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20 - TORN IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Last Updated:
2025-01-28 02:01:40
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The Roomie Complex 21 - THE TEXT
AIDEN’S POVThe roar of paparazzi made me turn instinctively, my curiosity piqued. It wasn’t unusual for these events to get loud, but the sudden eruption had an edge to it, a frenzy that caught my attention. I scanned the crowd, trying to figure out what the ruckus was about—and that’s when I saw her.Cheryl.And not just Cheryl. Cheryl pressed against that guy she’d been gushing about for days, her lips locked with his in what could only be described as a very public display of affection. Damon Bass.For a second, my brain short-circuited. It wasn’t supposed to affect me. It’s Cheryl, I told myself. The same Cheryl I shared an apartment with, the same girl I used to torment in high school because she was ditsy and awkward and too easy to tease. She wasn’t supposed to matter like this.But she did.My jaw tightened as I watched them. Something twisted in my chest, unfamiliar and unwelcome. Why the hell did it feel weird watching her kiss that guy? Was she trying to make me jealous? I
Last Updated : 2025-01-28The Roomie Complex 22 - NIGHT TRIP
Cheryl’s POVThe moment Aiden looked up from his phone and said, “It’s my mother, Evelyn,” I swear my brain short-circuited.We just stood there, frozen in this ridiculous silence, like one of us was waiting for the other to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Finally, Aiden blinked down at his phone again, his brows knitting together in a way that was both adorable and maddening. “She wants to talk,” he said, his voice quiet, like he was still trying to convince himself. “She says she’ll tell me everything.”Everything.My mind did a quick sprint through all the possibilities of what “everything” could mean, but instead of settling on something profound to say, I just stood there, gaping like a fish. Smooth, Cheryl. Real smooth.Before I could recover, his phone pinged again, and his eyes flicked to the screen, then back to me. “She sent an address.”“Well—?” I prompted, crossing my arms as I studied him. Aiden looked... lost. Like a man who’d been handed the key to a locked door he wasn’t s
Last Updated : 2025-01-29The Roomie Complex 23 - ONE BED
Cheryl’s POVThe words hung in the air like an unfinished thought: One room left.I turned to Aiden, hoping he’d do the decent thing and sleep in the car, or better yet, vanish into thin air. But there he was, standing behind me, hands shoved into his pockets, a small, self-satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Of course, he’d find this funny.“Well, this is awkward,” I muttered, my voice tinged with the kind of humor people use when they’re seconds away from losing it.“Awkward?” Aiden raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying himself. “Relax, Cheryl. It’s just one room. I promise not to snore.”Snore? That was the least of my concerns. The thought of being cooped up in a small space with Aiden Scott—the same Aiden Scott who’d bullied me all through high school and was now inexplicably hot and annoyingly smug—was enough to send my stress levels skyrocketing.“Fine,” I finally said, trying to sound unfazed. “We’ll take it.”The receptionist slid a rusty-looking key across the c
Last Updated : 2025-01-29The Roomie Complex 24 - BATHROOM INCIDENT
DAMON’S POVI could feel her absence before I even realized she was gone.Even as I stood in the circle of dull conversation, listening to balding Williams tell a joke that was blatantly sexist if you actually thought about it, something about the air around me felt… off. Cheryl wasn’t here. Neither was that roommate of hers. My fingers tightened around my wine glass, forcing a tight-lipped smile as the men around me chuckled at the crude punchline.Where the hell did she go?I let my gaze flicker across the room, scanning through the sea of tuxedos and sequined gowns. Nothing. A slight frown creased my forehead. Cheryl wasn’t the type to just up and disappear without saying a word. Was she in the restroom? Outside getting air? The thought of her slipping away, vanishing into the night without so much as a goodbye, sent an unfamiliar irritation slithering through my chest.A second later, I’d had enough. “Gentlemen, excuse me,” I said smoothly, stepping away from the group without wai
Last Updated : 2025-01-30The Roomie Complex 25 - THE AFTERMATH
AIDEN’S POVI wasn’t expecting much when I pushed open the motel door. Maybe the faint smell of cheap air freshener and Cheryl sprawled out on the bed, tangled in the thin sheets.What I wasn’t expecting?Cheryl. Naked.Dripping wet.Frozen mid-step like some kind of forbidden masterpiece I was never meant to see.My brain glitched. My breath caught.And for a full second—maybe two—I didn’t move.Her eyes widened in sheer horror, and for once, I wasn’t the one in control.The motel’s crappy lighting flickered above us, but it didn’t matter. I saw everything. Water trailed down her collarbone, over the curve of her waist, disappearing between her thighs. Her wet hair clung to her skin, droplets catching on her lips, which were slightly parted like she’d forgotten how to breathe.Same, sweetheart. Same.Something burned in my chest, something dangerous, something I couldn’t afford to feel. I should’ve turned away. Looked at the damn ceiling. Covered my eyes.But my body had other plans.
