The Roommate Disaster

The Roommate Disaster - Thirty-Six

The Roommate Disaster - Thirty-Six

"Thank you for driving me," I say to Drake. He carries my bag up to my door. "Do you want to come in? Have some coffee or something?"

"Sure. I don't have any plans today anyway," he says as we enter my apartment.

"But your flight's tomorrow." I put my bag on the couch. "Shouldn't you be ready?"

He shakes his head. "My stuffs are all ready. Besides, I didn't bring much. Like I told, I really just fly here to visit you." He gives me a toothy grin. His aura takes the heavy feeling in my chest.

"Well then," I grin back at him. The least I can do right now is be as jovial as possible. I should stop thinking about Tristan starting from now on. "Let's have a tour around Georgia. I'll take you to my favorite ice cream shop."

Austin waves at me when we enter the shop. As we walk to the counter, Drake whispers to me, "He knows you?"

"Well, I'm a regular here," I say. "Hi," I smile at Austin.

"It's been a while. How are you?" he asks. "I can't give you free ice cream right now because there are so many customers and you're with your guy friend. Is he the one?"

I blush, looking anywhere but him. "He's not the guy friend I'm talking about," I tell him. "But anyway, I'm not here to have free ice cream. I'm here to tour around my friend from San Francisco. This is Drake. Our first stop is this shop. What can you suggest to him?"

"I'm Austin, just a fill-in staff. Choose whatever you like. They're all good."

I scowl at Austin. He winks at me.

"What do you like?" Drake asks me. His face is close to mine. "I'll choose whatever you like, Bil."

I hear that nickname again. Drake is sweet. I don't have to hear him call me sweet nicknames. Just hearing the my shortened name is enough to soothe me.

"Choose whatever you like. Like Austin said, every flavor here is good."

"Alright then. Give me the bestseller."

We walk around town with big cup of ice cream in hand. I point to the places I'm visiting after my classes and every day runs. It's like introducing the new me to Drake.

"So you have a new and different life here," he comments afterwards. We stop by at the park. There are barely kids playing around.

"I do have a new and different life here. That's the reason why I moved here in the first place."

"And he's the reason as well. Am I right?" he asks but doesn't wait for my answer. He heaves a deep sigh. "You really changed a lot."

"Yeah, I did."

"You changed when you're with him. Love changes a lot of things, doesn't it?"

"Love," I whisper. It's true. Love does changes a lot of things. I've learned to care for someone else. I've began to understand what I really want.

I...

I get up, my ice cream falling on the ground. I understand what I want.

"I have to go back," I say.

"Billie?"

"I have to go back. Tristan told me about his past. I should've known that the reason why he's been holding back is because of what happened to him. He's shielded himself to a lot of things and that includes his feelings. He only lets out a few of it but it is still locked up in a shell.