Mr Kingston's Roommate | ꪜ

Mr Kingston's Roommate|04

Edited

Leila's POV
Triple Dog Dare

"Hey, Reese's pieces," I whispered down the line as I climbed onto my bed. Earlier today, Professor Kingston, the residence director and myself all discussed our arrangement once again. Seeing as this was initially a one-bedroom suite, I only get to pay half of the rent and other necessary bills, excluding meal plans, seeing as it's also equipped with a kitchen.

My bed was ordered within a day along with a Chinese curtain to give me some privacy in my own little corner seeing as this is an open-concept suite. There aren't any walls to separate the kitchen from the living room or the "bedroom". The only source of true privacy is the washroom.

I'm not complaining since the suite is quite beautiful and bright. Professor Kingston is a neat freak because I've found nothing out of place from the moment I've been here. I hardly see him during the day — obviously — so our interactions are limited to mornings, and late evenings and if I'm up late he's usually sat at the hardwood desk typing away on his computer.

I'm happy that our interactions are minuscule or things will get awkward very quickly.

"Hey, babe."

"Are you still coming this weekend? I have a lot to tell you and I'd rather do it in person than over the phone." I said as I leaned against the headboard. The line went silent for a few seconds before his heavy sigh broke through the phone, "I-I won't be able to make it this weekend, Lei. I need to pick up an extra shift because overtime just isn't cutting it."

It's understandable but I don't want us to fall into the pattern of making promises to one another and then breaking them before they could be fulfilled. Eventually, this pattern will turn into our norm until we've drifted so far apart, our efforts to make it back to one another will crumble at our feet before we even take one step toward each other.

Toward what could be blissful happiness.

I don't want us to fall prey to a dysfunctional relationship caused by distance.

"Okay." My voice was flatter than I expected — colder — than I expected.

"I'm sorry, Lei. I know I promised you. W-what did you want to tell me? How's your week been so far? Are classes good?" I've grown accustomed to the tightness that always seems to cocoon my heart with no sign of release. So when a tear trickled down my cheek, I simply wiped it away, anticipating the rest to follow suit.

Maybe it's because I know that despite my best efforts, eventually, we'll break up. I don't know how or why it'll happen but the chances of this working out are extremely slim.

I'd like to believe that we can overcome it.

"Can we talk some other time? I'm kinda tired," I whispered, failing but trying hard to hide the crack in my voice. "O-okay, yeah. I'll call you tomorrow then." He paused for a beat as if contemplating whether or not he should really leave, "I love you, Leila."

I nodded my head as a sob resonated within my chest, waiting for its untimely release. "Yeah, I love you too, Reese." Without waiting to give him an opportunity to reply, I hung up the phone, finally succumbing to the silence of my abyss as I released a sob into the comfort of my pillow.

When humans have no room for happiness or anger, fear remains their understudy until those emotions decide to take their rightful place under the spotlight. But when fear is the one idling within the light, all eyes fixated on its rotting flesh — it smiles.

Because it finally received the attention that was never rightfully theirs. And it never wants to leave.

"You're going to die alone. For your sins, Leila. You will die alone."