Chapter 5: Chapter 5

"Two bathrooms!' I repeat and they both nod.

"Yep, if someone's showering and you need to pee it's a lifesaver!" Mark chuckles and I nod. "The one at the end here is just storage. We keep our cleaning stuff in there!' He explains opening the utility closet. "This room is Kent's but I shouldn't have opened the door without his say-so.' He admits, touching the door.

That seemed respectful, I didn't know Kent and he didn't know me.

"And this," Mark says, giving a drumroll on the wall. "Is what's currently Carlo's room." He says, opening the door to reveal a rod iron bed frame and nothing else. It was empty, even the mattress and box spring were gone from the bed.

"It's big." I remark and they both nod. It was much bigger than my room at home. It had nice hardwood floors and neutral white walls.

"Boo, you guys are giving her the tour?" I hear Carlo whine, emerging from the half-bath and they both chuckle. "So Juls, what do you think?" He asks and I smile.

"Can I look at the closet?" I ask and he nods.

"Sure, take a look around." He encourages me and I step inside. It had a big window, the ceilings were high in here too. The closet was huge, it went pretty deep and had a fair bit of room. If I brought my dresser I'd be set.

"You like it?" Carlo asks again and I nod.

"Yeah, it's great.' I assure him and he smiles. "Surely you guys must have had some interest for this room though.'

"Not from people we've wanted as roommates!" Kyle assures me.

"You're not a first year or an annoying girl with bleached roots so I'd say you're our top contender.'

"Are the bar's that low?" I ask and they all chuckle.

"You wouldn't believe how low it is." Mark tells me and I nod, looking around the room one more time.

"You want it?" Carlo asks and I smile. I was really going to move out, my stomach was doing backflips, I felt my palms getting sweaty as I stood here. / could really do this.

"I'd love to have it' I answer. "But only if that's what you guys want." I immediately add, holding my hands out and they all chuckle.

Me wanting it wasn't all it took, they had to want me to live there of course too. It wasn't perfect and glamorous, but my social life was dead and close to being non-revivable. I needed to start putting myself out there again, most of my friends from my area had moved out of state for college. I was bored, drained and lacking social interaction.

"Could we chat about it for a second?" Kyle asks with a kind smile and I nod.

"Yeah sure.' I answer and they all shuffle away down the hall, I figure back to the living room to chat.

I was starting to think about what I needed to do. I had to get a credit check, read a lease, buy furniture that I needed to finish this room. God, I hope they want me to move in. Even if it is nerve-wrecking and terrifying, it's better than what I'm doing now.

I feel my bag start to vibrate and I know it's my phone, I move one of the handles down my arm a bit so I can rummage around inside to find it. My hand finally closes around it and I pull it out to see the words 'MOM IS CALLING' running across the screen.

"Hello?" I ask, putting the phone to my ear.

"Hi honey." Mom's voice comes through and I can tell by the whirring in the back that she's in the car on her hands-free. "How's your coffee?"

"It was good."

"Was? You're already done?" She asks and I sigh, looking at the bed frame in the room. It was a queen size, I wouldn't even need to get rid of this.

"Um yeah, I'm at Carlo's apartment chatting for a bit." I shrug. The news that I could possibly be moving into it was better saved for when I could have a proper conversation.

"Well, I'm in the city picking something up, do you want me to come get you?" She asks and I smile.

"Sure, I'LL send you the address." I tell her and I twist around the room, looking at the walls. Obviously they'd gone through the trouble of cleaning up properly before showing the room to people.

"Lovely, I'll see you in say....twenty minutes?" She suggests and I smile.

"Okay I'll see you...." I look up to the doorway and see a large silhouette on the other side of the hall, opening his room.

Kent.

He looks back over his shoulder at me and my lips part. This guy is the literal definition of a ten, he's got dark brown hair, the trace of stubble forming over the most chiseled jawline I've ever seen. And his eyes are to die for, green and vibrant with this touch of yellow. He's tanned to death, like he's spent the whole summer outside.

"Juls?" My mother's voice echoes through my skull and I snap out of it, shaking my head. "Juls, you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry mom, the reception's not so good here." I mumble, pulling my eyes away. He's so tall too, muscular. This guy can't be my roommate, he's too intimidating and pretty. "But yeah, see you in a bit."

"Alright, bye hon." She says and my phone clicks. I quickly put my phone back in my bag and work up the last ounce of courage I have to peek back and see if he's still there.

He hasn't moved, he's still there looking back at me. I gulp and run my hands over my shorts, drying them off. Sweaty palms are at it again.

"Hi." I manage to get out and his mouth curves up slightly with a smile.