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

He blinked slowly, still obviously drunk. “Wes, I never meant to-to hurt you. You’re my best friend. I told you I hadn’t had anything to eat until dinner, and it just hit me all at once. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I told you to leave. I told you, you weren’t even allowed to be there. You should’ve left. You shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

“I wasn’t thinking. You’re just so cool. You’ve always been cool.” He hung his head, staring at the water. “Unlike me.”

“Oh, please. Don’t give me that pity party right now. I worked my entire life to get that job, Elias. My entire life. Years of hard work and late nights, to the detriment of my marriage, and now it’s all gone in one night.”

“Maybe I can talk to Stewart. He likes me. He’ll listen. I can tell him it was my fault. Or maybe I can talk to Layla—”

“Don’t!” I slammed the lid of the suitcase closed and approached him, wagging my finger in the air. “Don’t go near her. Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage? Was this your plan all along? Ruin my life? Why?”

“Ruin your life?” he asked, his jaw hung open, eyes wide in horror. “Wes, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had—”

“I’m not your best friend,” I said angrily. “I don’t even know you, Elias. And as of right now, I’m not your roommate either. You’ve cost me enough.”

There were tears in his eyes as he stared at me. “You don’t mean that. You know it was an accident. You know I didn’t mean to—”

“Was the text message to Addy an accident, too?”

He shook his head. “What text message to Addy?”

“I know it was you, Elias. I don’t know why or-or how, but I know it was you.”

“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“What are you, some kind of…psycho? Or are you just out to ruin my life in any way you can? How did you get the picture, Elias? Did you come in and take it while we were sleeping, you sick fuck? Or did you plan it with Stephanie? Maybe she only slept with me because you asked her to.”

He jerked his head back. “Wait, you slept with Stephanie?” If he was acting, he was certainly convincing.

“Yes, and someone sent a picture to Addy of the two of us.” I paused. “It wasn’t you?”

“Of course it wasn’t. This is the first I’m hearing about any of this. Wes, I’d never…” He put a hand on his stomach. “Oh my God.”

“But if not you, then who? Stephanie?”

He shrugged one shoulder halfheartedly. “I have no idea. I knew she stayed with you, but I didn’t know you slept together, and I certainly didn’t know she sent a text to Addy.” He ran a hand over his forehead. “God, I’m so sorry, Wes. What can I do?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “I don’t want your help anymore. Whatever you’ve done for me has only made my life worse.”

He nodded, but it was slow, sad. “I understand. I really am sorry for…everything. I never meant for any of this to happen. Truly, I just wanted to help you out.”

“Well, it’s a little late for that, Elias,” I cried, feeling hot, angry tears fill my eyes. “Because everything is so fucked up. I don’t even…I don’t even know what to do.” I sat down on the edge of the bed, placing my face in my hands. I didn’t know where I was going when I left there. Addy wanted nothing to do with me. I couldn’t go to the office. I had my car, and that was it. I’d be officially homeless and jobless the moment I left. That was how quickly it could all change.

I heard Elias approaching me and felt his hand touch my shoulder carefully. “I understand if you don’t want to stay here. Honestly, I do. And you’re free to go. I know you think I did this stuff on purpose, but trust me, making an ass of myself in front of a celebrity was not on my to-do list for the day. I know you don’t believe me, but I’ve only ever wanted to help you, Wes. I may not be your friend, and I don’t blame you for that, but you’re still mine. You’ve been kind to me when I really needed someone, and I wanted to return the favor. I know I didn’t succeed, but this was never my intention. I don’t know what happened with you and Stephanie, but if she did anything to hurt you, she’s not a friend of mine.” He paused, removing his hand. “I’ve never been good with people. It’s why my only friends have come through gaming. And then I ran into you, and you were so nice to me. And you had this cool job and this cool life—”

I laughed, interrupting him. “Cool, yeah.” The sarcastic comment came without warning.

“To someone who sits in front of a screen all day, your life is the coolest. I know I screwed things up for you tonight, but if you’ll just let me talk to your boss, tell me what to say, tell me what to do, I promise I’ll do it. If not, if you don’t think I can, at least let me give you some money for a hotel.”

“I don’t want your money, Elias.”

“What are you going to do, then? Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know… I don’t know.”

“Stay here,” he said softly. “Even if just for the night. I won’t talk to you. I won’t even leave my room. Just stay here for the night, get some sleep, and you can figure everything out in the morning. I just don’t want you to leave with nowhere to go.”

I didn’t answer, every possible option—and there weren’t many—swimming through my head. I needed to talk to Stewart, to explain things before he heard the news from someone else, if he hadn’t already. I needed to talk