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

rules she gave Stewart. I know you understand.”

“I understand,” he said with a sly smile. “What a bitch.”

He let out a shrill laugh, and I forced a grin. “Yeah, it sucks.”

“Well, I know you can’t help it. Maybe next time the party will be for someone nicer.”

“Yeah, maybe…”

“Or maybe you could talk to Stewart about it, since I did you such a favor tonight.”

I started to answer, but at that moment, the door opened again and I saw the caterers beginning to arrive, filing in carrying in covered trays of food, warmers, and empty serving platters. Once I’d greeted them and pointed them in the direction of the small kitchen area where they could set up, they got to work, and I returned my attention to Elias.

“Are you heading back upstairs? I’ve gotta run and get a shower before the party. I feel disgusting.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m going to grab a plate of food and head out. I guess I’ll go to Mac’s to game for the evening.”

“Ah, okay,” I said, feeling guilty. I knew I’d upset him, but I just didn’t have the time to fix it at the moment.

Add it to my ever-growing list of things I need to find a way to fix.

I also really didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone with the caterers, but he seemed in no hurry to leave. “Well, I’ll see you later tonight, then. Make sure to leave right after you make your plate, okay? They still need to get everything set up.”

“Yep. I’ve got it,” he said. “Sounds good. Have fun tonight.”

He turned away from me, returning to pacing the floor awkwardly, as a child would do when their parents were nearly done with dinner. I left the room, hurrying up the eight flights of stairs to our apartment. I opened the door and went inside, locking it behind me as I stripped out of my clothes.

I was starting to feel grimy after a day of running errands and working too hard. I needed a quick shower to refresh and then to get dressed in clean clothing. Layla was one of our more difficult clients, and her staff were picky about everything. I wanted to get downstairs to double-check that everything was in order before the party began. As I turned on the water, I couldn’t help wondering just when I’d signed up for a job as an assistant. Normally, this type of thing would be so far outside of my problem, but Stewart had asked, and I’d jumped into action without thinking. I’d have to do better about setting boundaries; it was where the problems with Addy had started in the first place.

Addy.

Just the thought of her sent pangs of guilt, heartbreak, and anger radiating to my core. I stepped into the shower, moving under the low-pressure stream of water.

As I shampooed, I closed my eyes and went through a mental checklist of things I’d needed to do that day, crossing them off one by one.

Suddenly, my eyes jerked open. I’d heard something.

Footsteps.

Someone was in the apartment.

I’d locked the door behind me when I’d come in…hadn’t I?

I couldn’t be sure. I thought I had, but there’d been so much on my mind it was entirely possible I’d forgotten to. I lowered my hands from my hair, staying still as I tried to focus. Perhaps I’d imagined it.

After a few moments, I began shampooing again, convinced it had been a noise outside of the apartment, but within minutes, I heard another noise.

Clang.

More footsteps.

Shuffling around.

Someone was in my bedroom.

I stuck my head under the water, rinsing the remnants of the shampoo as quickly as possible, not daring to close my eyes. My heart thudded in my chest as I moved the shower curtain slightly, terrified to make any noise. I left the water running as I stepped out of the shower and pulled my pants back on, my body still soaking wet.

There was nothing in the bathroom that could’ve been used as a weapon, not scissors or a hair dryer or anything remotely threatening. I’d left my phone outside on the bed. I opened the drawer slowly, cursing myself as I reached with a shaking hand and took hold of my hairbrush. It was all I had, and I knew that wasn’t saying much. I placed my ear near the door carefully, attempting to listen. I needed to figure out where the intruder was, so I could decide when to come out.

My heart pounded as I listened to the silence. What if they were waiting just outside of the door? What if they were on the ground, looking at my toes under the door? I scooted them back cautiously. What if they had a gun and they placed it to the door, aligning it with my head?

I couldn’t wait any longer. I jerked the door open, holding my breath as I prepared for an attack.

The room was empty.

I released the breath, looking around.

What the—

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I followed the sound, lowering the hairbrush as I realized my phone was vibrating from somewhere in the room. I’d tossed it onto the bed when I came into the room, but it was no longer there. The floor vibrated slightly under my feet, and I knew it must’ve fallen to the floor.

My throat tightened as the thought that someone could be hiding under the bed, waiting for me to lift the cover, filled my head.

Briefly, I considered running out of the room, but I imagined myself either slipping from the puddles of water near my feet or running straight into the intruder outside. I couldn’t slow my racing pulse, couldn’t steady my breathing. I bent forward, grabbing the blanket’s edge and lifting it into the air with one swift motion. The phone lay facedown on the floor, buzzing in a circle on the hardwood. To my great relief, it was the only thing under the bed.

I picked it up, staring at the screen.

It was Addy, but I had no desire to