All Chapters of The Roomie Complex: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CHERYL'S POVI woke up to a house of blessed silence.No awkward run-ins. No tense, unsaid words hanging in the air like ghosts. No Aiden.I took a deep breath, inhaling the relief like it was freshly brewed coffee. The air had been thick ever since last night—ever since I dropped the bomb that I was moving out. If tension could be bottled and sold, our apartment could’ve been a freaking factory.And let’s not talk about the fact that after I thought he had disappeared into his room—with that blonde he dragged home—I had gotten up for a glass of water and almost face-planted into him in the dimly lit kitchen.Talk about bad luck.There we were, standing in a painfully awkward silence. Him, grabbing a juice carton. Me, clutching my glass of water like it was my emotional support beverage. I could barely meet his eyes, and he didn’t even try to say something stupid, which somehow made it worse. I should have just abandoned the water and walked right out, but nooo, I stood there, like an

CherylI was already late.Like, ridiculously, embarrassingly late. Damon who was both my boss and somehow a lover was going to have my head, but in my defense, it wasn’t entirely my fault. Okay, maybe it was. Just a little. But what was I supposed to do? The second I left that stupid insurance building, my brain had started spiraling.Had Aiden gotten the message? Had he even seen it yet? Was he going to call me? Was he going to ask me to come with him?Did I want him to?Of course, I did.And that was the problem.The tension between us wasn’t something you could just wave off. It was heavy, electric, the kind that wrapped itself around your throat, making it impossible to breathe. The kind of thing neither of us ever acknowledged, even though it crackled in the air every time we were near each other.So, instead of driving straight to work like a responsible adult, I stopped at a café to grab a sugary drink and tame the ridiculous rush in my head. Caffeine would’ve just made things

CherylThe hospital air felt suffocating.I stepped out of the room, exhaling a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding, pressing a hand to my chest like I could physically loosen the tight, inexplicable knot forming there.It made no sense.Why did it feel like I was the one left behind?Aiden hadn't looked at me once. Not when he spoke to Molly. Not when he walked out. Not even when I left the room. I could have been a ghost, and it wouldn’t have made a difference.I let out a bitter chuckle. He didn’t need me.And I wasn’t sure why that hurt.The vibration of my phone startled me, dragging me out of my ridiculous thoughts. I pulled it out of my pocket, and Damon’s name flashed across the screen.I hesitated.I had texted him earlier that there was an emergency, but I hadn’t told him the emergency was Aiden. I let the call ring out, waiting for it to go to voicemail.Seconds later, my screen lit up with a message."I found a place for you."My fingers hovered over the keyboard,

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

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