“if you’re gonna let me down, let me down gently”—Water Under the Bridge by Adele
Aaron has been awfully quiet since the kiss, not that I can blame him for it. Lucky for me, he still helps me with my new room. There’s not much to do, but when I told him I’d have to somehow manage to build up a shelf all by myself, he offered to do it for me.
Since my handiness skill is at about minus ten, I let him.
So while Aaron is in my room, I try to make an effort in getting to know my roommate, if she’d let me. Lily has told me Winter is a bit challenging but she’s nice. I’m just praying she isn’t anything like the arrogant wannabe Ariana Grandes back in the small village I live in.
Though if she is, I at least know how to handle her.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me staying here?” I ask. There is no need for me to introduce myself as Winter knows me already thanks to Lily.
“It’s not like I have a choice anyway. I’d get a new roommate either way,” she says, setting down the glass she’s holding. “So, how do you know Aaron?”
Winter’s awfully blue eyes don’t meet mine, her gaze lingers on my body, searching for flaws, I’d assume. At least that’s what the scowl on her face tells me.
“We used to be friends when we were younger.” Thanks to my best friend I know Winter has no idea that Aaron and Lily are twins, so I won’t let it slip out either. Not sure how anyone can’t know they’re related because if one took a look at them, you’d know.
“Used to be,” she repeats to herself. “I do have to warn you, Sofia. Aaron is over quite a lot because we’re dating and well, you know.” She shrugs, grinning widely. “I hope you don’t mind when certain activities get a bit louder.”
Hearing Aaron having sex? Yeah, I think I will pass. It’s not like it is going to happen, right? Aaron said he was single, Winter is his ex-girlfriend, and it doesn’t seem like he’s still interested in her, otherwise he wouldn’t have kissed me, right?
“Just tell me when to leave and I will.”
“Will do.” She turns to look at the TV, seemingly being done with our conversation. I’m about to leave and check on Aaron, or my shelf, when she speaks up again. “And Sofia, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself. Aaron is my boyfriend. I know he’s hot and all, and I’m sure you’d love to spend a night with him. But he’s taken, and too busy to build up shelves for some random girl he used to know.”
What the fuck? This woman is crazy. No wonder her and Aaron didn’t work out.
“Clearly, he’s not too busy to do that, otherwise he wouldn’t be here right now, would he?” Is it wrong to start a fight with your new roommate? I don’t think so. Not in this case, anyway. And besides, I didn’t start the fight, she did.
“I think I know my boyfriend better than you do, Sophie.”
“Could’ve fooled me with your ability to remember names,” I mutter. “My name is Sofia. You better remember that cause you will see a whole lot of me. Of me and Aaron together. And, FYI, he isn’t your boyfriend, everyone knows that.”
“He isn’t yours eithers.”
I lift my shoulders, forming my mouth into a line. “Never said that, now, have I?”
“Said what?” a deep voice asks from right behind of me. As I turn around, I am greeted with two green eyes staring at me. Aaron doesn’t even bother to acknowledge Winter, despite the little shriek that left her mouth right after he showed up.
“I think we need to talk, Aaron, baby.”
He shakes his head, still not bothering to look at Winter as his eyes remain on me. “Swear, if Winter annoys you, give me a call and I’ll take care of it.”
“With sex?” Winter blurts out, but Aaron and I ignore her, again. Perhaps she should be taking offence that he just called her annoying, but all she cares about is getting laid by him. I’m pretty sure that’s an obsession that should be checked out professionally.
“So, about the holidays…” His eyes flicker over my shoulder, taking a look at Winter for the first time today.
Aaron takes a step closer to me, his hand reaching behind my head where he pulls on one end of the ribbon in my hair to loosen up the bow. I want to complain about it when I’m getting distracted by Aaron wrapping my favorite ribbon around his wrist, stealing from me.
“Can I come with you?”
I nod, barely even realizing what he’s asked as I’m too perplexed still.
Aaron Marsh has just taken my favorite ribbon from me. The one string of fabric I use daily to tie into a cute bow at the back of my head to keep my hair out of my face. He knows it’s my favorite one, the color gives it away.
But what shocks me even more, I didn’t stop him, nor am I asking for it back.
“I’m keeping that, Icicle. And you better never take off that necklace ever again.” He pulls on the necklace around my neck, letting it dangle down over my shirt.
“Aaron…” I know he’s just trying to get me attached to that thing again, get me attached to him again. But it won’t work. It won’t because I’ve always been attached to this necklace. The greater challenge will be not getting attached to him.
“I saw the frog on your bed, Sofia. You cannot fucking tell me you kept that thing all those years for nothing. I don’t believe that bullshit. So cut it out.”
“I kept it for the memories. It means things to me. But that doesn’t mean I still feel the same way about you the way I used to years ago.”
He winks at me, not even trying to look hurt by my words. His goddamn ego must be bigger than I thought, probably the size of the sun.
“Winter, can I talk to you for a second?” he then says, the smile on his face disappearing with every word that leaves his mouth.
“Sure. I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
And just like that, they’re gone into her bedroom, away from my ears to hear them talk.
To my horror, I catch myself wondering what they’re talking about. Is he officially going to end things with her? Is he going to get back together with her? Is he telling her to behave and not try to murder me in my sleep?
I even consider eavesdropping, but I won’t sink that low. If they wanted me to hear what they’re talking about, they would’ve stayed in this room and not walk off to her bedroom.
Only when thirty minutes pass and I no longer even hear voices, that’s when I start to get nervous. Occasionally, I can hear sounds, but they’re more like thuds and definitely nothing that comes remotely close to talking.
The picture my brain is painting at those sounds has my blood boil in seconds. Jealousy streams through my veins in a speed I never thought possible. But I have to remind myself that I am not allowed to get jealous.
Aaron has never been my boyfriend, he isn’t now, and he won’t ever be. I never had any claims on him. I shouldn’t care whether he’s fucking his ex or not.
But I do anyway. I do because I care.
It was always supposed to be Aaron and me. Us.
It was supposed to be us against the world. Us in a relationship with each other. We were supposed to be a couple, get married, have kids. It was never him and someone else. It was never me and someone else. It was us.
Well, but that dream also kind of crashed like a flight going wrong when I came back to New City years ago and asked my parents to return to Germany and never come here ever again.