Last Updated : 2025-01-30The Roomie Complex 26 - SHOCKING NEWS
Aiden’s POVThe door creaked open, and there she was.Cheryl stood in the doorway, freshly dressed in the T-shirt and shorts I’d bought for her, her damp hair tied into a messy bun with a few strands slipping free to frame her face.And she wouldn’t look at me.Her gaze skittered to the side, lingering on the carpet, the walls—anywhere but me. The air between us was thick, humming with something undeniable and unspoken.God help me.I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay still, but my mind was already betraying me—Flashes.Of her.Naked. Wet. Dripping.The curve of her hip.The way water had slipped down her skin.The way her lips had parted in shock, her cheeks burning red when she realized I was standing there—Fuck.I needed to shut this down. Now.I opened my mouth, desperate to break the tension, but my tongue refused to cooperate. The words came out in a stuttered mess."We… w-we need to start going."Jesus. Christ.I didn’t wait for her to respond. I turned sharply, pushing
Last Updated : 2025-01-31The Roomie Complex 27 - BARGER
"That's odd because the patients are not allowed access to phones. And even weirder because Evelyn Scott died in her sleep last night."The words felt like a hammer to my skull. A dull, echoing thud that didn’t register at first. The wretched-faced nurse was still standing there, looking between Cheryl and me like she had just announced the weather. Casual. Indifferent. Like she hadn’t just told me that the woman I spent years searching for was now nothing but a cold body."No," I said. It wasn’t a question. It was a rejection.The nurse frowned. "Excuse me?""No. You’re lying. That’s not possible."Something primal burned in my chest, a slow, spreading fire that threatened to consume me whole. I had been so close. A few goddamn hours."Aiden—" Cheryl’s voice was soft, but I wasn’t listening."You expect me to believe that she just happened to die the night before I came looking for her? That’s bullshit."The nurse sighed, already annoyed. "Look, I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. She was
Last Updated : 2025-02-01The Roomie Complex 28 - MOVE OUT
Cheryl’s POVAiden’s head snapped sideways from the force of the punch, and I froze.My breath caught in my throat as I stared—horrified, stunned, completely unable to move.Damon’s fist was still clenched, his knuckles already turning red from the impact. Aiden barely reacted at first, just rolling his jaw like he was testing if it was still intact. But then—he smiled.Blood stained his lips as his smirk grew, his tongue darting out to taste the metallic tang of his own blood like he was enjoying this. His eyes darkened, glinting with something dangerously close to amusement."To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" Aiden sneered, his voice dripping with mockery, the smirk on his face infuriatingly smug.Damon still had him by the collar, his chest heaving, his muscles coiled with rage."You stay the hell away from her," Damon snarled, his voice rough and commanding, his grip on Aiden’s shirt tightening.Aiden let out a low chuckle, completely unbothered. "How can I do that? We liv
Last Updated : 2025-02-02
Latest chapter
The Roomie Complex 45 - THE CALL
AIDEN'S POVThe hospital was too quiet.Not the kind of quiet that brought peace—but the kind that coiled around your throat, suffocating you with an unease you couldn't quite place. It had been hours since Cheryl was admitted, but I still hadn't left. I couldn’t. The thought of her waking up alone in this sterile, impersonal room made my stomach turn.I sat beside her bed, arms resting on my knees, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest beneath the thin hospital blanket. Stable. That’s what the doctors said. But I had seen the blood, the way her fingers had trembled when she reached for me, the unfocused glaze in her eyes before she passed out in my arms.Stable didn't fucking cut it.I exhaled sharply and dragged a hand down my face. My head was pounding, exhaustion pressing against the edges of my consciousness, but I refused to close my eyes. The moment I did, I’d see the crash again—the twisted wreck of her car, the glass littering the pavement, the sheer fucking terror tha
