All Chapters of More Than Roommates : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Seth~ The sunlight slides through the blinds, waking me up, I lift my face careful not to stir Alex, and watch him curled up beside me, face half-buried in the pillow, hair tousled from sleep. His hand is draped over mine, fingers still curled around my own, and there’s a faint scent of his shampoo lingering in the room. I don’t move. I just breathe and listen to him. The slow, steady rise and fall of his chest feels grounding, and I realize that for the first time in days, the tight coil in my chest has softened. I press a gentle kiss to his temple, careful not to wake him, and he hums, stretching against me in a small, sleepy gesture that makes my chest ache. “Morning,” I whisper, and his eyes flutter open, blinking at me in the sunlight. “Morning,” he says, voice thick with sleep. He smiles softly, the corners of his mouth tugging up just enough that I forget how tired I am. “Morning,” I whisper. “Mmm…” he hums, stretching, one arm draped over my chest. “Did you sleep

Alex~“You keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna think you’re in love.”“I am.” “Say that again.”I do and this time I mean it in the simplest way because it’s a truth that exists between us now.He laughs softly leans in and kisses my neck, “Good. Saves me from being the only one.” He says.We don’t get up right away and allow the morning to stretch but eventually he rolls out of bed, tugging on sweatpants, and says, “I’m making breakfast. You coming, or you gonna keep pretending to be asleep so I’ll bring it to you?”“Depends,” I say, sitting up. “What’s on the menu?”“Chef’s surprise.”“Which means what, ramen again?”He gives me a look over his shoulder. “You wound me.”I follow him anyway. The floor’s cold, and I pull on a hoodie while he rummages through the fridge. The kitchen smells faintly of takeouts. He finds eggs, leftover rice and some vegetables that look like they’re barely holding on.“Gonna make fried rice,” he declares.“Of course you are.”He starts chopping, h

Alex~I arrived a little past noon, It wasn’t even properly cold yet, but the winter air still hit harder than campus air. I threw my bag in the back of an Uber and watched the city roll by, same cracked billboards, same gas stations, same quiet neighborhoods with half-decorated lawns. It didn’t look like anything had changed in since I left. The streets, the light, even the same damned stray dog trotting near the old pharmacy. It’s the same when I get home, the half bent mail box, cracked pavement near the gate that dad always promised to fix, nothing ever changes here.The Uber slows to a stop in front of the house. Beige walls, familiar curtains and a patch of grass that’s more yellow than green. My chest tightens, I don’t know if it’s from nostalgia or dread, it’s probably both.Mum’s already at the doorway when I step out, her arms are folded like she’s been standing there a while. She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.“You’ve grown thinner,” she says as I come closer.I l

Alex~The morning starts with my mother’s voice cutting through the hum of frying oil and gospel music.“Alex, you’re driving your cousins around today, right? Take the list from the counter before you go.” She belts from the kitchen. There’s no room for negotiation in her tone. Somehow, her voice makes it all the way up and past my bedroom door that is fastened shut.I grumble a little as I get out of bed, already missing it the moment I leave it.I’m halfway through brushing my teeth when Clara knocks on my door, already in ripped jeans and a fluffy red sweater, her hair is up in a bun that looks like it’s holding itself together out of pity and she couldn’t brush it properly because of that same pity.“Come on, sleepyhead,” she says. “We’ve got a mountain of groceries to buy before Uncle, I mean your dad starts complaining about not having his turkey.”I level her with a glare.Jamie’s behind her, wearing an oversized denim jacket and pretending to scroll through her phone like

Alex~Christmas itself passes like a muted blur. Basic and filled with too many chores, too many relatives, too many voices that feel like they’re coming through cotton even Hailey shows up. I smile when expected to please my father of course, I sit when told to sit, laugh only when someone’s looking too closely. Nothing feels like anything it’s supposed to feel. It was the kind of day that moves around you while you stand still, the worst Christmas I’ve been ever fortunate enough to experience.I can remember how hilarious the evening ended, by the time night fell, everyone was tired enough to stop pretending. Even my dad didn't give one of his usual speeches. He only clapped me on the back at some point and says something about “carrying the name,” but even that felt like background noise, the exact one that has been playing my whole life.The next day starts off quieter, and not in a peaceful way, it felt like something was about to happen and we were all waiting.I wake up rea