Broken Bad Boy

PERCIE

I locked the door behind me and cleared my throat. Hailey was already frozen in her place to see Lexie with me. Poor girl, she didn't have a clue. But deep inside, I was glad to see her here, safe.

"Hailey, I'm Lexie. Percie and I have classes together." She waved her hand while her eyes barely opened. She had to lean into me to keep standing.

Hailey hadn't moved a muscle. I must admit that judging by her reactions right now, Lexie was right that Hailey liked me.

"She hates me," Lex whispered. Regret was thick in her tone.

"Thought you went to a party." I opened the conversation since she was still dumbfounded to reply to Lexie.

"I said to think about it, and I thought you're not interested in Remy's party," she said dismissively, glaring at Lexie.

"It's legit. She hates me," Lexie whispered again, causing Hailey to glare further.

"I went with Lexie because I thought you would be there with your friends."

"It's not my cup of tea, and I have a group study with Megan and Victoria." She slumped down to the couch. "Looks like you're busy and bring a company. I don't wanna waste much of your time."

I exchanged looks with Lexie, who looked amused in her state. Lexie mouthed the word jealous to me.

I rolled my eyes. "You sleep in my room. I'll be on the couch."

"No. I'll be on the couch. That's your room," she argued while we walked to my room.

"Take my room. End of discussion."

"You're starting a World War III."

"What?"

She stole a glance at Hailey. "I think you should talk to her, Percie. You have to explain. She thinks that you're planning on banging me. And I don't want her to hate, you know. I like Megan.”

"We have rules, and one of them is not to bring any guys or girls into the apartment," I said dryly.

Her eyes grew big. "Then why did you bring me here?"

"Because I'm not going to bang you."

"But I'm still a girl, and you still have to explain it to her. It's unhealthy to keep secrets from your roommate, and she clearly misunderstood what she just saw a while ago. And I bet my fifty, Hailey's in love with you."

"We are not keeping secrets, and that's her problem if she thinks I brought you here to sleep with you. And she's not in love with me. She cares, maybe. Or she's attracted with me, but so do I."

"That's not what I mean, Percie."

"Then what do you mean?" I grabbed a clean blanket from the closet and a pillow from my bed.

She grabbed my arm, looking guiltier. "I think I should go home. I'll call Uber."

"No. You're roofied. And it's already two in the morning. Stay here, Lexie. Sleep in my bed, and I will crash on the couch."

She grabbed the blanket and a pillow from me. "I'm not gonna use your filthy blanket. You might have jerked off in it."

"Yeah, I might have jerked off a couple of times," I admitted with a laugh.

"Eww. Can't you guys just do it in the bathroom?" She wrinkled her nose.

"That's uncomfortable, silly. But I did it in the bathroom. And that blanket is clean. I promise."

"Ugh! Stop talking about jerking off. Talk to Hailey. I will stay here and wait for you. You should respect and obey the rules if she's doing the same. She has the right to disagree with you, you know, for bringing me over here."

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll go and talk to her."

She beamed, giving me a thumbs up.

Hailey wasn't in the living room anymore, and neither in the kitchen. The moment I was standing at her door, I second thought of knocking. But Lexie had a point. I have to respect and obey the rules if Hailey was doing the same, and I was the one who made them anyway.

I knocked and waited. No response.

I knocked again, and still no answer. Did she fall asleep? Was she mad at me for bringing Lexie into our apartment? Did I really have to ask? Was she really jealous, though?

I grabbed and twisted the doorknob,

and it surprised me that it wasn't locked. I called her name and peeked my head. Like always, her room was tidy and smelled strawberries. It was dark. Only the lamp on her nightstand gave light in the room. She was lying on her right side. I helped myself in and closed the door behind me.

My heartbeat skipped a beat the closer I got.

A smile formed on my lips. Hailey wasn't covered with a blanket, but she had AirPods in her ear. Her eyes are closed.

I sat at the edge of her bed. The mattress pressed down.

She jolted and turned to face me. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing in my room, Percie?" Her tone was low but firm.

"I was knocking many times, but you didn't answer me. Apparently, you're wearing that thing," I explained.

"That doesn't answer my question." She glared, sat, and leaned back against the headboard.

"You plugged your Airpods on because you think I was gonna sleep with Lexie?" I pointed out.

She was still glaring. "My question, Percie. And it's none of my business what you do with your life." Ouch.

"I'm just gonna explain why I brought

Ine

her here, and Km not breaking our house rules, Hailey. I brought her to the party to search for you because thought you went there to meet Remy She got drunk. Someone spiked her drinks. When we left the party, I was trying to do the right thing, and I was the reason why she went to that party in the first place. To help me." After I explained, she looked intently into my eyes.

"Why did you search for me there?"

I shrugged before I answered her truthfully, "I don't want you to go to that party."

"Can't you just ask me as normal people do? We are roommates, Percie. We live in the same apartment. You can only text me or leave me a note."

I took a huge breath. Lexie was right again. I was stubborn-too stubborn. "You were not talking to me, and you were avoiding me like plagues. And I thought you want to go to the party."

"And you weren't avoiding me?" She glared back.

I bit my lower lip, nodding as I admitted my fault.

"I was mad at you for snapping at me, and you had ice cream with fucking Larkin when I told you to stay away from him. Instead, you defy me. He is not good for you, and he won't treat you right. He's the opposite of your prince charming, Hailey."

She opened her mouth to say something but closed back. She ended up shaking her head.

"Would you talk to me if I talked to you?"

She dropped her gaze down her fingers.

"That's what I thought." I held her hands. "I don't wanna see you

getting hurt, Lee. You are too innocent to be a part of Remy's life. I

care about you a lot, and if I see you hurt because of him, I wouldn't, and I couldn't just watch you while you're hurting yourself. I would not hesitate to give him what he deserved."

Her gaze flew back at me with wide eyes. "I don't like him, Percie. I don't like someone like him. I turned him down when he asked me out." ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