The Roomie Complex 44 - DAMON THE HITMAN
DAMON'S POVThe night tasted like whiskey and regret.I could still feel the sting of Aiden’s punches, the sharp, searing pain of my busted lip, but none of it compared to the rage simmering beneath my skin. I was drunk, pissed off, and dangerously close to losing my grip on reality.Aiden and Cheryl.The image burned in my mind—her lips on his, his hands gripping her waist, pulling her in like she belonged to him.I let out a bitter laugh as I stumbled out of my car, nearly slipping on the gravel of my driveway. The motion sensor lights flickered on, casting long shadows against the pavement. My own shadow stretched before me—twisted, distorted, fractured.Much like myself.I reached into my pocket, fingers brushing against my house key. The small object suddenly felt impossibly distant, as if my drunken brain couldn’t quite remember how to make it work.I fumbled. Dropped it."Shit," I muttered, bending down with an unsteady hand.That was when I felt it.That presence.Like a cold
The Roomie Complex 43 - 911
Aiden’s POVThe second I heard Cheryl’s sharp gasp through the phone, my entire body locked up.Then came the sickening sound of metal screeching, glass shattering, and tires skidding against pavement.A crash.A full-blown car crash.“Cheryl?” My voice came out sharp, urgent. “Cheryl, what the fuck just happened?”Silence.A deep, ringing silence that made my stomach drop.I pressed the phone tighter against my ear, straining to hear anything—her breathing, her voice, anything—but all I could pick up was the distant click click click of a cooling engine.No. No, no, NO.“Cheryl!” I barked, my heart hammering.Then—finally—a faint, ragged breath.“...Aiden.”It was barely a whisper, weak and strained, but it was there.I exhaled sharply, gripping the phone tighter. “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m right here. Are you hurt? Can you move?”Another pause. A slight rustling sound. Then—a pained whimper.Shit.“I—” Her voice hitched. “I don’t know. It hurts.”My pulse spiked. “Where are you?”“I
The Roomie Complex 42 - ANOTHER ACCIDENT
Chapter – Cheryl’s POVThe night air was thick with the scent of spilled liquor and expensive cologne. Laughter and muffled conversations buzzed inside the house I was walking away from, but the sound felt distant, like it belonged to another world—one I no longer fit into.My heels clicked against the pavement as I reached my car, my breath uneven, my hands trembling as I fumbled with the keys.I had to leave.Not just the party. This house. This life. Everything.I thought I could handle it, that I was stronger now, that high school was nothing more than a bitter memory I’d long buried. But standing there between Aiden and Damon, my past had clawed its way back, dragging me under.It wasn’t just about Damon’s betrayal or Aiden’s confession. It was about who I had been, who they had made me feel like I was.The girl who was mocked.The girl who was humiliated.The girl who never fit in.And now?I was standing in the middle of a twisted fairytale where the prince and the villain kept
The Roomie Complex 41 - DAMON'S PART
Damon’s POV I paced along the edge of the backyard, my blood still boiling with rage.Cheryl.Aiden.Together.The image of them kissing on the balcony played over and over in my head like a sick fucking joke.In my house.At my party.With the guy she swore meant nothing.I shouldn’t be surprised.I saw it. I saw the way she looked at him when she thought no one was watching. I saw the way her body reacted to him.I saw it all.And I ignored it.Because I thought… I thought if I just gave her more, did more, loved her more—that she’d eventually love me back.But she never did.I clenched my fists, my knuckles aching from the punches I had thrown at Aiden. Not enough. I should’ve hit him harder. I should’ve made him bleed for taking her away from me.The sound of footsteps made me turn sharply.Cheryl.She stood there, her arms wrapped around herself, her face pale in the dim glow of the garden lights.“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft.I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “You’re so
