The Roommate Read Online Free PDF Page A

eat after a long day, sue me. Now why are you two ready to kill each other?”  
    Patrick wouldn’t look at me.   He paced my tiny living room, his neck red.
    “I had to explain to Ricky that I can’t help him. My apartment is still off-limits and I’m only in town for twenty-four hours. If he’d given me more than a couple days notice, we might’ve arranged something, but—”
    “Then you shouldn’t have told Mom and Dad it wouldn’t be a problem .”
    “Dad asked me to show you around town. He didn’t say when!”
    I stuck two fingers in my mouth and blew, creating a loud whistle.   They stared at me again.   “Not in my house. If you two are going to yell at each other all night, take it elsewhere.”
    “I’m sorry, Jess,” Patrick said.
    “ Ros , you know lots of people. Why don’t you use the time you’re here tomorrow to call around and see who might need a roommate? Is that a fair compromise?”
    “I guess.”   She couldn’t be much more petulant if she was fourteen.
    “Great. You should also get Ricky a room for the night.”
    “Now hold on—why? It’s not my fault he arrived broke!”
    “ Ros , we both had the understanding that you’d be helping him with a place to stay when he got here. You owe him a room.”
    “ Fine . God. If it will get this over with. Grab your shit, kid, you’re comin’ with me.”
    “No.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “ No .”
    I looked between the two siblings.   Glaring at each other with jaws clenched and arms crossed, there was no denying they were related.   Ros ’ hair wasn’t as dark or curly, but they shared the same profile, the same stubborn will.   Made me glad I was an only child!
    “What the fuck do you mean, ‘no’?”
    “I know it’s a word you don’t hear often, Rosalind, but I’m not going with you.”
    “You are the most ungrateful—”
    “I’m an adult, same as you, and you don’t get to order me around anymore. You can treat me with respect as an equal or say goodnight.”
    The calmer he was, the higher her blood pressure rose.   Her palms would have nail dents in them by now.   “I don’t need this.”   She opened her pocketbook, tossed some bills on the floor, and stormed out of my living room, slamming the door.
    I winced at the loud bang.   “Was it like this the whole night?”
    “Unfortunately.”   He ran a hand through his hair, twisting the curls in random directions.   “I’m sorry you got pulled into the middle of this family drama.”
    “Hey, I’ve known Ros since kindergarten. I’m familiar with her moods. Are you okay?”
    “You had to work late?”
    “Uh…no. I lied.”
    “Oh. Why?”
    “I didn’t want to explain it.”
    “It’s none of my business.”   He started cleaning.   I think it was his default when he didn’t know what to do with himself.
    Setting my purse on the counter, I put the cake in the fridge and took off my coat.   “I kind of went on a date.”
    “’Kind of’? How does that work?”
    “We met, ate dinner, and realized it wasn’t going anywhere beyond that. So it was really more sharing a meal with a new friend than going on a date.”
    “I see.”   He finished throwing away his and Ros ’ trash.   “Are you disappointed?”
    “Not really. We tried something and no one got hurt. At least we tried.”   I picked up the money and counted it.   She’d left three hundred-dollar bills.   “You can get a really nice room with this.”
    “Keep it.”
    “Patrick—”
    “I don’t want charity from my sister.”
    “That’s not what this is. She gave her word and broke it. This is payment.”   I held the money out to him.   “Take it. Donate it if you have to, but it’s yours.”
    He sighed and stuffed the bills in his pocket.   “I should let you get back to your life.”   He reached for his things.
    “Don’t. I mean, you’re welcome to stay another night. Tomorrow’s Friday, then you have the whole weekend to figure out what you’re