The Temporary Roomie: Extended Edition (It Happened in Nashville #2)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Drew

“I need a good prank idea,” I tell Cooper and Lucy the minute the music dies down enough to talk.

They dragged me out with them for drinks, and there just so happens to be karaoke at this bar (Cooper loves karaoke but is trying to play it off so cool like he had no idea it was karaoke night). Jessie was invited too, but she couldn’t make it because apparently her client was taking longer than expected. She told Lucy to go on without her, but I’m not disappointed she’s not here. I haven’t been sitting here all night obsessively worrying about her and whether she’s overworking herself. Not a bit. I’m so chill. Vanilla Ice, baby.

“A prank?” Lucy asks, looking awfully judgmental for a woman who just participated in one for the opposite team.

“Don’t make that face. Jessie started this prank war. I’m just trying to keep up.”

“Mm-hmm,” Cooper mumbles against his beer with a knowing look that I want to punch off his face. “Why don’t you just pull her pigtails? Or write her a check-yes-or-no note?”

“Shut up.”

Lucy sits forward, face forming an uncomfortable expression. “What sort of prank? Nothing too mean, right? I just don’t like the idea of you picking on Jessie.”

“Believe me, she can handle it.”

Lucy takes a sip of her watermelon margarita. “I don’t know. Just be careful, Drew. She’s been through a lot, and not in the way that most people have ‘been through a lot’ but then you learn really someone just ran over their dog when they were a kid and that’s the only tragic thing that’s ever happened to them. Jessie has already been through more heartache than most people experience in a lifetime.”

My mind races back to the night she blew up at me over mentioning her mom. “What sort of heartache?” Am I even allowed to ask that? Jessie would probably murder me if she knew I was prying into her life without permission.

Cooper gives Lucy a private look. It’s annoying.

“I know, but I have to tell him!” she says with wide eyes. “Jessie never will, and I’m afraid if he doesn’t know, he’ll go too far.” She turns back toward me just as someone hops up to the mic and blows into it. Music starts up, forcing her to practically yell over “Baby One More Time.” “Jessie’s mom died in a car crash when she was little.”

In no way do those words match the pop song being screeched over the speaker. It almost feels irreverent.

“But that’s not all,” Lucy continues. “Her dad was a deadbeat and split while Jessie was just a baby. Even after her mom died, he never came back.” No wonder Jessie doesn’t want to talk about her family.

“So her grandparents raised her?”

Lucy nods. “Until her grandma died while Jessie was still really little. Her grandpa raised her alone after that. He’s amazing. She’s literally lost everyone in her family besides her grandaddy. And though most of it happened when she was too young to remember, I know it hurts her still, especially now that she’s pregnant and having to answer so many questions about her medical history.”

I sink five inches down in my seat, wishing I could slide all the way to the floor. I’m an idiot, the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of the earth.

The woman’s pitchy voice bellowing through the speakers drowns out our chances at conversation for the next two minutes, and I’m left alone with my thoughts. Once she trips off the stage, I lean forward and ask the question I’ve been dying to get an answer to. The last piece of the Jessie puzzle.

“What about her child’s father? Is he in her life at all?” I haven’t noticed any dudes hanging around or her talking on her phone too much, so I doubt it. But still, I need to know for sure. Not sure exactly why I feel the need to know, but I do.

Lucy shakes her head. “That’s the one thing I still don’t know about. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but Jessie is extremely closed off to any kind of personal talk.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Yeah, so all I know is that he left. Not sure why, but it’s definitely been hard on her.”

This news is pulling some very strong and unexpected feelings from me. Because I’m her friend? Because I’m a doctor and hate having to see women birth their babies alone? Because no one deserves the sort of life she’s had so far? I think it’s a mix of those reasons and also another one that I’m not willing to admit yet.

My sister sighs. “It breaks my heart that she’s been so mistreated . . . especially when she’s literally the sweetest.”

I scoff. “Unless she’s around me—then she’s the feistiest, least agreeable woman on the planet.” And completely adorable.

Cooper is eyeballing that stage like it holds all his unrealized dreams, but Lucy leans forward, eyes narrowed on me. “I know! Which has always been odd to me. You seem to trigger her in ways no one else does. Literally, no one. Jessie loves everyone—but not you. She’s strongly opposed to—”

I hold up my hand. “Yeah, yeah, I get the point.”

“Just hide in her closet and jump out and scare her,” says Cooper, still staring at the stage and clearly only halfway tuned into this conversation.

“Huh?” Lucy and I both say at the same time.

Cooper begrudgingly drags his eyes back to our table and shrugs while taking a sip of his beer. “Oldest prank in the book. Hide, then jump out and scare her. Simple. Easy. Effective. No preparation needed.”

I stare at him. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Is it? She’ll scream, you both will laugh, she’ll fake punch you or something, you’ll pull her up close, and then boom —making out before you know it.”

Because I’m excellent at keeping my emotions concealed, Cooper has no way of knowing that his idea has my heart hammering against my chest with excitement when I say, “I’m trying to get back at her for all of her pranks—not make out with her.”

Both Lucy and Cooper laugh in a way I don’t appreciate.

