Em punches him in the shoulder, but Jake barely flinches. Meanwhile, I stare at my menu, trying not to smile and failing miserably.
“Moving on from that…” Em waves Jake off. “How’s the new roommate?”
“Oh yes. I almost forgot about the new roommate you mentioned only once.” Kami hums. “What’s the verdict? What does she look like?”
“Is she weird like your last roommate?” Em makes a grossed-out face.
“Please tell me she’s not like your last roommate. I won’t hesitate in kicking her ass this time, Levi,” Kami says sternly, and I take her statement very seriously. As we all learned last semester, the woman is skilled with her moves.
“She seemed normal from what I saw,” Jake says just above a whisper.
His words drown out the noise around us as if a record player scratched and the music halted.
The temperature in my body rises. “Jake, what did you do?”
He looks up, guilt shining in his hazel eyes. I shake my head, knowing what’s coming.
“You didn’t.” Kamila’s voice is laced with disappointment, knowing what I already suspected. She squeezes my hand under the table, assuring me that she’s got my back like usual.
“Levi, I didn’t want you to end up with another ass of a roommate,” Jake tries to justify, but he knows how much I hate him using his resources, which are connected to his father’s, for information.
“I told you no when you asked me the first, second, and third time.” My jaw is tight now. I rarely get angry, but this wasn’t Jake’s business.
“Why would you do that, Jacob?” Em asks quietly.
Jake flinches at the rare use of his full middle name.
“I wanted him to be safe,” he says slowly. “And the good news is that Stevie seems great on paper, so I’m sure she’s even better in person.”
“She is,” I respond quickly. A little too quickly by the shimmer in Kami’s eyes, surprise in Jake’s, and curiosity in Em’s.
That was a mistake.
Kami keeps quiet, knowing how it feels to be questioned about a personal situation. Em, on the other hand…
“How pretty is she?” Em raises a brow.
Very, but I’m not about to say that. I love Emma like a sister, but the woman is the biggest busybody I’ve ever met. I also don’t want her to read into something that isn’t there. All I see when I see Stevie is, yes, someone attractive, yet someone who is no more than a new roommate and a potential friend.
“So, Em, how was England?” Kami is quick to shut the conversation down.
Em looks at her roommate and best friend. “It was fine, Kami. Thanks for asking…” She pauses. “Again.”
“Can I talk to you alone for a second, Levi?” Jake asks, grabbing my attention again.
My anger and annoyance are still simmering, and nobody seems to notice except Jake. Not wanting to be rude and taking in his facial expression, I can tell that it’s something serious.
“Fine.” We both stand, making our way outside.
“Do you want your usuals?” Em yells once we’re a couple of feet away.
We give her a dip of the chin as a response. I can feel my two other best friends’ eyes following us till we’re outside.
Jake puts his hands in his pockets and faces me head-on.
“I’m sorry. I know you told me not to check up on Stevie. I was worried about you, man.” He runs a hand through his perfectly groomed dark blond hair. “I needed to make sure Stevie wasn’t some psycho.” He sighs loudly. “All I wanted was for you to be safe.”
“I understand, but I wanted to get to know my new roommate alone.” I emphasize the words by pointing to my chest.
