Roommates

Chapter 6

Hannah's P.O.V.

I didn't know what to expect when I agreed to go see Cara's apartment. I knew I was tired of sharing an apartment with six other girls and I knew that it was time to have a place of my own, to have a real place to call home. I haven't had that since I left Windsor for New York City. I could never go back home again after coming out to my parents. I wasn't their daughter anymore. I was a disgrace. My face could be on every cover of every magazine, but it could never show up at their home.

I did my best to save my money from the various jobs I got. I've paid off some of my school loans and I did save some money by living in my agency's apartment. When Jane approached me about becoming roommates with Cara, I was apprehensive at first.

Was the person too busy to find their own roommate that they had their own agent find one for them? My curiosity got the best of me and I did decide to meet up with Jane. She was tall about 5'8 or so. Her black hair fell gracefully on her shoulders and she was dressed in a fitted suit. She talked about how she found out about me from the rumor mill revolving Jack Gamble and I was not happy about it. I didn't want to be a part of a rumor, especially with that man. He gave me the creeps and I never want to be alone in a room with him.

Jane made it clear that Cara and her were not fans of Jack and that is why she thought she could help me out. She gave me the rundown on the apartment and I did like the sound of it. It was spacious, had all the accommodations that I needed and it was relatively close to my agency. Everything sounded too good to be true.

"What's wrong with the apartment?" There had to be some kind of catch. Why did this person need a roommate if they were a successful author?

"It's not a big deal. It's just that my client isn't exactly a people person," Jane explained.

"And she wants a roommate?" This did not make any sense to me.

"More like needs. She hasn't published a book in two years and with the way she is spending, it makes sense for her to have a roommate to offset the cost of living in that apartment," Jane said.

"I don't know about this," I said. "This seems a little strange to me."

"I'll be honest with you. Cara has her quirks, but she is sweet and fiercely loyal once you get past that cold shell of hers," Jane clarified. "Just take a look at the apartment and meet Cara and then decide if it is the right place for you."

I exhale slowly as I thought about the pro and cons. It was expensive to live in the city especially by yourself. One roommate was better than six. It's not like I haven't lived with some strange people before.

"You'll have all the space and quiet time you want," Jane added.

"Okay, I'll take a look."

When I met Cara, I was blown away. She looked like a porcelain doll with the coldest looking face. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail and she had small red lips. At 24 years old she was two years older than me, but she looked like she could have pass off as a high school student. The cold look in her eyes quickly turned into shock when saw me and it was pretty cute, I had to admit. She was so awkward and nervous. I could tell she wasn't the type to socialize. Maybe it was my psychology background and I thought she was interesting, or maybe I just thought she was super cute and that made me want to say yes to being her roommate.

I should have expected it, but I kind of didn't want to. It seemed like Cara made every attempt to avoid me as much as possible. She would stay in her room for hours. Every time when I thought that we were inching closer to becoming comfortable with one another, she would pull away and avoid me again. I didn't tell her when I came back from Milan because I knew she would try to avoid me. I didn't expect her to come out of her room then, but when she saw me, I swear her face turned a shade of pink.

I was starting to think I was crazy because I found her actions to be adorable. Every moment where I could get a smile or a laugh from her gave me so much joy. I wasn't sure if I was developing a crush on her and I knew it was wrong to. Nothing was going to come out of it. She didn't like people and she didn't believe in love. When she gave me her jacket at the supermarket, I felt some ounce of hope that maybe she was finally accepting me. I wasn't the type to give up and I wanted her to know that she could have someone she could rely on.

When I finally came home, it was oddly quiet. Cara's shoes were still by the front door, so I knew she was still in the apartment. Maybe she was taking a nap, but it was close to six o'clock and she would be having dinner by now. I only knew that because she followed a strict eating schedule. I glanced at Cara's door and wondered if I should check on her. A part of me wanted to, but the other part knew that she probably didn't want to be disturbed.

I went towards the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There was still a bowl of leftover kale salad from the other night and some grilled chicken. I place the chicken on a plate and placed it in the microwave. As I waited for the chicken to heat up, I split the salad on to two plates in case Cara came out of her room. Once the chicken was done, I placed it on top of the salad. Easy meal for two, well maybe two. I looked back at Cara's room and the door remained closed. I tapped my fingers against the island, fighting the urge to knock on Cara's door.

Just do it, Hannah! It's not a big deal. I let out a deep breath and marched toward Cara's room. As I got toward her door, I thought I heard sniffling. Was she crying? Who dare made my Cara cry! I mean Cara, not my.

"Cara, I made some salad. Do you want any?" I knocked gently on the door.

"No, thank you," Cara answered back.

Her voiced sounded strained. "Are you alright?"

"Ya....ah..ahh.choo!"

"Cara!" I turned the knob on the door and I was definitely not prepared for the sight I was about to see. Cara sat upright on her bed, wrapped around in her blanket. Several thick comforters laid around her. Her pale face was high lighted by her red nose.

"Don't look at me!" Cara dived underneath her covers.

"Why?" It was the first time I've seen Cara's room before. It was so neat and precise. A bookshelf stood tall on the left side of the room. A desktop computer was situated on the far right corner of the room. Two mahogany nightstands were beside her queen size bed. A very large bottle of hand sanitizer sat on one of the nightstands. I slowly approached Cara and I noticed that she was trembling. I gently placed my hand on her back.

"Get away, I'm sick." Cara slowly got up from her position and stared at me. Her blanket covered her entire face except for her eyes and forehead.

"Just because you're sick, doesn't mean I want to get away from you," I said softly.

"I would," Cara stated.

I placed the back of my hand on Cara's forehead. "Wow, you're hot! Literally and figuratively."

Cara gave me a questionable look and her shoulders sagged in defeat. At the moment I just wanted to hold her.

"Why do I feel so cold," Cara said with a sigh.

"Did you take any medications?"

Cara nodded and fell backward on her bed. "You should go. I don't want you to get sick."

"No, I'm not leaving you," I stated.

That earned another questionable look from Cara.

"You're strange," Cara said. "I'm just going to rest."

"I'm going to make you some soup and get you some extra blankets," I said.

"Yes, blanky," Cara muttered as she snuggled under her covers.

"Don't worry Cara, I'll take care of you," I whispered.

Author's note: I thought I should do a chapter on Hannah's point of view and since Cara is sick that made it the perfect opportunity. Thank you to everyone who has been reading, voting and commenting on this story. I appreciate it very much.