A New Roommate and an Old Friend

MAX

“Estella’s got a roommate,” Bonnie told me, pouring tea into my cup.

“A guy or a girl?” I asked.

“A girl, naturally.”

“Good.”

“You don’t have any right to be jealous, you know,” she said, settling down next to me on the couch.

“I know. I just can’t help it.”

Months had passed, and nothing had changed. Estella acted like I didn’t exist. She even ignored my birthday message to her.

She didn’t come home for Christmas; her aunt and uncle visited her instead.

Patrick and Eva flew to Paris to see her because the kids, especially Lucia, missed her a lot.

My parents called her every few days, and even Rohan talked to her more than I did, which was never these days.

Bonnie was my only link to her.

I could ask anyone about her. But then I’d have to face their disappointed looks or their scolding words, and I couldn’t handle that. No one blamed me more than I blamed myself.

Bonnie, though, she understood where I was coming from. She gave me an earful, sure, but she kept the bitterness out of our conversations most of the time.

I knew she talked to Estella once or twice a week, and I made sure to visit her to get the latest news about my girl.

Pathetic, I know, but it was the only thing that gave me some comfort. She didn’t mind that I used her like that and never turned me away.

“You’re punishing yourself more than you should.” She sighed.

“Trust me, Bonnie. I deserve worse.” I laughed, but it was a bitter sound.

“The worst punishment comes from one’s own conscience, Max.

“You know deep down that you’re on the wrong path, but you keep going because you think your cause is noble.”

“Bonnie, I just want her to be sure she can handle a life with me.”

“I get it. But if you were just a regular guy, would you worry so much?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I doubt regular guys are free of insecurities.”

“No, they’re full of them. Especially when it comes to love. But when both people are willing, there’s very little that can keep them apart.

“Estella loves you, and you love her. You should have tried this out instead of constantly confusing her and pushing her away.”

“I think that ship has sailed. She’s still mad at me.”

“Of course, she is. She’s eighteen, and you crushed her dream of being with you without a good explanation,” she pointed out.

“Does she”—I paused, taking a sip of tea—“ever ask about me?”

“Why would she? She doesn’t know we talk or that you visit. You asked me not to tell her.” She frowned a little. “Unless you want me to tell her, which I’d be happy to do.”

“No, it’s better if she doesn’t know I come here.”

“I disagree, but it’s your call. Have you been to Paris lately?”

“No. Not since the last time. She might see me, and since I haven’t changed my mind, it would only confuse her and hurt her more.”

“Is that really why?” She smirked, and I sighed.

“And I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off her after not seeing her for so long.”

“I’m not saying this to be smart or to judge you, but this stubbornness of yours… It’s not going to end well.”

“You’re just like me,” I shot back. “You’re even refusing to find your mate, Bonnie.”

“Isn’t that a bit hypocritical of you?” She raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem offended.

“If Estella’s family hadn’t died in that accident, you wouldn’t have looked for your mate either.”

“No, I wouldn’t have. And I even thought about rejecting her back then, but she was a child, and she needed me.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but she’s not a child anymore.”

“No, she’s not. She’s a beautiful young woman. The key word being young. And I’m twelve years older than her. It might seem silly that I insist on waiting, but I feel like it’s not our time yet.”

“I won’t argue with you on this one, but it’s not because I think you’re right.” She sighed again.

“I just want to remind you that while you’re waiting for the right time, she might decide to move on without you.”

I nodded, and we changed the subject, but not completely. She told me everything she knew about Estella’s new roommate, and I listened.

It was all I could do.

ESTELLA

It’s been raining all week.

Literally.

And it’s really cold, but that’s to be expected. Paris isn’t known for its warm weather or sunshine.

I don’t really mind, but the constant patter of the rain on the windows makes me feel a bit down.

I can’t even draw. I mean, I can, but everything I create is gloomy and sad.

“He’s handsome.” Gabrielle’s voice startled me, making me jump back and almost hit her nose with my head.

Thank goodness for her quick reflexes; otherwise, I would have had to take care of a broken nose.

I know the basics after being around a doctor my whole life, but I’m not a fan of blood in larger amounts than a paper cut and…

Who’s Gabrielle?

Oh, right, sorry. Good question. Gabrielle, or Gaby for short, is my first roommate. I told you I was looking for one, didn’t I?

I lucked out, because we're both studying the same thing.

It took me a few months to find her, but I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world, except maybe for one thing.

Gaby is a werewolf.

You don’t need to tell me that I seem to attract them like a magnet because I’ve already noticed.

Honestly, I hoped that here, it would be harder to run into one, and I would mostly be hanging out with my own kind, but I guess I was wrong.

Now, let me tell you a bit about Gaby.

I’ll start with the fact that she’s not an alpha. She’s an omega in a pretty big pack. She’s a free spirit, which is pretty rare for a werewolf.

Despite her parents’ wishes, she wanted to break free from the typical role of a she-wolf, who waits for her mate to make her life complete, and decided to pursue her passion instead.

I met her in animation class when she plopped down right next to me. If you think our shared interest is what brought us together, you’re totally wrong. That came later.

After what, you might ask. Well, after she said this to me:

“Hey, are you into girls? I’m looking for someone to experiment with me, but everyone around here is so dull. They’re such mood killers.”

I’ve never laughed so hard in my life. It wasn’t so much the words, but the way she said them.

To cut a long story short, I told her that while I’m not into girls, I might consider one as pretty as her.

