The Roommate, Kiersten Modglin [best books for 20 year olds .txt] 📗

Are we still on to play the game tomorrow? I dug my old controller out of the closet for you to use."

I winced. "Well, not tomorrow. I have to take my daughter to soccer practice, but Friday for sure, okay? I'm looking forward to it."

His face went stony, and I watched him blink once. Twice. "Okay."

"Is that all right?"

"Yeah, just squeeze me in whenever you have the time," came the clipped reply.

"It's not like that. I'm really looking forward to it, honestly. I just need to help my wife with my daughter's schedule. At the end of the day, I still need to make her happy, so I can move back home."

"To Addy."

"Yes, to Addy."

He nodded again, then turned abruptly and walked away, disappearing into his room and shutting the door without another word.

"Good night, then," I said under my breath sarcastically.

As much as Elias perplexed me, he'd done me several huge favors over the last few days, and I couldn't afford to forget that.

Still, my thought earlier remained true: there was something strange about Elias.

Chapter Thirteen

I couldn't find the shirt I was supposed to be wearing for my meeting with a venue that morning.

It wasn't a huge deal, as I'd just replenished my dwindling supply of clean laundry the night before, but still, it didn't make sense that of the three shirts I had left hanging in my closet the night before, my favorite was missing. I knew I hadn't worn it, so what could’ve happened to it?

I cursed under my breath as I glanced at the clock with no time to worry about it. I needed to get on the road before traffic made me late. Living so close to work had done little for my timekeeping, as I never seemed to give myself enough wiggle room anymore.

I pulled on a different shirt, buttoning it up carefully and wrapping a tie around my neck. I tied it as I tried to kick my shoes in place, bending down to slip my feet inside them once the tie was straightened.

I threw on my jacket next and rushed from my room, thankful Elias was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't deal with him that morning. I didn’t even have time to make myself breakfast. I needed to leave—I glanced at my phone—ten minutes ago. I grabbed my keys from the counter and shoved my phone into my pocket, pulling open the door and rushing down the hall as quickly as I could. As I neared the parking garage, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, and I hurriedly dug it back out.

Addy.

"Good morning," I sang into the phone.

"Did you tell your daughter she could go to Venice before we came to an official decision?" She was angry, her voice agitated and shrill. We'd been in such a good place last night.

"Um, no, of course I didn't. Why?"

"Well, she says you did. I know I said I wanted her to get as much experience as she could, but I didn't say for sure that I wanted her to go."

"What are you talking about? I didn't tell her yes, Addy, I swear. I told her I'd have to talk to you, just like I told you last night. I haven’t talked to her since then. If she told you I said yes last night, she's just lying to try to get you to say yes."

"No, Wes. You’re lying. She showed me your text. I'll talk to your mom. Just give me some time. I see Venice in your future, kiddo. Really, Wes? Make me out to be the bad guy when I was the one leaning toward yes last night?"

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." I stopped walking, staring around the garage as I searched for my car. Where had I left it? "I didn't tell her yes. I didn't text her. Are you sure she isn't just teasing you? Maybe she faked the message with an app or something."

"Why would she do that?"

I spun around, my heart thudding in my chest. Where was my car? I’d been so distracted the night before I hadn’t paid attention to where I’d parked. Finally, out of the corner of my eye I spied the silver BMW and rushed toward it.

"Why would she do that, Wes?" she repeated.

"Oh, um, I don’t know. Because she's mad at me? Because she wants us to give in? Name a reason, and I'm sure you'd be right." I pressed the button on my fob and settled into the car, buckling up as it connected to Bluetooth before I whipped out of the parking spot.

"You really think I'm stupid, don't you?" she spat. "I wanted to believe you'd changed, Wes.” She laughed under her breath sarcastically. “I thought after last night…" I heard the exasperated breath through the line.

"Wait, hold on, I have changed, Addy. I'm doing everything I can to prove that to you. What else could you possibly want from me?"

"I want you to be honest with me—"

"I am being honest with you! I don't know anything about a text message. I didn't tell Rory she could go to Venice. Frankly, I don't want her to go at all, but I'm going to respect whatever choice you make. I have no idea why she's lying to you, but I didn't do this."

"I'm staring at the text message, Wes. A message that clearly came from your phone."

"Look," I glanced at the clock as I pulled out of the garage and into traffic, "there has to be some kind of mix-up. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about, but I know I didn’t send any kind of text. I'm driving right now, so I can't check my phone, but once I get to work, I'll look at it and see if I can figure out what's going on. Whatever it is, though, I'm telling you I didn't send the message. If you want me to tell Rory that, I will. Trust me, I’d