Roommates with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 4 - Who's the true gentleman?

Emma

"So, now I have this enormous apartment all to myself," I say as Hannah and I are walking to class. I sip the dregs of my coffee. It's already too cold to be enjoyable. I unloaded all the wedding drama on Hannah, and she had listened while sipping her own coffee.

"It doesn't sound too bad." Hannah is still reserved around me, but I can feel her slowly opening up.

"It's not. It's a good apartment. But I've never lived alone before. Hey," I turn to her so suddenly she almost jumps. "What if you move in with me?"

Her face goes pale. "I don't think so. It sounds like it would be way too expensive for me. Besides, I have a place, and I don't think I can get out of the lease."

"Right." I sigh and return my attention to the path ahead. I've been alone for less than a week, and I'm already over it.

"I wouldn't mind otherwise," Hannah hurriedly adds when she sees my disappointed face. "I'd save a lot of time if I didn't have to take the bus every day. I just have to be very careful about how I spend my money."

"I get it. I thought I'd like living by myself. Turns out, I don't." I shrug. "Oh, there's Knightley." I give a little wave as he spots me. He's with a man I don't know. The other man looks in our direction and says something to Knightley. They change directions and come towards us.

"Oh god," Hannah says and takes a step back as if she wants to hide behind me.

"What's wrong?"

"It's him," she whispers frantically.

"Who? Knightley?"

"Blue. We go to the same gym."

"You go to the gym?"

"Why are they coming over here?" There is panic in her voice.

"Relax, it's just Knightley." I study the other man. Despite the cool weather, he's only wearing a t-shirt, showing off a full sleeve tattoo that extends up his muscular arm and onto his neck. I can see why Hannah doesn't want to hang out with this guy. Despite the bookbag he has slung over his shoulder, I would not trust him to use a calculator for me.

"Hey, Knightley," I say as they got closer. "Prowling campus for your next victim?"

He grins. "I could ask the same about you."

I furrow my brow.

"At least my victims know it's just a night. Yours get signed on for life." He raises an eyebrow.

"How are Jenna and Julian?" I ask and cocked my head a little. "Still insanely happy and in love."

"Touché." He gestures to the man next to him. "This is Blue."

"Nice to meet you," Blue says in a dark, gravelly voice.

I give him a nod.

"Hey, Hannah." Blue is studying her intently.

Hannah is, as far as I can tell, trying to will herself into her coffee cup.

"Hi."

"Did you have time to look at the program I suggested?"

Hannah seems to resign to the conversation. "I did. I think I might try it."

A smile spreads on Blue's face. "Good."

"So," Knightley says slowly. "Where are you off to?"

"Class." I blurt. "It's a gathering of students trying to learn things. You should try going to one sometime."

"Maybe I should." He smirks.

I grab Hannah's arm. "See you around." I pull her with me.

"Bye," Hannah gets out as we hurry away.

"What was that about a program?" I ask when we're out of earshot.

"Oh, Blue put together a work-out routine for me. I think he works part time as a personal trainer."

"I'm surprised he can read. He doesn't look like it."

"You don't like him?" Hannah asks weakly as I throw away my empty cup.

"I've never seen the appeal of tattoos, and he can't even hide them if he wants to look presentable. It was all over his hands and his neck."

"He's a good guy. When I was new to the gym, he helped me out a few times."

"I wouldn't trust his help too much." As I open the door to the building, I take a look at her and a thought strikes me. "There are better men out there."

"Knightley seems nice. Have you two known each other long?"

I shrug. "He's my brother's friend. We kind of grew up together."

"So he's not your boyfriend?"

I laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. Even if I had a boyfriend, it would not be Knightley. First of all, Maxwell Knightley does not do relationships. At all. Second, love is not for me."

"Why not?"

There's a crowd entering the classroom so we hang back, waiting for it to clear.

"Because I've seen what love can do. And I have no desire to put myself through that."

"But what if you fall in love?"

"I've already decided I won't. I'm happy for others who find it, and I love setting people up, but I will never fall in love."

Hannah looks at me for a while. "But... What if you can't control it?"

I glance over at her as we move. "You can. And I will."

"That looks like a serious discussion." Edwin smiles at us and gestures for us to go through the door first.

"Well, it can't all be fun and games," I say and gesture to the organic chemistry book I'm carrying.

"Did you get the problems done?" he asks.

"Except for the last one. Did you solve that?" In all honesty, I had been too tired to focus on the last of the problems after Hannah left. She helped me figure the first eight problems, then she had to get home, so I was left with number nine and ten on my own. I spent an hour staring at number nine before jotting down some notes. But the last one made little sense to me.

"Of course. Would you like to have a look at it?"

"Sure."

We take our seats and Edwin digs through his bag, looking for the right piece of paper. When he finds it, I stare at the scribbles.

"Oh, you keep that. I have it all on my computer anyway," he says as he moves away.

As he leaves, I glance over at Hannah. Her eyes are following him to his seat.

"He's pretty cute, don't you think?" I say with a smile.

Her eyes snap back to me and her cheeks color. "I wasn't... I mean..."

"Relax," I say as the teacher enters. "I'm not going after him. Like I said, I don't do love. You are free to look as much as you want at him."

Hannah blushes as the class starts, but I notice her peaking in his direction several times, and just like that I know how I'm going to win my bet.