“Okay, suuuuure.” Lucy leans into Cooper’s side so he can drape his arm around her.

Cooper smiles. “We all know all this fighting and pranking between you two is nothing but foreplay. You like her; she likes you—”

“But you guys are too stubborn to admit it, so you have to revert back to adolescent ways to test the waters.”

I bounce my finger between the two of them snuggled up in the booth. “I really hate when you two do this. Your united front is obnoxious.”

Cooper slides out of the seat and sets down his beer before grabbing Lucy’s hand. “All right, enough chitchat. Come on. I know you’ve been dying to sing all night, Luce. Personally, I hate karaoke, but I’m not one to stand in the way of my wife’s desires, so let’s go sing some Shania Twain.”

Lucy gives a flat, unamused smile before letting him pull her out of the booth. “Oh yes, my passionate love for karaoke—I totally forgot.”

She stands up, and he kisses the top of her head. “I know you better than you know yourself.” He holds out his phone toward me. “Film this, would ya? For the grandkids one day.”

“Just admit you’re going to post this on Instagram later with an eye roll emoji and a caption that says, Lucy made me do it. ”

He smirks. “Admit you’ve got it bad for your roommate.”

“Touché. Give me your phone.”

I’m in Jessie’s closet. In her freaking closet. I’m a grown man—a doctor!—who is looked up to, respected, and trusted to keep people alive and bring humans into the world, and I’m standing in a woman’s closet for a dumb prank. I rushed up here the second I got home from work.

The longer I stand in here, the worse this idea becomes. Why did I let Cooper talk me into this? He just had to plant ideas of making out with Jessie in my head—which would also be a bad idea! I can’t just make out with her on a whim because I feel like it. She’s been through serious trauma. She’s had a man leave her with a child, a child who will be entering this world very soon.

And yet . . . if she wants to make out with me, I sure as hell am not going to stop her.

That woman makes me completely crazy—but lately it’s turned into the good kind of crazy. I go to sleep thinking about her, wondering what kind of stupid prank she’s going to pull on me tomorrow. I stare at the ceiling, seeing only her smiles and the way her nose crinkles when she wants to stick her tongue out at me but also wants to act like an adult. I love knowing she paints her nails when she can’t sleep. Every morning I make it a point to look at her toes and note what color she chose the night before.

I can’t deny it anymore: I’m attracted to her. Actually, I’m not sure I ever denied that. What I have to come to terms with is that I think I’m starting to have feelings for her. I find myself wanting to know as much about her as I can. We’ve lived together for over a week now, which means we only have another week or two left before she moves back to her house, and I’m already dreading it.

Anyway, this is a terrible idea to hide in her closet. I’m getting out before she comes in and—

Oh shoot. Is that her? Yep. She just walked into her room and closed the door behind her.

I’m stuck in here with my bad decision. This is terrible, and my pulse in my neck is telling me I’m a freaking idiot and going to pay for this in a big way. Grown men shouldn’t hide in women’s closets—ask any stalker locked away behind bars. Annnnnd now I’ve officially waited way too long to jump out, and I’m going to look extra pervy if she finds me. I need to just commit and jump out before it gets to be too long, but I’m way too embarrassed. I do not want her to know I ever even considered this choice.

Maybe I can just hide in here all night?

I hear Jessie humming to herself and moseying around her room, and this only adds to my anxiety.

I pull out my phone and shoot Lucy and Cooper a group text.

M E : I hate you both. I’m in Jessie’s freaking closet.

L UCY: Bahahahahahaha

C OOPER: *kissy face emoji*

M E: No. I’ve been standing in here too long, afraid to jump out. I’m going to look like a major perv now and she’s really going to hate me.

L UCY: How long have you been in there while she’s in her room?

M E: Like three minutes

C OOPER: Dude . . .

M E: I KNOW! What do I do?

L UCY: She’s pregnant—she’s bound to go to the bathroom soon. When she does, sneak out.

M E: Okay yeah, that’s good.

C OOPER : Just jump out and get your kissing on.

L UCY: DON’T listen to Cooper. Believe me, you will not end up making out.

I peek through the crack in the closet door, trying to see if Jessie is still out there, just in time to see her grab the bottom hem of her shirt like she’s going to take it off. NO! Oh god, please, no. This is awful now. I’ve waited in this damn closet way too long, and if she finds me after changing her clothes, she’s really going to think I’m some sort of pervert.

I immediately turn around so my back is to the closet door. No way will I have “peeping Tom” weighing on my conscience as well as “closet stalker.” Please, please, please go into the bathroom.

She doesn’t. Her feet are drawing near the closet. What do I do?! There’s nowhere to go in here, nowhere to hide. My heart is pounding so hard I feel like I’m going to pass out, then suddenly the doors to the closet open, and it fills with light.

The next sequence of events all happen within a one-second span and go something like this:

Jessie screams.

I turn around.

Her eyes go wide.

I notice she’s wearing nothing but a towel.

Her fist collides with my face.

Everything goes black.

“Drew, I am so, so sorry!” Jessie says, hovering beside me in the bathroom as I press a wad of tissue to my bleeding nose. She’s still only wearing a towel with her hair up in an adorable messy bun, and I find it all highly distracting.

