The Christmas Roommate by Ana Ashley

Author:Ana Ashley [Ashley, Ana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heartbound Press
Published: 2023-11-09T18:30:00+00:00

Ren

Frederick had been acting weird since the day I’d gotten home late and he'd made me soup and a grilled cheese. I'd caught him staring at me a few times, which he'd played off by saying I had something in my hair or that he was just distracted. It had put me on edge over the weekend. I’d been someone’s secret boyfriend, but never a fake one.

The problem wasn’t even faking it. The problem was what would happen if I believed my own lies and fell even harder for him.

How could I handle him touching me like we were together and not believe it was true? Surely, he wouldn’t go heavy on the PDA in front of his parents, right?

It was with all these conflicted emotions and very shaky hands that I got in Frederick’s car on Friday after he picked me up from work.

I’d given him strict instructions to not forget my clothes bag and to carefully pack the pot of succulents I’d put together as a gift for his mom.

Thankfully, I knew someone who worked at the gym across from the grocery store, and she let me shower and change there after work, so at least I wouldn’t meet Frederick’s mom smelling like a grocery store.

“You look nervous,” he said as I buckled my seatbelt.

“I’m meeting my fake boyfriend’s parents. Nervous doesn’t even cover it. I’m terrified.”

Frederick put a hand on my knee and looked me in the eyes. “It’s going to be okay.”

I scoffed. “Emery said your parents are old-money rich. They’ll probably have a hundred pieces of cutlery just for breakfast. I’ll never pass like I belong, let alone fit in.”

“You’ll be with me, so I’ll help you with any cutlery issues that may arise.”

“Don’t joke,” I chided.

“I’m not. And I don’t want you to fit in, Ren. It’s because you’re you that I like you.”

His words settled me a little but didn’t push all my anxiety away.

My anxiety multiplied by a bazillion when, less than an hour later, we approached Frederick’s parents’ castle.

Okay, so it wasn’t a castle as such, but it may as well be. The house was huge, and there were smaller houses on either side. Was it all the same? Surely, if you had a house that big, you wouldn’t have neighbors that close.

“Oh my god, you have to turn back.” I put my shaky hand on Frederick’s arm.

“Why?”

“Why? Why? Have you seen the size of that house?”

He laughed. “I believe so. I grew up in it, after all. There are plenty of hiding places if you ever need to escape.”

He winked. He fucking winked. Maybe this was a joke to him, but I didn’t want to let him down. I wanted his parents to like me, even though I couldn’t understand why that was important to me.

“Come on, let’s get inside before they send someone out to get us.”

We got out of the car, and Frederick insisted on taking both our bags while I carried the succulent pot.

The front door opened as we approached.

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