University Roommates (Restart)

Ashton:

I waited for her outside her door until it came time for me to go to work. I was distracted throughout work and afterwards, I went to the bar for a few drinks despite what had happened the night before. I ended up going home with Alicia after I told her what had happened. I didn't go home for the next few days while I had work in the evening. I thought it would be best to give Emily some space. It probably wasn't the greatest thing to do right after Tasha left, but I was an asshole after all.

I came back Monday since I had the day off and Alicia didn't, I couldn't stay at her place without her. When I walked into the house, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what I would say to Emily.

Emily:
I stayed in my room the whole next day and wallowed by myself. I was pretty sure he didn't come home that night but I didn't exactly go check either. However, after the next day, I was sure he never came home. In fact, he didn't come home for the next several days. There was a nervous pit in my stomach that grew each day I didn't see him. Did something happen? Was he okay? I tried to calm myself with the idea that he must be showing up for work because no one called the house or came by. If he was going to work, he must be fine. But where was he sleeping?

On Monday, I had my computer open and I was working on my book. With all the time to write this week, I had gotten several chapters out the way. I couldn't wait to send it to my publisher. I had all but given up on the idea of Ash coming home, convinced that one day I would come home and all his stuff would just be gone. I didn't want to admit it, but I was growing lonely without him. But when I heard a key in the lock, my heart leap into my throat and I sat up, turning to the door. I waited for him to say something. Anything.

Ashton:

I stood there, frozen in the doorway. She looked surprised to see me but I couldn't tell what else might be going through her head. She probably hated me, she probably wanted me gone. It would be reasonable, I treated her like dirt after all.

"Hey," I said after an uncomfortable amount of silence. I should have been falling on my knees and apologizing to her.

Emily:
I swallowed and bit my lip before answering. "Hey," I said. I wanted to ask where he had been but I wasn't sure I wanted to know. "A-are you okay?" I asked because I couldn't hold it in. It had been weighing on my mind all week if he was okay. I was worried something had happened to him. He certainly looked fine, but I had no way to be sure.

Ashton:

"Yeah, I'm alright," I said with a little shrug. beyond a few too many drinks each night, I was fine. I took a few steps closer to her on the couch. "I stayed at Alicia's place, I didn't want to bother you," I said awkwardly.

Emily:
I don't know why his words sent a red hot anger through my body, but they did. He was staying with Alicia? The girl that was clearly into him and would jump at the chance to something to happen between them? This whole time he had been with her and he didn't think it was a good idea to send me a text to say he was alive? I tried to swallow the anger, I really did. It wasn't like I was his girlfriend. He didn't have to check in with me about anything. "Did you two have fun?" I asked tightly, trying and failing to keep my voice even.

Ashton:

She didn't like it, I could tell that much. Was she jealous? Was she worried? Was she still angry with me for the way I had acted, for what I had said?

"She's a nice girl, not as annoying as I first thought," I answered without really addressing her question. It was probably better for her to make assumptions. Maybe it would be better on my part if I made those potential assumptions true.

Emily:
"Thats great!" I said, a little too loudly for it to sound natural. I was starting to identify what I was feeling and I didn't like what I was coming up with. I was jealous. The only other time I could remember feeling jealous was middle school, when Judy Klein got to be Ryan Edwards lab partner and I didn't. But this was worse. Way worse.

I stood up and ran a hand through my hair. "Excuse me, I have to go get my laptop charger," I told him, pushing past him to go to my room. I just needed a minute to get myself under control.

Ashton:

I sighed. I wanted to reach out and pull her back. My chest ached to for her. But this was better. Her anger was far better than her feeling hurt. I made myself a sandwich and sat down and the bar to eat. I felt empty. Without Emily there wasn't much good in my life.

Emily:
When I got to my room, I took a deep breath and pulled my hair into a pony tail. I paced for about a minute before I grabbed my charger and walked back out. I would just have to get over it. He was obviously seeing her now and there was nothing I could do about it. I set my charger down and then went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I avoided looking at him and opened the fridge.

