Need a roommate at NW?
My eyes narrowed, but I smiled a little despite myself. Without hesitation I called her back.
“Hey, there you are,” she answered, laughter in her voice.
“What’s this about a roommate?” I lay back on my bed, my wet hair splayed across the sheets.
“Well,” she started, “my dad finally accepted that I really want to go to Northwestern—and I do. I just didn’t tell him that I’d changed my plans because of him. Anyway, he won’t let me live with Jared. He’s insisting on the full college experience and wants me in the dorms the first year.”
“You listen to your daddy. That’s cute,” I teased, although I envied her having such an involved parent.
She snorted. “People don’t deliberately piss off my father. Especially Jared.”
My face fell immediately at the mention of her boyfriend. Madoc aside, I had threatened Jason Caruthers with exposing Jared’s mom. I wondered if he knew. It didn’t sound like Tate did. I didn’t think she would have forgiven me easily for that—and I was surprised to feel a sudden pang of guilt at having betrayed her friendship.
“So,” she continued, mischief in her voice. “Are you in the dorms this year?”
“Yeah, and I happen to have a double I’m using as a single.”
It was perfect actually. Tate and I got along, and for some reason, I was looking forward to school starting now.
“A single? You don’t want to be in a single. It’s soooo lonely,” she drawled out with exaggeration.
I laughed.
But I was still unsure. Tate meant Jared. And Jared meant Madoc. I couldn’t be around him.
He wouldn’t want to be around me.
“Tate, I don’t know. I mean, I’d love to have you as a roomie—but to be honest, Madoc and I don’t get along. I just don’t think it’s the best situation for us to run into each other.”
“Madoc?” She sounded confused. “Madoc would only be around Jared’s apartment if he ever came to Chicago for visits, which I’m not sure is going to happen. Madoc’s off the radar these days.”
I sat up. “What do you mean?”
“He got sent to Notre Dame early. His dad has a house there, I guess, so Madoc went there until school starts and the dorms open up next month.” She hesitated, and another wave of guilt racked me.
He was gone.
And he was probably sent away from home because of me.
She continued. “It’s probably for the best. With Madoc’s dad and Jared’s mom getting together, Madoc was pretty pissed. He and Jared got in a fight, and no one has talked to him in weeks. We’re all just giving him some space.”
Shit.
What about Lucas? Has Madoc come home to spend time with his little brother at all?
My face fell, and I felt like shit all over again. This was my fault. Maybe I should have felt like it was poetic justice for Madoc to be sent away like I was, but I didn’t want him alone. And I hated that he’d had to leave his little brother.
“So?” she prompted. “What do you think?”
What did I think? I wanted to say yes, but I knew I should be distancing myself from anyone Madoc-related.
I sighed, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice. “I say we’re going to have a kick-ass year, roomie.”
“Hell, yeah!” she screamed and then jacked up her God-awful metal music in the background.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and winced.
Wow.