Strangers in the Storm ✔

Chapter 17: Take a Risk

ROXANNE 

June heat spread through Addy's dorm room with the intention of burning down the building. Roxanne slouched in the armchair while Addy studied on the floor, both of her legs up on the bed, and Brenda lay on the same bed, painting Addy's nails.

Over the past two weeks, Roxanne has been existing in a parallel reality where the only emotion she felt was overwhelming, almost uncomfortable giddiness.

However, somewhere deep down, where she didn't dare to look, a twinge of fear bit her insides. The fear that something this good couldn't possibly last and that karma would inevitably crash on her for being too happy for too long.

There had to be a diagnosis for such thought patterns.

Addy put the book down, "I can't believe you're both in relationships. We should have a triple date!"

Brenda and Roxanne exchanged a glance. Roxanne has felt trouble cooking up between them ever since they went to the shore and Brenda saw Mike calling her. She didn't understand why her friend suddenly decided to meddle into her relationships, though.

"Let's see how long they last first." Brenda returned to painting Addy's nails, a smirk gripping her lips.

Roxanne rolled her eyes, "Hmm, which one of us has the history of not being able to keep a guy?"

"At least I was the one who left them, not the other way around."

Addison's head jumped from Brenda to Roxanne and back, "What is going on between you two?"

"Ask Roxanne."

"Ask Brenda."

"Well," Addison crossed her hands on her chest, "I'm asking both of you."

Roxanne drew in a breath, "Brenda is pissed off for no reason."

"No reason?" Brenda put Addy's feet down on the bed and looked up, "You're acting like what you're doing is completely fine!"

Addison glanced around, "Wait, what is she doing? Why don't I know anything? Gosh, I have to stop studying so much."

"Mike keeps calling her and she's not stopping him." Brenda said through her teeth.

"I haven't answered his phone calls!" Roxanne shouted and pushed herself to the edge of the seat, ready to fight. "Why the hell do you care so much anyway? Like you're never had a guy on hold while you dated another one!"

"Aha!" Brenda put her legs on the floor. "So you admit it! You're keeping Mike on hold just in case Damien decides that he's not the relationship type after all."

Roxanne breathed out through her nose, "Sometimes I think you just want to be right."

"You're rushing into it." Brenda lowered her voice. "Damien is not the man you think he is!"

"And you know who he is?" Roxanne raised her eyebrow. "Let's not forget you pushed me into his bed."

"Oh, boy." Addy mumbled.

"Because I wanted you to enjoy being single for five minutes!" Brenda threw her hands in the air. "But you gotta start a relationship! And it's not because he's Mr. Right, but because you're physically incapable of being single. At the end of it all, you're gonna end up heartbroken and even more fucked up if that's even possible at this point."

Roxanne's lips tightened and she crossed her hands on her chest, trying to hide the rapid rising and falling of her ribcage. Now, she's done it. She's crossed a line.

"I'm the one that's fucked up?" Roxanne squeezed through the anger. "I'm the one that's physically incapable of being single? Brenda, you haven't been without a guy on hold since you were fourteen. The difference between you and me is that there are guys that actually want a relationship with me and they only want to fuck you."