THE HOUSEMATE | ✓

18

New's pov-

Waking up with a pounding head, thanks to my bad hangover and finding out I’d been using my friend as a pillow, didn’t rate in the top ten of my favourite mornings. But Joss had managed to take most of the awkwardness out of it. He’d just given me a grin and said he’d heard he made a comfortable pillow. Then he’d dragged me to my feet and hugged me, telling me that him confiding in me about Gawin had been a real weight off his mind, finally being able to share his feelings with someone. I’d felt the same; even though I hadn’t disclosed anything that had happened between Tay and me, just talking it through with him had made things a little clearer in my head. I felt lighter, knowing that he understood, given the situation he was in with Gawin—which, in all honesty, was way worse than my situation.

In the spirit of friendship, I’d taken him up on his offer to go over to his house for food. We’d shut ourselves in his room, where he showed me a load of photos of him and Gawin growing up, and then we’d watched some episodes of an anime show we were both into.

When I arrived back at my house, no one seemed to be around. I knew Mix had gone out somewhere with Earth, and Sing and Win were nowhere to be seen. There was no noise coming from Tay's room when I pressed my ear to his door in a completely non-stalkerish way, so I assumed he’d gone out too. I knew I’d have to face him eventually, but I was glad for a reprieve.

After showering and changing into loose shorts and an old T-shirt, I flipped on the lamp next to my bed and connected my phone to my wireless speaker. Loading up Spotify, I hit Play on a random playlist, then crossed over to my desk, where I’d left the tin containing a half-smoked blunt that I’d saved from a couple of nights ago. When I’d hopped up onto the desk, I shoved the window open and lit the blunt. The pipes that ran behind my bedroom started gurgling loudly, so I increased my speaker volume. Smoke curled from the tip of the blunt as I leaned back against the wall next to the window, breathing in the evening air and making the most of this moment where I was alone.

With two younger sisters and a sociable family, it was rare that I’d had time to myself in the past. I loved my family more than anything, loved the fact that everyone was welcome in our home, but having the house to myself had been a rarity.

My peace was suddenly shattered when there was a loud pounding on the wall, followed by an angry voice shouting, “Turn your fucking music down, you wanker!”

I guess Tay was home, then. And back to being pissed off with me, again.

There was only one thing I could do.

As I took a slow drag of the blunt, I thumbed the volume control on my phone, increasing the level. Music poured out of the speaker, filling the room with a pounding, heavy bass.

Then I sat back and waited for the fireworks to begin.

It didn’t take long before Tay was bursting into my bedroom, my door rebounding off the wall with a bang before slamming shut behind him. He glared at me, all bared teeth and fury in his eyes, and it was so fucking hot.

There had to be something wrong with me that I was finding his anger such a turn-on.

I gave him a lazy grin, holding up the blunt. “Want some?”

“You— No! I don’t want your fucking weed. I want you to turn this fucking music down, now,” he ground out.

“Make me.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, he lunged for me, ripping the blunt from my fingers and launching it out of the window.

My shout of indignation died in my throat when he grabbed me and yanked me forwards to the edge of the desk, pressing his body between my legs.