Roommates with Benefits [18+ only]

53. Were you jealous?

LUKAS

"Baby, are you ready?" I wondered, glancing at my watch. I was definitely late for class, but she asked for a ride, how could I say no? Part of me regretted refusing her offer to shower together, but there was no way we would have gotten out of it any time soon. This was already a really surprising morning, with her being bold and kinda dominant.

"I just need to dry my hair!" I heard Tara reply from her bathroom.

Knowing that might take a while, I sat down on her bed, pulling out my phone to scroll from social media. I did see her diary on her nightstand, not even locked or anything, but there was no way I'd breach her privacy like that. Even though ... reading it would finally give me an answer as to whether I'm kidding myself here or not. When she arrived last night, she seemed a bit off. I wonder if she wrote anything about it ... no. Absolutely not. It's her privacy, I couldn't.

Just as I thought that, I noticed her silver Samsung laying on bed. The screen had just lit up, but it was just a message from her operator. However, in that split second during which the screen remained lit, I spotted one, single name that immediately put me on alert.

I didn't even think it through, I immediately grabbed her phone, to read it better. Sure as hell, among other messages from her sister and a group chat named Puny Gods, there was that goddamn name: Aaron.

When did she text her ex? And why? When did they restart talking? Was it serious? Did it start from that meeting at Walmart? Did my stupid jealous nastiness push her right into his arms?

So many questions started spinning in my head in a matter of seconds. But there was only one way of knowing. I shouldn't, I really shouldn't. But ... I needed to know and she was taking ages to dry her hair ...

I couldn't unlock the smartphone, it had a passcode I didn't know, but once I singularly swiped on the notifications from her sister and the group chat – I didn't even need to read it to know it was some Marvel inside joke room for her, Leo and Sean –, I was able to read Aaron's messages:

I meant it, princess, I miss you

Can we meet? We can ... talk in front of Fran's steamy cappuccino, like the good old days ...

Yeah, no, that wasn't platonic at all. He was flat out making a move, and not even a subtle one. I gritted my teeth, almost crashing the phone in my hands. The question wasn't why Aaron contacted her. The question was why they restarted talking in the first place. Am I seriously fooling myself here? Thinking I have a chance, worrying about Leo, Sean, while all this time she was planning to go back to her ex.

While it was in my hands, Tara's phone buzzed, an incoming message. Aaron again: I really want to see my princess ... I could have killed him just for that. First of all, princess is such a stupid nickname. Secondly ... my princess? She ceased being his a long time ago, why can't he just move on? Ugh, I'm one to talk.

I considered deleting the messages, but I didn't have the passcode. I could answer from the notifications, though ... I really shouldn't. But hey, someone needed to free this guy from his obsession. In the end, I merely sent: My boyfriend wouldn't agree. Sure as hell I wouldn't. I already wanted to punch him when he hugged her, and when I heard him call her princess my blood boiled so hard.

His answer came in a few seconds later: Boyfriend? I thought he was your roommate

I couldn't help but smirk a bit. Smart guy, he already assumed I was the boyfriend. It was getting difficult to read and write through notifications, so I tried to think hard. What would she put as a passcode? Not my birthdate, that's for sure. I put hers for my phone, but I don't think she's ever noticed.