Macie was still hung up on finding the perfect guy. I, on the other hand, was convinced the perfect guy didn’t exist. They would say exactly what you wanted to hear just to get inside your pants. Once they got what they wanted, chances were you’d never hear from them again. And Macie had fallen victim to that time and time again but hadn’t learned from it yet. I’d sat up with her at night, countless times, as she cried on my shoulder about this guy or that ghosting her.
Me, I’d rather be the one taking what I wanted and walking away. I was not looking for a relationship anytime soon. I was the queen of one-night stands, very unlike Macie. I wasn’t always like this, I had a boyfriend when I was in high school.
But that didn’t end well.
At all.
“Mace, not a good idea.” The absolute worst thing either of us could do was fall for our new roommate. The tone in my voice was all she needed to hear; she knew exactly what I was talking about. Her eyes about rolled out of her head as she looked away from me, because telling her that was like talking to a brick wall. Macie would have feelings for whomever Macie wanted to have feelings for.
“Christ, Ava, you have to lighten up!” Her whisper yell started garnering some unwanted attention from people around us. “What good is living with a hot guy if you can’t enjoy the scenery of it?”
Macie and I met as freshman roommates and hit it off. She’s the yin to my yang, the peanut butter to my jelly, you get the picture. We just got each other. I understood her need for a relationship and continue to help her on her journey to find someone. She understood my lack of need for one and continued to support me on my journey of habitual hookups. And she never judged me.
Ever.
She helped me trust again.
We were the perfect best friends.
But her falling for Logan, or me setting her up with him, would not happen. We’d discussed this and decided together that neither of us would pursue anything with him. I thought she understood how bad it would be for the house.
“Number twelve,” the administrator announced from the counter.
We were lucky number thirteen, only one more to go.
Macie still sat with her arms crossed, a bit angry with me for reprimanding her. I knew once she thought more about it and remembered the talk we’d had with Becca before break, she’d getover it. Apparently, she and Jace got together over break, and she’s been confused over her decision about seeing him again. He ghosted her for a while last semester, and she’d been mad at herself for allowing him back into her life after doing that. Our entire drive back to school was spent talking about self-worth, self-esteem, and all that shit.
Funny that I seemed to be the one they all come to for that advice. Like, all of them in the house. Every. Single. One.
What kind of wizardry did I use to create the smoke and mirrors there?
Me? The expert on guys and how to handle them and your own self-value?
That’s hilarious.
If they only knew.
If I could only take my own advice. I knew eventually, years down the road, I’d like to be in a committed relationship. I hoped one of these days, as I was giving these wonderful tips on love and life to the people in my world, they would rub off on me. Eventually my brain had to realize that if they’re working for others, they could work for me. Until then, I’d stick with my hookups and no commitments. Much better for me, for sure.
“Ava.” Macie interrupted my self-deprecating thoughts as we sat waiting to be called.
Turning to give her my attention, her sad eyes told me she knew what I’d been thinking about. Most times my thoughts were not obvious or apparent, but I guess I let them slip this time. She reached out and grabbed a hold of my hand, squeezing it tight.
“I won’t cause any problems in the house, Ave, I promise, I’m still just pissed at myself about Jace, I guess.”
I knew that was what was bothering her. We would have to get her mind off him somehow. Usually that involved another guy, but it couldn’t be Logan.
Macie was not what one would call a slut by any means. She was no virgin, butmosttimes she didn’t give these guys what they wanted. I think that was why Jace ghosted her last semester; she wasn’t moving along in the physical department as quickly as he wanted. But I appreciated that about her. She stood her ground when it came to her body. Eventually she would find the right guy who appreciated that about her as well.
“I know you won’t, babe. And let it go about Jace, he’s not worth it.”
She nodded and went back to looking at her phone while we both waited for our number to be called.
“Thirteen,” the administrator announced over the intercom.
“That’s us,” Macie said with a smile.
We both stood and started our advance to the counter, ready to find the worker we were supposed to speak with. As we approached, the main door swung open, a swift wind forcing it to bang against the wall as the person opening it walked through.
