Roommates with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 3 - The bet

Knightley

"No, Emma. You have to stop setting people up." I hold back a growl. Emma is always butting into people's lives.

"Relax, will you? It's not like I force them or anything."

I take the last box out to the car. Somehow, I got roped into helping Emma's roommate move out. It's not so bad, though. Between me, Noah, Brett and the two girls, it was all quick and easy. The only issue had been to fit Ann-Marie's desk into the truck Brett had borrowed.

"Promise you'll make it to the wedding," Ann-Marie says with tears in her eyes as she hugs Emma.

"I will. You won't be able to keep me away." Emma seems genuinely upset at losing her friend.

"How did we get roped into this?" Noah complains and rolls his shoulder.

"I told you, you need to work out consistently. Then your shoulder wouldn't get sore from carrying a woman's purse."

"Hey, that purse was heavy," he says and scowls at me.

"Thanks for the help, you guys," Ann-Marie waves at us as she gets into the car.

"Not a problem," Noah says, and waves back. Once she and Brett are driving away, he turns to me. "What's the point in helping someone who's about to get married? It's not like she's going to cheat on the guy that just proposed. Why are we even here?"

"Because Emma asked us," I say coolly.

"Right, and you can't say no when she asks."

I shrug.

Emma comes up to us, wiping at her eyes. "I was so sure Ann-Marie and Edwin would hit it off."

"Why do you care about that guy, anyway?" Noah asks. "As far as I remember, he was a nobody. Still is."

"He's a friend," she says defensively.

"She doesn't care," I say. "She just thinks she's a matchmaker now."

"Well, are Julian and Jenna happy together or not?" Her eyes pin me down, and she places her hands on her hips.

"You got lucky. And they probably would have found each other without you."

"Not this again," Noah says, and starts walking away. "I'm going upstairs. You two can fight it out."

"I did not get lucky." Emma's eyes are fiery. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I brought them together. And I know I can do it again."

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

Emma is my best friend's sister. I grew up in the house next door to them. Noah and I spent most of our time together. Occasionally, Emma would tag along when we were kids. As we got older, she got her own friends and when Noah and I moved away to UNI, I barely saw her for an entire year. Then last year she showed up here, determined to make her own life here, separate from her older brother's.

But she still calls him when she needs help. This time, I just happened to get dragged into the favor as well.

"I'll prove it to you. In fact, I bet you a dollar."

"You want to bet me a dollar you can set someone up?" I look down at her. She's not short, but with her 5 foot 7, I still tower over her at 6 foot 4. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a messy knot and she's wearing jeans and a hoodie. Her blue eyes glitter with mischief as she smiles up at me. "A whole dollar?"

"Yes, I bet you a dollar I can find someone for Edwin."

"You were just saying how you were going to set him up with Ann-Marie."

She shrugs. "It's not like there's only one person out there for everyone. You can find love in all sorts of places."

"Well, if that's the case, then your job just became a lot easier."

"You don't think there's more than one person out there for you?"

"No. There's one love, one soulmate. If you're really lucky, maybe you get a second chance."

She blinks up at me for a moment. Then she shakes her head.

"And are you trying to find her by sleeping with every woman on campus?"

"That's different. That's not love. You don't have to love someone to have a good time with them." She makes a slight movement with her head as if she agrees. The thought of Emma sleeping around with guys on campus has me seeing red for a moment.

"I still feel bad for them," she says, and I shake away the thought of Emma with another man.

"Why? I promise you they have a good time."

"Yeah, but they have to sleep with you." She wrinkles her nose at me before turning to go after Noah.

"Besides," she continues in the elevator, "what if they want something more? What if they think you're the one, and then you just toss them aside?"

"I always tell them what's up. They know not to expect anything."

"Huh."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Not a thing." The elevator arrives on her floor and she hurries into the apartment where Noah is standing in the kitchenette, eating leftovers straight from the fridge.

"Hey, thanks for helping," she says and gives him a hug. He hugs her back with one hand while holding a piece of chicken in the other.

"Sure. Are you going to stay here alone now?"

"I guess. I don't have many options. Everyone already has a place to stay and you know there are no singles anywhere near campus."

"Can you afford it?" he asks and polishes off the rest of the chicken.

"I think so. Barely."

"Do you need money?"

She shakes her head and I let out a breath. "I'm good."

I find my jacket and put it back on. "You want to join us for pizza?"

She grimaces. "I have a paper to write. On nutrition. Something you guys know absolutely nothing about."

"Hey," Noah sounds indignant. "I eat healthy."

"Oh, please. You wouldn't know nutrition if it bit you in the ass."

"That's not how that works," Noah says. "And if you think nutrition is about the ass, you need to study."

She reaches over to the sofa and grabs a pillow. Noah is already booking it for the door.

"Later," he shouts as the pillow hits the wall.

I hesitate.

"Hey, thanks for helping, Knightley."

"Sure." The apartment suddenly seems so empty and part of me doesn't want to leave her there. "You sure you'll be ok?" She hates being alone. "Maybe you should call Jenna? Have a girl's night?"

"I'm good. Now go, I have to figure out who to set up Edwin with so I can win the bet."

"Right. A whole dollar." I roll my eyes and smile as I shut the door behind me.