CHAPTER 8 - Staying As Roommates

/THEO/

How I woke up on my bed the next morning was still a mystery to me.

I distinctly remembered passing out face-down on the kitchen island, with my laptop screen still on. Yet, here I was, tucked neatly under my thick duvet.

I checked my neck—no stiffness. I scrambled out of bed and rushed into the living room. My laptop was neatly shut on the counter, the lights were turned off, and the ceramic dish I’d left out was clean and put away.

I blinked at the spotless kitchen. "Did I sleepwalk?" I muttered, scratching my head. There was no way Lorcan carried me. The man barely tolerated my existence, he wouldn't just pick me up like a sack of potatoes.

“Even if he had to carry me, he'd probably drag me like a sack of potatoes,” I scratched the corner of my lips. I didn't think he carried me though, he didn't seem like he'd care enough to do something so chivalrous.

I figured he must have just aggressively cleared the counter to make his morning coffee and left me to stumble to bed in a daze.

A week flew by, and I was finally getting the hang of things at PixelPulse Studio. I wasn't deleting files anymore, and I actually understood where the paperwork was supposed to go. But my schedule had only gotten worse.

Between the early mornings, the late-night training and research, and the constant cleaning I did at the apartment to stay on Lorcan’s good side, I was running on fumes.

By Thursday afternoon, I was staring blankly at my monitor, my eyes heavy.

"Look at him," a whisper floated over my cubicle wall. "He looks like a corpse that escaped the morgue."

"No, seriously," another whisper replied. "Do you think we should call an ambulance, or just bury him in the archive room?"

“I don't think that's exactly legal though,” the other voice replied. “I think it would be nice if decided to share his burdens instead of making the entire atmosphere gloomy.”

I slowly turned my head. Jace and Maya were standing just a few feet away, leaning against a water cooler and looking right at me while talking as if I were completely invisible.

"I can hear you both, you know," I said, my lips twisting.

That was their cue. Maya took a slow sip from her iced coffee, stepping closer to my desk. "Good, because we wanted you to hear us. Seriously, Theo, what happened? I thought you were totally getting the hang of things now."

"I am," I sighed, resting my chin on my palm. "Work is fine. It’s my living situation."

Jace pulled up a rolling chair, sitting backward on it. "What’s wrong with the flat? Is your roommate that bad?"

"I wish that was even the case," I muttered, looking down at my keyboard. "I think I'll be going homeless in a few days."

Maya paused with her straw halfway to her lips. "What? Why?"

"My trial month is up this weekend," I said, keeping the details vague. I didn't want to explain the whole ridiculous leg-grabbing incident that got me the room in the first place. "My roommate probably hates me and is looking for any means possible to get rid of me. He hasn't said a word about renewing the lease."

"Did you actually ask him?" Jace asked, raising a brow.

"No," I admitted. "But I don't know, he doesn't seem to exactly like me.”

Maya rolled her eyes, tapping her tablet against Jace’s shoulder to make him move. "Don't just assume the worst, idiot. Go home, talk to him like an adult, and see where his head is at. If he kicks you out, you can always crash on Jace’s place."

"Hey! Why my place?" Jace complained.

"Because I'm living with my girlfriend, duh?” She said like she had just stated the obvious.

“The fuck? I thought you guys broke up like two months ago?” Jace raised a brow.

“And so what? Argh, you're so damn slow,” she groaned.

“Don't tell me you forgave her?” Jace was holding himself back from laughing.

“Haha, very funny. Though it seems to me like someone’s talking from experience,” Maya shot back and Jace frowned. “Anyway, I'd rather Theo stay with me than live with you in that pigsty but then again, I'm in search of a new partner, I wouldn't want my potential partners to think I'm in a relationship.”

Despite my exhaustion, I let out a small laugh. They were right, though. I couldn't just wait around to be thrown out, I needed to face Lorcan.

Luckily, Ms. Lesley let the administrative team off an hour early that day. When I unlocked the apartment door at 5:00 PM, I took in steady breaths to keep my racing heart in check. I and Lorcan have never exactly sat down to talk before.

I didn't even have time to sit down before Lorcan’s bedroom door clicked open. He headed straight for the kitchen island to grab his laptop.

This was my shot.

"Hey, Lorcan," I said, my voice a little higher than usual because of the nerves.

He paused, his fingers resting on the lid of his laptop. He didn't look up, but he didn't walk away either. That was as much of an invitation as I was ever going to get.

"I know it's technically outside my hours, but do you have a minute? It's about the apartment," I said, stepping closer to the counter.

Lorcan slowly raised his head, his deep blue eyes settling on me. His expression was completely unreadable. He opened his laptop, his fingers hovering over the keys.

"The trial month ends this weekend," I blurted out, before I could lose my courage. "I just... I wanted to know if you want me to start packing my things, or if I can stay. I have the rent money ready, and I promise I’ll keep out of your way just like always."

I held my breath, waiting for the blow. I braced myself for him to say ‘Yes, get out, you're annoying.’

Lorcan didn't say anything for a long while. He just stared at his screen, then looked back at me, his eyes tracking the dark circles under my eyes. He let out a short, quiet breath that sounded almost like an annoyed sigh.

"The arrangement remains the same," Lorcan replied.

I blinked, completely thrown off. "Wait. Really?"

"You pay your half on time. You keep the kitchen clean and you are relatively quiet," he stated, his fingers finally hitting the keyboard with a steady click. "I see no reason to go through the hassle of kicking you out. Just don't make me regret extending this."

My eyes brightened up and I felt like I was about to float from how elated I felt. I wasn't going to be homeless and I didn't have to go back to Nevan’s house.

"Crystal clear!" I beamed, the exhaustion suddenly vanishing from my face. "You won't regret it, Lorcan! I’ll make sure the place stays absolutely spotless. And I'll leave the extra portions in the fridge like usual!"

"Rule number one, Theo," he muttered, though his tone wasn't as sharp as it usually was.

"Right, right. Going to my room now," I said, giving him a quick, playful salute before turning on my heel.

As I closed my bedroom door behind me, I practically threw myself onto the bed, a huge grin plastered on my face. My operation friendship was definitely making progress. He might act like a robot, but he was letting me stay.

For the first time in a week, I slept like a baby.