what makes me happy, then no one can stop me.”
Evie followed me into my bedroom and sat on my bed while I got out my laptop.
“So you’re friends with an older guy and a toddler now. Anything you want me to know? Am I not enough anymore?”
She wasn’t taking this too seriously, and it was quite funny how she tried to act all hurt and confused.
“You are too much, E. That’s why I need someone who can calm me down. Wells is good at that. I realized when I sat at the table with him and Ira that all my worries about the assignments and homework were gone, and the second I stepped into our apartment, the worries were back.”
“I think you just need to get fucked by some random, horny college guy. Maybe that’s what you’re lacking.”
“Can’t lack anything I never really had in the first place, Evie.”
Or could I?
Either way, sex wasn’t what I needed.
Or wanted.
At least not yet.
“Whatever you say. I’m going out for a run. Don’t die of boredom while I’m gone,” she said, already walking out of my room.
“I’ll try not to.”
*
Six hours into studying and writing my first assignment and it was finally time for me to eat something.
Often times I was too focused to get up and eat, but this time, my stomach couldn’t stop growling.
In the kitchen, I opened the freezer to check if there was anything I could quickly push into the oven, and to my luck, there was a frozen pizza lying inside which I knew Evie wouldn’t eat unless she was drunk.
But since parties would only occur twice a month, I chose to eat the pizza myself.
As I waited for the oven to preheat, I checked my phone for messages.
I turned on night shift to not get disturbed while studying, so I missed all of AJ’s messages he sent me hours ago.
After reading through them, I sighed and decided to call him instead of typing a reply.
Not five seconds after calling him, he picked up.
“Studying?” he asked without greeting me.
“Yes, and I intend on continuing until late tonight,” I told him, answering the question he asked me via text.
“Sucks. What about Evie?”
He wasn’t asking for himself, but more so for all his frat brothers who enjoyed Evie’s wildness.
AJ, whose real name was Aiden James, wasn’t into girls like Evie.
Not talking about her looks, because Evie was most definitely one of the prettiest girls on campus.
AJ was easygoing and calm, had a strange sense of humor, but it was one I got along with well. Still, he needed a girl that didn’t sleep with the whole football team.
“She’s out on a run, but I’ll let her know you guys are having a party at the house. I’m sure she’ll be there though.”
“All right.”
After a quick pause, he let out a sigh. “You okay, Rooney? I have a feeling there’s still a few things we need to talk about.”
I frowned. “I don’t think so. We’ve talked it out and agreed to never talk about it again. Let’s not tear up wounds we want to be closed.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I guess I had hoped it would turn out a little differently,” he said with a smile audible in his voice.
“Guess so,” I whispered. “I’ll see you around, AJ. Have a good weekend.”
“You too. Bye.”
A relieved breath left my chest.
AJ really was a nice guy, but not even he could get me to fall in love with him.
I knew it was me that had issues of opening up about my feelings, or letting someone in, which is why I never even imagined myself being in a relationship.
Maybe it was because I’ve never been in one or because I never found a man who I knew was worth it all, but I still had time.
At twenty, I didn’t need to find love.
Chapter Five
Wells
“Wait a second, Ira,” I told him as we entered the apartment after a long day at the park.
I knelt down in front of him and lifted his shirt, then checked the number on his insulin pump.
He’s had his afternoon snack already, but his insulin level needed to be raised again, even after an active day on the playground.
“I’m not cooking until later tonight. Would you like to have another apple or a peach?” I asked, straightening his shirt again and then taking off his shoes.
“Peach, please! With peanut butter!”
A bit random, but he could have some of that as well.
“All right. And what do you think? Should we invite Rooney