1 | Scott
The moment I first saw Luke Smith, I felt this sudden, strange connection to him, as if I could already see the two of us becoming friends. He was the last person on my list of potential roommates, and though there had been quite a few suitable candidates before him—including a woman who had the most adorable cat—the moment I saw him I knew he would be my new roommate.
When I opened the door, I took a moment to look him over because his appearance puzzled me. He had long, raven hair tied off in a bun and he was just a few inches shorter than me, which was saying something since I was 6’2”.
But while his physique was that of an athlete’s, his clothes and the look in his pale gray eyes didn’t match that assumption. He wore an oversized gray jumper that looked worn thin but matched beautifully with his eyes. His hands were stuffed inside the sleeves, and a pair of faded blue jeans and black sneakers completed his ensemble.
The thing that struck me the most, though, was the look in his eyes. There was a wariness in them, and definitely some fear. My friends always told me that I was good at reading people, and if they were right, then I knew that Luke was either wary of me, which was unlikely or strangers in general. The realization sent a wave of protectiveness coursing through me, a sudden urge to keep him safe slamming into me. What the hell? I barely knew the guy!
“Luke?” I greeted him with a smile, hoping to ease some of his tension as I shook off the sudden onslaught of emotions. He nodded, shuffling on his feet and I opened the door wider to let him in. I was about to close the door when I thought better of it and left it open. I didn’t miss the small sigh of relief from Luke but I chose to ignore it. What was it that made him so wary? Had something happened to him before?
“So, Luke, tell me about yourself,” I asked, hoping to ease him into a conversation and maybe help him relax.
Luke chewed his lower lip and cracked his knuckles, telling me he was still very nervous as answered, “Uh, I work for a magazine, Voice Out, as a junior editor.”
I smiled at that because I was a proud subscriber of Voice Out. Hell, one lay open on the coffee table right now. At least that gave us something to talk about, huh?
“I love their Coming Out Stories section,” I confessed with a smile, hoping the fact that I read his magazine would give me plus points in his book.
Luke looked surprised for a second, but then he smiled slightly, just an upward tilt of his lips. “My friend Angie writes them. Well, people send us their own stories but Angie gives those stories the artistic flair to make them publishable.” Then he halted, as if realizing just now that he’d spoken more than he’d meant to.
I smiled and gestured towards the hallway that led to the bedrooms, “Would you like to see the room? It’s fully furnished and everything.” The room had lain empty as a guest bedroom for the past two years and I’d finally decided that renting it out would be a good idea. Not that I needed the money, but I’d hoped the company would make the apartment feel less lonely.
Luke looked unsure for a moment before nodding woodenly and turning towards the hallway. He looked back at me and I realized he might feel better checking out the room on his own.
“You go on ahead, it’s the one at the end. Do you prefer tea or coffee?”
“Tea,” Luke whispered, his shoulders sagging in ill-concealed relief. I gave him a thumbs up and he was gone.
By the time he was done looking over the room, I had some tea and cookies ready. Well, I made the tea and served up some of the cookies I’d bought from the bakery yesterday. I was a decent cook, but for some reason me and baking just did not mix.
I gestured for him to sit on the couch as he walked back into the living room and I took the single armchair by the fireplace. “So, did you like the room?”
Luke nodded, taking a sip of his tea, “The room is beautiful. I don’t own much stuff, so the furniture helps.”
“That’s good. When are you planning to move in?” I asked as I picked up my own cup. I was more of a coffee guy, with lots of cream and sugar, but a cup of tea now and then was just as appreciated.
Luke gave me a startled look before raising a brow at me, “Am I moving in? I thought this was just an interview.”
I shrugged. “You’re the last applicant, and honestly, you’re the only sane one I’ve met all day, so it isn’t exactly a difficult choice to make.” Liar. I wasn’t sure why I was lying, but something about Luke intrigued me, made me want to get to know him better. Plus, he seemed like a decent enough guy—and so what if he didn’t have a pet cat?—so it wasn’t like I was just picking him because he was interesting, right?
There was a spark in his eyes as he replied, “We’re all mad here, Mister.”
He looked extremely proud of himself and the spark in his eyes and the slight smirk on his face suddenly made him look so much more beautiful. I mean , a part of me had realized he was good looking but now I swear to god my jaw dropped on to the floor. How could I let him go?
He immediately froze, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. “What? What’s wrong?”
“You quoted Alice in Wonderland at me. How can I not ask you to move in now?” I explained, shaking my head in mock seriousness.
Luke blushed, a pink tinge slowly spreading across his slightly cheeks. He ran a hand through his hair, dislodging the bun and making his hair fall in waves along his cheeks. Pushing the hair out of his face in what seemed to be a practiced move, he smirked at me. “I can quote a lot of things at you, so I guess you have to let me move in now.” The snarky comment made me realize that he was feeling much more comfortable now than he had when he’d first arrived. Mission accomplished.
I smiled widely at him, the fact that he felt comfortable in my presence making me immeasurably happy for some reason. Extending my hand, I said, “Welcome to the house, Luke Smith.”
He shook my hand, giving me an equally bright smile, and I wasn’t surprised at the strength in his grip. “Thank you, Scott Riley.”
2 | Luke
The moment Scott Riley smiled at me for the first time, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. A sense of safety. For some reason, Scott’s warm brown eyes and kind smile made me feel as if I’d be safe with him. Of course, once I realized that, I started worrying about not getting the room. I mean, what if he didn’t like me? What if he had a lot of better options than me?
The room itself was gorgeous, and for the rent he was asking, it was obscenely cheap. I mean, the room had its own en-suite bathroom, complete with a bathtub. The room itself was dominated by a queen-sized bed, a dresser and a closet that could store my clothes twice over. There had been a cute little nook in the corner with a lounge-like sofa that I could imagine curling up with a book in. I’d taken one look at the room and fallen in love with. That, coupled with the fact that Scott hadn’t hit even one of my warning signals had made me even more nervous about not getting the room.
But then he’d told me he loved the magazine I worked at and that had helped me keep the panic at bay. And once he’d told me the room was mine to move in, I’d become totally comfortable in his company.
Which was why I was now freaking out and sitting at a table in Bean Yourself—my best friend’s coffee shop—waiting for my other best friend to show up. The cafe was just a corner away from my workplace, which was a blessing since I loved coming here. Bean Yourself was housed in an oldish building that gave it a nice character. Comprising all of the first floor of the two-floor building, it was a warm, familiar space that always comforted me ever since I’d started coming here a year ago. I was seated at one of the window seats, watching the people mill about on the sidewalk and making up stories for the people I saw.