The Roomie Complex 40 - AFTERMATH OF A FIST FIGHT
Aiden’s POV –Damon groaned on the ground, holding his face where I’d just landed my last punch. Blood trickled from his split lip, a red stain against his otherwise perfect, well-groomed exterior.I should have felt satisfied. I should have walked away knowing I’d put him in his place. But all I could see—all I could think about—was Cheryl.She stood a few feet away, stunned, breathless, trembling. The dim lights from the house behind her cast a soft glow on her face, making her look almost ethereal—except for the panic in her wide eyes. Her white sweater was slightly disheveled from struggling against Damon. The sight made my blood burn all over again.I turned to her immediately. “Are you okay?”Her lips parted, like she wanted to say something, but no words came. She just nodded. A weak, unsure nod.I didn’t believe it.I couldn’t believe it—not after the way Damon had grabbed her.I wanted to hit him again. Wanted to break every bone in his fucking body for putting his hands on h
The Roomie Complex 39 - TENSION
CHERYLHis lips were fire.Wild. Unrelenting. Desperate.Aiden kissed me like he was making up for every second we had spent not kissing. Like he had been starving for this moment. For me.And God help me—I kissed him back.I melted into him, my fingers fisting into his shirt, pulling him closer because I couldn’t help myself. His hands—cold against my burning skin—brushed against my waist, sending shivers down my spine even as his mouth stole every ounce of oxygen from my lungs.I was floating.Butterflies exploded in my stomach, my heart raced, and my mind—my very sanity—spiraled out of control.This was bad.So, so bad.But damn it, it felt so good.Aiden deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing against mine, his fingers sliding up my arm, branding me with his touch—And then—The lights came back on.A gasp.A collective horrified silence.I jerked away from Aiden, my chest heaving, my lips still tingling from the intensity of that kiss.And then I saw them.The entire party.Staring
The Roomie Complex 38 - LIGHTS OUT
CHERYLI smiled. I nodded. I accepted congratulations from people I had never met in my life, people who were in my house—a house that wasn’t even mine.Damon introduced me to everyone like I belonged here, like this was some grand milestone in my life worth celebrating. But the truth?I felt like a stranger.I wasn’t even sure what I was doing here.The drink in my hand was growing warm, the ice melting into something tasteless. I had been nursing it for what felt like hours, using it as a prop—something to keep my hands busy, something to give me an excuse to retreat when the conversation became too much.And yet, my mind was elsewhere.On the door.On the one person I hadn’t seen yet.I told myself I wasn’t looking for him.That I wasn’t waiting for him.That I didn’t care whether he showed up or not.But every time that damn door swung open, my breath hitched—only to deflate when it wasn’t him.Aiden wasn’t coming.Of course, he wasn’t.Why had I even thought—why had I even hoped—
The Roomie Complex 37 - BAKING SODA
CHERYLMoving day. The day I was finally supposed to pack up my life and start over.I should be excited.I should be jumping for joy.Instead? I was standing in the middle of the hallway, dressed in the absolute worst color choice for a move-in day—white.A white sweater. Sweatpants. What was I thinking?Too late to change now. The movers were already outside, lugging my stuff into the van, while Damon stood by, making sure everything was moving smoothly. Like the bossy, take-charge man that he was.He looked ridiculously sexy in all black, but that wasn’t where my mind was.My mind was stuck upstairs.With him.Aiden.The man I had spent years hating.The same man who had somehow, some way, managed to wedge himself into my head like an unsolvable riddle.We had spoken earlier that morning—if I could even call it that.A muttered “good morning” from him.A reminder from me about the party later that evening.And then—he vanished.Into his room. Into his thoughts. Into the awkward, su
