My Brother's Roommate

t h i r t y

Chapter 30 : Christmas with the Parkers

"You're freezing." He mumbles behind my shoulder, pulling away from the hug.

"It is December."

"I missed your sarcasm." He sighs and pulls on my arm. "Come inside and warm up."

"Okay, but not for long. We have to get back home."

He turns and looks at me in disbelief. "We?"

"My mom wants you to come back for Christmas, remember?"

He sits down on the nice leather couch that sat in the middle of the one room apartment. It was very small compared to the one the three of us lived in on campus.

"Your mom, hm? I thought you wouldn't want me to come." He looks up at me with hooded eyes, as I was still standing.

I frown slightly, remembering now what caused all of this. "I'm sorry, for my brother."

Jay reaches out and pulls my arm again, but this time pulls me down onto the couch with him. I land right next to him and he wraps an arm around me, tugging so I was as close I could be.

That's one way to warm a girl up.

He kisses the top of my head and mumbles, "Don't be sorry, I'm the idiot that listened to him." He pulls back. "I should be the one on my knees begging you for forgiveness."

"Well, there's the floor." I joke.

He chuckles. "I'm trying to be serious here."

I push my lips into a small line. "What you said to me, really hurt me. I was angry and confused. When I found out it was due to my brother, all that anger went towards him."

"Ah." Was all he said.

I slap his shoulder suddenly. "But you still listened to him and said those things. You could've ignored him. And you ran away while I nearly died."

"I try not to have many regrets in life." He sighs. "But I regret that day. I left because I thought it would bring you peace, but since I've been here, I can't stop thinking about what I said."

"We'll look how we'll that turned out."

We were both silent for a few minutes, before he spoke again. "That night, when you were in the hospital, I was there with your brother. That's where I made the decision to leave. Doubt, that son of a bit*h."

"Well..I guess leaving didn't solve anything. I found you."

He smiles. "You found me. How did you do that, by the way?"

I wave my hand. "Details, details. Now how about we get you packed?" I stood up but was pulled back down.

"Did you stalk me or something. Wow, didn't know you were basically crazy in love with me."

I try to pry his hands off my waist. "Don't go getting a big head. You aren't that special."

"Then why are you here?" He pushed and I pause.

Why am I here? At 1:30 in the morning? I haven't done this for anyone before. Why him?

"Um.." I try to come up with some answer.

"Hm?" He hums into my shoulder.

"I'm here to fix things, duh." I scramble up, off the couch, feeling and sounding flustered. "Now come on, we have to make it back in time for my mom's Christmas Eve breakfast."

"Never took you as someone who'd be afraid of sharing her feelings." He tilts his head to the side and pouts.

"That's not it at all. Besides, you know how I feel about you. I told you."