine. I blush at the intensity of his gaze.
“Sure,” he finally says.
“I mean… it would be temporary… Wait, are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll move in with you.”
I’m taken aback by his straightforward response.
“Do you… Do you want to think about it before giving me an answer?” I ask, even though I mentally slap myself, knowing I need this to work out.
“No, I’m good.”
“I have cats,” I warn.
“I love cats,” he answers.
“Well… okay then.”
“Okay, roomie.” He taps his beer to mine, takes a swig of his beer, and winks at me.
That went much easier than I had thought it would.
I think I feel my heart skip a beat, but I blame it on indigestion.
5
ben
My feet strike the pavement in a calming rhythm as my breath evens out. There is nothing compared to the runner’s high once I get going. These days, I’ve been running more frequently as part of a competition with the guys on my team at work. I’m determined to win the upcoming race.
It’s been nice to have something to focus on ever since my life imploded so spectacularly. Though it was absolutely necessary, it doesn’t help the sting I still feel at having to walk away from Melissa. The moment I broke off our engagement, her face contorted in a mask of betrayal, a mixture of hurt, anger, and disbelief etched in every line of her features. It remains etched in my memory.
I never should have let things go for as long as it did. A mistake I’ll never make again. I knew Melissa and I were wrong for each other, but I was young. And stupid. It was also easier to fall into a relationship than always putting myself out there to be rejected. I wasted both of our time, and there is no way to take it back.
Living with Jason and Amanda has been a pleasant break from the reality of my life. Jason has been a great friend to me since our irresponsible college days. Though he was a coupleof years older than me, he had been doing the “five-year plan” at college. We’ve bailed one another out more times than I can count. I like to think that if not for my help, Jason would not have graduated college with me.
He landed a job at the biggest firm in the state. I’m sure his father working at the company helped. Nepotism at its best, but I can’t complain. Jason’s father’s influence at the company extended to me during the selection process, too. I’ve worked my ass off to rise to the top of the ranks over the past decade to prove my worth ever since.
Work has been my priority for so long. Melissa working for the same company also made things easier. She knew the level of dedication that was required to climb the corporate ladder. It wasn’t an issue until I had an epiphany about how unhappy we made each other.
We had been together for years before I proposed. For months, she’d been hinting at wanting to get married; then, after a terrible fight, I bought a ring. I gave her the ring as a token of my commitment. I had hoped it would make her happy. And it seemed to have worked for a short time. My grand gesture bought me a couple of months of Melissa’s seemingly genuine happiness, but the sweetness of that time eventually faded, replaced by the bitter taste of our unresolved issues.
Melissa wanted the white-picket fence with the two-and-a-half kids and a dog. While I had known what she wanted, I mistakenly thought we also shared the same professional aspirations. The thought of having kids at our age seemed daunting. I wasn’t ready for it.
And, if I were being honest, I couldn’t see myself with her for the rest of my life. Melissa was often jealous of any woman, regardless of the fact that I would never cheat on her. She would start fights over the smallest perceived grievance, and it became exhausting.
When I didn’t show any interest in the wedding planning, we started fighting again. I reached my breaking point and called off the engagement. I moved out and into Jason and Amanda’s home by the weekend.