(Because she is pretty: she’s taller than me but not by a ridiculous amount, with dyed purplish hair, green eyes, a dimpled smile… you get the idea.)

But what I really need right now is a roommate.

She squealed, making everyone in the class look at her like she was crazy, and after she hugged me tight, she called me a lifesaver.

It was a lucky coincidence that she was looking for a place to stay because it was too suffocating in her pack territory.

She suggested a trial period as roommates to see if we got along, which we did. So, she became my permanent roommate.

The best part is that her biggest dream is the same as mine: to create an anime series.

We’ve already brainstormed a few ideas and done some drafts.

Having Gaby around is nice. Most of the time, she takes my mind off things. Off Max, specifically.

But the subconscious is a real pain, and when I let my mind relax while holding a pencil, he’s the first thing I draw. Always in dark themes. That’s the case right now.

So, the handsome man Gaby is talking about is Max.

I told Gaby everything about my life, just as she told me about hers.

She even said she was dying to meet everyone I knew.

But her parents only let her stay away on the condition that she would visit every weekend and holiday (human holiday, when the universities were closed), so that couldn’t easily happen.

When I talked to her about Max, she went from totally loving him to being furious with him.

One thing you need to know about Gaby is that she exaggerates every emotion. She’s high maintenance, and I can’t wait to see what kind of person her mate will be.

Now, back to the previous scene (when she snuck up behind me).

“If not talking to him makes you so sad, why don’t you text him or something?” she asked, perching herself on the arm of the couch.

“I’m not going to chase after him like a desperate puppy,” I said, deadpan. “I wasn’t the one who rejected him, remember?”

“Okay, okay.” She lifted her hands in surrender.

“You know that everyone in their right mind is on your side, but my opinion is that he’s waiting for you to grow up, so he doesn’t feel so insecure about losing you.”

“Maybe he should grow up first,” I snorted. “Mentally.”

Gaby laughed and then looked at my sketch again.

“He’s a babe, even in gloomy colors,” she commented, and I glared at her.

“I’ll gouge your eyes out,” I threatened.

“Hey, looking isn’t a sin. I ogle you all the time, and you don’t seem to mind.”

It’s true, she does, and just for the record, her offer to experiment is still on the table. Should I take her up on it? Maybe that will help me stop loving Max.

MAX

A week ago, Del called me and asked to meet.

I was surprised. She hadn’t shown up recently, and since the incident when Estella almost caught us in the act so many years ago, I wasn’t eager to reach out to her first.

So, we talked pretty sporadically, and usually, she would be the one to initiate contact.

Now she said that she missed me and wanted to visit. I told her flatly that she wasn’t welcome at the pack, but she wasn’t deterred and suggested we grab a coffee in the human territory.

Now, Del was never a fan of humans. She thought they were weak and an inferior race altogether, and she wouldn’t bother with them.

In truth, after her rejection, she wouldn’t bother with anyone but herself and the revenge she kept taking on her mate.

Unable to find a convincing excuse, I accepted her invitation, and we met one afternoon when my shift at the human hospital was over.

She hadn’t changed at all in the years I hadn’t seen her. She was still beautiful, still blonde, unfortunately, and the mark on her neck was as bright and vivid as ever.

“Still mateless, I see,” she commented, smiling after our greeting, eyeing my neck.

“Unmated,” I corrected her without going into detail.

“Same difference.” She shrugged. “So, how have you been?”

For a while, we caught up. About our families and work mostly. I didn’t tell her anything about Estella. Something warned me not to, at least not yet.

Then, inevitably, the conversation turned to what she had been doing about her mate.

“Not this again.” She rolled her eyes when I finally told her she should stop.

Now, you might think, who am I to give advice? But the situation Del had put herself and her mate in was clearly and undeniably toxic.

The worst part was that she knew how to fix it, but she refused.

“Don’t think I’m going to let this go, Del,” I said. “It’s been more than ten years.”

“Twelve years, to be exact. And I can keep this up for a lot longer, trust me.”

“But why?”

“Why?” she spat out. “Have you forgotten what he did to me? I was his mate, but he treated me worse than a cheap hooker before he tossed me aside.”

“I haven’t forgotten, and you have every right to be angry. But this revenge isn’t doing you any good. Accept his damn rejection. He doesn’t deserve you anyway. Move on with your life.

“Find someone who doesn’t care about your past or whether you’re a virgin. Find happiness.”

“Are you volunteering to be that someone?” she asked, a seductive smile playing on her lips.

Seduction was her shield, her armor. But it wasn’t going to help her, and I wasn’t about to let it affect me.

“I can’t be that guy, but there are plenty of wolves who would be thrilled to have you.”

“I thought as much.”

“I wasn’t talking about sex, Del.”

“I know what you meant. But you’re the only man who doesn’t annoy me when he talks.”

“I’m not available, Del.”

“Is it because you’re in a serious relationship, or because your little human pet is always around?” She snickered.

“Watch your language when you talk about Estella,” I growled, making her flinch. “She’s not a pet. She’s my family, the person I love more than anyone else in the world.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” She apologized quickly. “You know I don’t like humans. Is she still around, pining for you?”

“She’s in Paris, studying,” I replied, keeping my tone short.

“Oh, I see. That’s why you seem a bit down. Are you worried some French guy might steal her away from you?”

That was exactly what I was afraid of, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Del. If I did, I’d have to spill everything.

“Drop it, Del. Sort out your own mess before you start making fun of me.”

“Fine. But just so you know, the only solution to my mess is you.”