All Chapters of The Roomie Complex: Chapter 81 - Chapter 87

OLIVER'S POVThe chandeliers overhead looked like frozen fireworks—crystal exploding in perfect symmetry—each facet catching the warm light and scattering it over the room like gold dust. The ballroom glowed. Satin gowns trailed like whispers behind women, and tuxedos hugged the shoulders of men like confidence sewn into fabric. Laughter and soft classical music filled the air like perfume, elegant and rich, while the scent of white roses and sandalwood gently rolled over the hall.I stood by the tall glass window, the kind that made you feel like a king overlooking his kingdom. My reflection stared back at me, sharp tuxedo, tailored to perfection, the white pocket square perfectly crisp against black silk. My nerves weren’t visible, thank God. Inside though, my chest was a war zone.Pulling this night together had felt like wrestling with shadows. For weeks I’d wondered if anyone would show up. What if the memories of high school had been too cruel for some people? What if no one car

Cheryl’s POVThe kiss was dangerous.It was deep and slow, the kind that didn’t ask permission, the kind that knew it already had me. His mouth moved over mine like he had something to prove, like he was staking a claim he’d never truly let go of. His hand gripped the back of my neck, fingers tangled in my hair, and his other arm curled tightly around my waist. It should have felt wrong—immoral, reckless, maybe even pathetic.But I kissed him back.God help me, I kissed him like he was oxygen and I was seconds from suffocating. Like I was trying to feel something, anything, that would pull me out of the numb spiral I’d been trapped in for weeks. My head was spinning, my heart a mess of thunder and heat and grief. It was all too familair, this very moment - I have lived it before and it's still an excruciating pleasure.And then—Click.The lights came on.A gasp.A masculine gasp.I opened my eyes. Slowly. Like I already knew what I was about to see and didn’t want the confirmation.H

CHERYL’S POVFLASHBACK - LUNCH DATE WITH OLIVERThe clinking of cutlery had never sounded louder.We were seated at Celeste, the kind of upscale restaurant people posted on Instagram but rarely actually enjoyed, that same afternoon I returned Aiden's gift, I remember being all flustered about meeting Aiden again.I tried to push it down,Tried to smile, make conversation, laugh at Oliver's half-hearted jokes. He noticed. Of course he did. Oliver wasn’t stupid. He stirred his iced tea, eyes flicking to me with a mix of concern and something else—disappointment, maybe?"You're quiet today," he finally said.I looked up, feigning surprise. "I'm okay."He nodded slowly, though I could tell he didn’t believe me. The silence between us dragged. I hated it. I hated feeling like a traitor when I hadn’t technically done anything wrong. But even thinking about Aiden, his mouth on mine, the heat, the tension, made me feel like I was standing on broken glass."Cheryl," Oliver said, setting his