CHAPTER 11 - Nestling

/THEO/“I'll be going on a business meeting for a while,” Lorcan said casually as we ate dinner.“Eh? Why so sudden?” I completely lost interest in my food. “I wouldn't say it's sudden, I'm just telling you now,” Lorcan replied.“You should at least try to sugarcoat your words,” I muttered. “Don't tell me…is that the reason you agreed to have dinner with me?” I knew it! Despite our living situation getting better, he rarely ever had any meal with me.“Let's just say some things are best discussed over dinner,” he said as he slipped from his glass.“When are you leaving?” I asked.“Tomorrow morning,” he stated. And here I thought I'd be able to find a way to bond with him since it was Sunday and we were free. Not that he'd have agreed even if he was free.I paused, holding a my fork over my food without touching it. "Oh. For how long?""A week. Maybe two," he replied, standing up and grabbing his laptop. "As annoying as you may be, I trust that you'll be able to handle the house in my

CHAPTER 12 - An Ex That Won't Give Up

/THEO/I ran up to the cafe where we were supposed to meet. I ended up running late on a day I'd actively pushed for us to meet up.“Oh my goodness,” I panted as I slid into the cafe. “Am I late?”“Clearly,” Joni adjusted her glasses. “Don't sweat it though. You're already making that face like you're about to cry.”“That's because you can be so mean,” I pouted as I took a seat.“You know the way Joni is, she just loves teasing you,” Cosette intervened. “Why don't you order a drink to calm your nerves?”“It's been a while since we all met up like this. Nobody should even think about going home early today,” Skye said, he was prepared for today.Well, it was Saturday so I was free to hang out with them. We ordered sodas and food after catching up a bit.“I forgot to ask, why are you suddenly wearing glasses?” I asked Joni.“Oh, this? I just thought they'd look hot on me,” she was so proud of her taste. “I look good, don't I?”“Anything you wear looks stunning, babe,” Skye sang her prai

CHAPTER 13 - A Possessive Side

/LORCAN/I returned from the supposed business trip on Saturday morning, my patience completely worn down by a week of endless corporate dinners and negotiations. The moment I unlocked the apartment door, I felt myself feeling relieved and more relaxed.As expected of Theo, the flat was spotless. The kitchen counters were gleaming, and everything was exactly where it belonged. Theo was apparently out, which was perfectly fine by me.I dragged my suitcase into my bedroom and dropped it at a corner. I hadn't exactly packed anything in it since this wasn't a business trip in the first place and I clearly had everything I needed in my main residence.I walked over to the closet and pulled the doors open, but the moment I looked at the rows of hangers, I stopped.My brow furrowed. The dark gray t-shirt and the black sweatshirt I usually kept on the middle rack were missing. I looked down at the laundry basket—it was empty.I stepped back, scanning the rest of the room. The desk had been du

CHAPTER 14 - The Cold Shoulder

/THEO/The next morning, I woke up before my alarm even had the chance to go off. I lay under my duvet for a long time, staring at the ceiling as the events of the previous night replayed in my head.“Go take a shower, you reek.” “It’s annoying.”The words still stung. I bit my inner cheek, a wave of embarrassment washing over me all over again. I had genuinely thought we were making progress. I thought that by keeping the place clean, making him dinner, and respecting his space, he was slowly starting to view me as something resembling a friend. Or at least, a tolerable human being.But I had been completely delusional. To him, I was just a nuisance who smelled bad and asked too many questions."Maybe there really are people I can't befriend," I muttered to the empty room, tossing the covers aside. Deep down, I didn't want to abandon Operation Friendship but I also didn't want to be pushy.“I guess while I thought I was being friendly, he just saw me as a nuisance,” I muttered as I s

CHAPTER 15 - Am I the Drama?

/LORCAN/As much as I'd tried to pretend like I hadn't noticed it, it was clear that Theo was angry at me.For three straight days, Theo had been avoiding me. He didn't greet me, neither did he chatter away as usual when he saw me, and worst of all, the kitchen island was completely bare when I came home. No extra portions left in the fridge and no bright neon sticky notes with clumsy handwriting telling me not to skip dinner. I didn't exactly need him to make me dinner since I could always order in but I'd gotten used to him making me food that it felt weird now.Whenever we crossed paths in the hallway, he would immediately look down, mutter a quick apology, and slip past me like I was a stranger. “Theo, I'm coming in,” I said as I knocked on his room door. Before he could protest, I opened his door and walked in. “Do you want something?” He asked without looking me in the eye.“I just wanted to tell you that I'll be going somewhere for a few days,” I said. It was the first time

CHAPTER 16 - An Advice For An Acquaintance

/LORCAN/“You know quite a lot about your acquaintance,” Fenton remarked. “Perhaps, you should tell your acquaintance to tell his sibling to put themselves in the shoes of the roommate. No one would want to be told they reek for no reason, would they now?”“You have a point,” I rubbed my chin."In most normal interpersonal relationships, if someone's feelings are hurt by a harsh remark, a direct approach is usually best. A brief, sincere apology for the choice of words would likely shatter the ice."I frowned, a sour taste hitting my tongue. "An apology? He shouldn't have to apologize for stating a fact. The scent was genuinely irritating.""Even if it was a fact, sir, the delivery matters," Fenton explained, his eyes twitching slightly as he did. "If the sibling wants the domestic environment to return to normal, they need to show a small gesture of goodwill. Perhaps purchasing a favorite meal, or simply addressing the roommate directly to clarify that there was no real malice intend