expression and then laughs. “You see that long sectional?” He points to the end of the couch. “That’s where I fuck them. The rest of the couch is in the clear.”
Ugh. I scrunch up my nose at him. “You’re kind of a pig.”
“Oink oink.” He pats the sofa. “Come have a seat. No one’s naked body has been on this part. I promise.”
“What about your roommate?”
“James?” He smirks at the television. “James brings them to his room.”
“Why don’t you?”
His mouth thins. “Would you sit down? Sex on the end of couch. Remember that and you’ll be fine.”
Why does that particular question bother him? Not wanting to rock the boat, I take a hesitant seat next to him, ignoring his smirk. For a few minutes I sit there uncomfortably while he watches the game, occasionally peeking at him as I think of something to say. Just as I give up the door opens. A messy head of brown hair comes in. He looks at Kent, who is studying the television intensely, and then his bright blue eyes settle on me. His disgusted expression doesn’t take long to form.
Too late I realize he thinks I’m with Kent. I grab Kent’s shoulder and dig my nail into him.
“Ouch,” he grumbles, moving out from under my touch.
“Was that James?”
“The quiet one? Yeah.”
“He thinks I’m one of your girlfriends.”
“No. James knows I don’t have girlfriends. He thinks you’re a slut. Big difference.”
I gasp and smack his arm. “Kent!”
He looks at me angrily. “I’ll tell him who you are later. Relax.”
“Go tell him right now. You go tell him right now or I will.”
I refuse to back down from his exasperated stare. Eventually he gives in. He takes his phone out and texts something.
A few seconds later James comes out. He’s got a cute face, with wide blue eyes that are hesitant and unsure, and unnaturally pale skin, as if he doesn’t go out much.
I expect Kent to explain himself, but he starts out by using his hands, gracefully moving them in an unfamiliar manner as he simultaneously speaks out loud.
“This is our new roommate. Her name is Raina. I’m not fucking her. She wanted you to know.” He turns back to the TV, bored.
I sigh in exasperation. “You’re kind of a jerk too.”
James won’t stop looking at me. He cocks his head to the side, and then takes his fist and moves it around over his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he mouths.
James is deaf. I get it now. Shy was a vague description. It makes me wonder whether Kent was protecting James.
“It’s all right,” I assure him, assuming he can read lips after expecting me to do the same. “It’s Kent’s fault for being a manwhore.”
James cracks a smile and nods, agreeing with me.
Kent turns around and gawks at James. James raises one eyebrow at him. I can’t help but think it was rudely done.
“No reason,” Kent says to him. “You cool with having a girl living here? She gave me an adorable pouty face, bro. I couldn’t say no.”
James touches his cheek and then his temple, but he makes the mistake of mouthing the word “sex” as he does so. I know what he’s saying. Does Kent want to sleep with me? Is that the reason he let me move in?
I raise my eyebrows at Kent, who looks uncomfortable now. “I’d like to know as well.”
He clears his throat. “Way to put me on the spot, James. No. I don’t want to sleep with her. She needed the room. Honest,” he insists, making the sign for it.
James rolls his eyes and signs something else quickly.
“I get it,” Kent promises.
James signs again now he’s pacified Kent doesn’t want to sleep with me.
“Yeah, cool,” Kent says, signing quickly back. “I’ll ask her.”
“Ask me what?”
“If you want to go in on a pizza.”
I smile at James and give him a coy look. “You’re not going to treat a girl to pizza on her first night in your apartment?”
James’s cheeks blaze and he looks down, making that same sign again. He’s sorry. I assume he can read lips well. I wonder if he was deaf his entire life or if it happened later on. When he looks back up, he mouths: “My treat.”
I smile wide. “Thank you, James.”
Kent is staring at me like I’m either truly incredible or a mistake. When he pats my hand so James can’t see it, I think it’s the first one. I wonder if people have been mean to James. The idea infuriates me.
“I like