Ashton:

"I'm sorry I never told you where I was. I probably should have texted," I said, breaking the electric silence. It would be better to leave her alone, but I couldn't be in the same room as her and do that. So at least while I was sitting here I had to talk to her.

Emily:
I shrugged like it was no big deal. "Im not your girlfriend, you dont have to tell me your whereabouts" i said, turning away from him and bracing my hands agains the sink. It was getting harder and harder to remain calm.

Ashton:

I eyed the tension in her back. I was finished with my sandwich and normally I would have gotten up to wash it, but I wasn't about to approach her now. Waiting for her to leave the kitchen, I absently tapped on the countertop.

Emily:
If he was gonna apologize for anything, it should be for saying that he loved me when he didn't mean it. I turned around and went back to the couch, hoping I would be able to continue to get work done. It wasn't likely.

Ashton:

I washed my dish then retreated to my room. There was nothing I could do that was much of a distraction from thinking about her. I played games on my laptop, barely coming out of my room for the ret of the day.

Emily:
With him in his room, I was able to get more work done. In fact, with my nonstop working for the past week, I was finally ready to send a first draft in to my editor. So I emailed it to her and sighed, feeling anxious but excited about the outcome. I closed my computer and rubbed my eyes. Staring at the screen had been giving me a headache. I got up and headed to the bathroom to get some aspirin and thought about what to make for dinner.

Ashton:

I heard her go into the bathroom and, thinking she was going to shower, I ventured out of my bedroom. In the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of whiskey and stood there sipping it for a moment. I hadn't skipped a day of drinking, I realized, since the night I had gotten drunk.

Emily:
I came out of the bathroom and went into the kitchen to grab a glass to wash the pills down with and paused for just a second when I saw him standing there. I filled a glass with water from the sink and swallowed the pills. "I was gonna order food if you're hungry," I said, deciding it would be rude to not offer. But when I turned around and saw the alcohol, I frowned. "Or maybe you're just thirsty..."

Ashton:

I ignored her second comment. "I can order something. What do you want?" I asked, unconsciously shifting slightly farther away. Maybe if I got her food it would make up for all the things I had put her through.

Emily:
I shrugged and opened the small drawer next to the sink and pulled out a bunch on menus. "I don't know, pizza or Chinese?" I suggested, thumbing through the menus. I set them down on the counter and gestured for him to take a look and then grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured myself more than I probably should have. If he was drinking, then so could I. "I'll have whatever you want, just order me the same," I said, taking a swig.

Ashton:

I eyed her glass before looking at the menus. I ended up ordering a large pizza to be delivered. By the time it arrived, I had finished my glass and poured another. I paid for the pizza, brought it in and set it on the coffee table without thinking about where I would sit.

Emily:
By the time the pizza came, I had finished nearly the whole glass so on my way back to the couch, I grabbed the bottle from the kitchen and brought it with me. I refilled my glass before taking a seat. I flipped the TV on and grabbed myself a slice of pizza. "Before you sit, can you grab napkins?" I asked without looking at him.

Ashton:

I got the napkins but hesitated to sit with her. I hadn't been this close with her since saying that I loved her. Things weren't resolved with us and it made me nervous to go back to the way things were before all that happened. Yet I wanted to be with her, I craved her company and the way she could make me laugh so easily. I sat on the edge of the couch and took a slice of my own.

Emily:
I took a bite of pizza and glanced at his uncomfortable position at the edge of the couch. I wasn't gonna go out of my way to make him feel better, but I also wasn't about to kick him out either. He was welcome to be in the same room with me. The pizza was a little hot and I took another large sip of my drink. I knew I was drinking more than i should and way quicker than I should. But I was home. What was the worst that could happen? I grabbed the bottle again and refilled my glass.

Ashton:

I sighed as I watched her. "Emily... Don't you think that's a bit much within this little of a time?" I said with a crease between my brows. I felt a little buzzed myself but wasn't gulping the stuff down. It was hypocritical of me, I knew it. But I had a better tolerance for alcohol than she did.