Focus on the gushing blood and pain radiating through my right cheekbone.

“It’s all right, really,” I mumble through the toilet paper, still slightly out of it.

“I didn’t realize it was you! I was just freaked out when I opened my closet and found a man in there, and when you turned around, I reacted before I could think.” She smells like coconut. “I would have never punched you if I knew it was you.”

“Are you sure about that?” I say with a grin I instantly regret as pain shoots through my cheek.

She gives me a pitiful, remorseful look. “I’m serious! You annoy me, but I’ve never meant to cause you bodily harm!” I’ve never seen her like this—genuinely worried and upset.

I can’t help it. I reach out an arm and pull her up to me, giving her a consoling hug. But when my hand wraps around her bare, warm shoulder, I remember she’s wearing absolutely nothing but a towel, and I quickly release her. “It’s my fault anyway.”

This seems to wake her up. Her sage eyes ignite, and she whacks my biceps. “Oh yeah! Why am I the one over here apologizing? You were the pervert lurking in my closet!”

I hold up a defensive finger. “Okay, first, not a pervert.”

“Says the man who stole my underwear once.”

Yeah, those incidences look bad when lined up side by side. “Only because it made sense in relation to your prank. And second, the moment I realized you were going to change clothes, I turned around! Third, it’s all Cooper’s fault. It was his idea to hide in your closet.” And I will never listen to him again.

I think that towel must be working its way loose, because Jessie reaches up to clasp the ends closed.

“But why did Cooper tell you to hide in my closet?”

I groan because it sounds so ridiculous. I don’t even know why I thought it would be a good idea in the first place. You wanted her to kiss you. And that desire still stands. In fact, it’s growing stronger. That seed has taken root, and now it’s a vine wrapping around every thought, overtaking all of my rationality.

“I asked him for prank ideas, and he said popping out of a closet and scaring someone is the oldest in the book. I thought it was a funny idea until I was standing in there and realizing how creepy it was. And then, just as I was about to abort, you walked into the room. I couldn’t bring myself to scare you, and then I realized I had been in there too long to just stroll out without looking like the weirdest man ever, so I was going to wait it out until you went into the bathroom and then sneak back out.”

Jessie’s pink lips press together, and her shoulders are shaking. She’s laughing through her nose.

“Just let it out.” My voice sounds stupid with this toilet paper wad pressed to my nose.

And she does. Jessie laughs and laughs. At least she doesn’t want to punch me again. “You both are clowns. Are you kidding me? You thought hiding in a pregnant woman’s closet was a smart idea?! What if you scared the baby right out of me?”

“Not physically possible. But now that I know you’re a freaking MMA fighter, you better believe I’ll never cross you again. Where did you learn to punch like that, anyway?”

Her bottom lip juts out and I realize she’s experiencing sympathy for me. Sympathy. Jessie, the woman who has claimed to hate me, has now taken care of me when I had a migraine and showed tenderness toward me after being punched in the face. It’s weird, but I’ll take it.

“My grandaddy made me take self-defense classes all through high school so I could always take care of myself. You’re just lucky I didn’t kick you in the groin.” Her eyes sparkle as her lips pull into a sweet smile, and I’m momentarily breathless.

For a split second, noticing her smooth tan skin, light freckles dusting her chest, pronounced collarbones, and delicate mouth makes me feel guilty. Wishing I could run my finger across the slope of her shoulder all the way down to her fingers and see if she sighs makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. I’d wrap my hand around hers and pull her up close to me until I could feel her heart beating against mine. I’d smell her hair. I’d taste her lips, her neck, her shoulder—and wanting to do those things makes me feel downright dirty, no doubt because of my career and learning to not see women in my practice as anything besides patients. I mentally shake myself, because I’m not in the office, Jessie isn’t my patient, and I’m allowed to be just a man right now.

Except . . . maybe my eyes are telling Jessie a little too much of what I’m thinking, because suddenly her smile dims a little and she takes a step away. Her eyelashes fall, and I see the moment she realizes she’s still wearing a towel.

“Okay, well, if you’re all right, then . . . I think I’ll just . . .” She hitches her thumb over her shoulder. “I better go. Call me if you can’t get the bleeding to stop and need me to drive you to the hospital.” It’s pretty cute how she’s fumbling around, bumping into the wall as she turns, and then nervously chuckles over her shoulder. “There’s a wall there.”

I smile and lean back against the counter, still holding the toilet paper to my nose.

Her cheeks have bloomed into roses, and I get the feeling she doesn’t hate the attention I’m showing her but isn’t sure how to handle it either.

Jessie backs her way out of the bathroom, then gives me a short wave. “Bye.”

I don’t say anything, just hold my smile as she slips away.

I cross my ankles as I lean back against the counter fully and silently count how long it takes before she comes back. Two, three, four . . .

Jessie pops back in, face fully aflame now and an embarrassed smile curling her lips. “Yeah, so I forgot this is my bathroom . . . can you just . . .”

I’m already pushing myself off the counter and walking toward the door, unable to wipe the stupid grin off my face for the rest of the day.