All Chapters of SEDUCED BY MY ROOMMATES: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Morning light crept through the blinds, casting thin golden lines across my wall. I hadn’t slept much, but for once, I didn’t feel like a total wreck. Maybe it was Liam’s words from last night, or maybe it was just the calm after the emotional storm. Either way, I sat up in bed, stretching slowly, feeling the stiffness in my bones from tossing and turning all night. I checked my phone. No new messages. Not from Ethan, not from Jasper. Just a text from Dolly. I opened the text message "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, do you need me?"I quickly replied "not really, heart break doesn't work on me"She replied back too "don't believe you. We would meet at school tomorrow""sure" I turned off my phone. Dragging myself out of bed, I made my way to the kitchen. The apartment smelled faintly of paint and lavender dish soap. Liam’s doing, probably. There was a small plate of pancakes wrapped in foil on the counter, a sticky note on top: Don’t say I never do anything for you. Eat before you

I’d barely gotten home from school when I saw the text from Mom flashing across my screen in bold enthusiasm. MOM: Sweetheart! Can’t wait to see you! Your room is ready, and guess what? Gracie’s red velvet cake is in the fridge! ME: You had me at “cake”. It was weird—this warm little pit that formed in my stomach at the idea of going home. My birthday was on Tuesday, but the school had shut down for a four-day maintenance break. Everyone else was either heading for mini-vacations or binge-watching shows with popcorn in their dorms. Me? I was being picked up by my uncle and driven six hours back to Los Angeles to my childhood home. I should have been excited. But all I could feel was… uncertain. Packing didn’t take long. I didn’t need much: two pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts, a dress I hadn’t worn since middle school that I knew Mom would fawn over, and my most worn hoodie that still smelled like faint lavender detergent and a little bit like Ethan—because I’d accidentally worn

Chapter 36I woke up to the faint scent of strawberries and sunlight seeping through the window blinds. Something about the air felt different—lighter, warmer, almost charged with something I couldn’t quite place. Then I saw the sticky note on my nightstand.HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART! Come downstairs when you're ready. Love, Mom & Dad.Of course, it was Tuesday, the day I'd be a legal adult.I smiled sleepily, stretching out beneath the comfort of my blankets. Today was my birthday. My debut. The kind of thing I thought only happened in cheesy teen movies or old family traditions that faded with time. But trust my parents to revive it in full force.When I came downstairs in my fuzzy slippers and pajamas, the entire living room had been transformed. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling like tiny stars, and pastel pink and silver balloons floated everywhere. A long table was set near the bay window, covered in satin cloth and tiny flower petals.My mom turned when she heard my foots

It was Wednesday night, so I and Dolly were heading back to school.Returning to Andover felt like being dropped back into a dream you weren’t quite ready to wake up from. The week at home had blurred by in laughter, cake, family dinners, and that strange pull toward Liam I was trying—and failing—to ignore. But now, as our car rolled past the school gates, the laughter faded, replaced with that old, tight knot curling up in my stomach.Dolly sat beside me, scrolling through her phone, her nails tapping rhythmically against the glass screen. “Back to reality,” she muttered.“Yay,” I said dryly, leaning my head against the window.The cab came to a halt in front of our dorm, and the driver helped with our bags. I hadn’t told Liam I was coming back today. Part of me wanted to surprise him. The other part was scared he wouldn’t care.Inside the dorm, everything smelled faintly of detergent and old books. My bed was exactly how I left it, a bit messy, a hint of lavender in the pillow. I to

The buzz around school on Monday morning felt different. People whispered in hallways, giggled over their phones, and exchanged knowing glances. I didn't need to ask why. I was back in Andover, and this is how it has always been here. I soon saw Ethan, I guess he was back. It had been weeks since he left. Weeks since the text, the abrupt goodbye, the decision his mother forced onto both of us like we were just pieces on a chessboard. I should’ve been over it by now, right? But the moment I saw him walking through the quad, hand-in-hand with Zoe, my lungs forgot how to work. I really, really, hate teenage hormones. He looked the same—messy hair, crisp uniform shirt rolled at the sleeves, that same expression like he was walking through a dream. Only now, the dream wasn’t me. It was Zoe, clinging to his side like the ending had always been written. I turned towards my locker, not wanting to see him again. My heart pounded louder than the morning bell. Get a grip, Barbie. You aren't