Page 35 of Oblivious Roommate

“I’m not letting you traumatize him for life, Matt. Open the door, or I will do it with my spare keys.”

Of course.

“I’m sorry,” Aaron mumbles, rubbing his face.

I get up even though my legs are a bit wobbly from the stress of it all. I open the door to face Levi’s frown.

“Come with me, you two.”

We follow him out of the restroom, and Aaron gives me his most apologetic glance, mouthing “I’m sorry.”

The anger I initially felt has evaporated, because the truth is I shouldn’t have asked him for this. Aaron is a normal person. Well, maybe more sensitive than most. Telling him to break my limb was selfish, so I squeeze his hand as we follow Levi behind the counter.

“What bit your asses?” Quinta asks, taking in our pathetic procession.

“Don’t let anyone into the back,” Levi says, making my stomach clench.

She nods, but is too busy hurrying to serve a customer to give an answer.

Levi’s broad back seems even bigger in the narrow corridor with several doors, and I grow quiet wishing it wasn’t inappropriate to hold Aaron’s hand for courage. But that thought only reminds me of squeezing Cass’s fingers during our encounter with the mountain lion, and my conviction to go through with my plan grows.

Levi locks the door behind us when we walk into a back room. Bags of coffee are stacked on shelves next to several fridges. He leads us along a tower of cardboard boxes, to a small table with four chairs.

Levi shows me one of the seats and turns to a metal chest of drawers. “Remind me why exactly Cassian needs to be saved from this date, and why your leg needs to pay the price?”

Aaron stands in the farthest corner, biting his knuckle.

I hesitate but eventually sit down and extend my left leg. I don’t know why it feels like a better choice than the right, but I do. “All you need to know is that it needs to be stopped, and I can’t seem like I’m sabotaging him on purpose.” My teeth start to clatter.

“So you are sabotaging him?” Levi asks, pulling out a massive wrench from one of the drawers.

“Only for honest reasons!”

“Uh-huh,” he says, watching me from under those pale yet thick brows. He drops the wrench, and it hits the floor with a clang that makes me flinch, but Levi only does it to pull his thick blond waves into a short ponytail. Of course, no one likes hair in their face as they break bones. His Iron Maiden T-shirt doesn’t need to be tight to show off muscle, because Levi’s size is enough to communicate that he has the strength to break my leg. Would I prefer my knee shattered? Or would it be better if the bone itself ended up fractured? What would heal more easily? Can you swim with one leg?

“You have insurance, right?” Levi asks, picking up the big tool from the floor.

“Yes,” I choke out.

He sighs. “And there’s no other way?”

“No.”

Aaron lets out a soft whimper, but I’m set on this.

Am I though?

Levi nods at me. “Okay, if there’s no other way…”

I’m on the verge of throwing up when he raises the wrench, but every minute passing is Cassian potentially kissing the fake troll. I just can’t have that.

“Count,” Levi advises. His usually pleasant face is now serious, and with the wrench above his head, he looks like a modern day Thor.

“Three, Two…”

He brings the tool down.

I scream.