Twisted Turnaround

Chapter 38

MILES

So I was kicking out my first ever roommate, my best friend, today.

Or, trying to. Bash wasn't even home in the first place, so it's not like I could just go up to him and finally get it done. Instead, I've been just waiting for him to finally get back to the apartment so I can catch him.

I hear the front door open and look out to see that it was him who was walking in with a bag of clothes and another hand full of keys. "Hi," I say to him. "So you are finally home."

"Oh hi," he says and then throws the keys up before catching it. Avoiding eye contact, he walks past as he says, "Oh yeah, I was just going to grab more clothes."

"Okay," I say, eyeing him to try and figure out why he had a hard time looking at me. Did something happen with him and Hannah? But that doesn't make sense considering he was grabbing more clothes to spend more nights at her apartment. Or was he spending nights somewhere else? I didn't know what was happening, but I knew that I needed to tell him what I've been thinking. Of when I decided to kick him out.

The truth was that living with a girlfriend with my best friend here as well was already complicated, but after my daughter is here? I don't know if that would be ideal. Living with a couple whose baby is crying nonstop when you are just 21. He shouldn't be forced to be around here. Also, I think Andrea doesn't want him around anymore. She has changed in so many ways in the past few months and has grown up, and I knew that she probably didn't want to be around Bash. Not that he was a problem, just that she wouldn't be able to act like she wanted to. We would be trying to figure out our lives, and Bash would just be here. Andrea didn't tell me fully, but I know she thinks this is the right idea.

Bash passes by me on the floor where I was building the crib before I catch him. But when he opens the front door, I finally catch sight of him. He had a bigger bag this time, and I call out, "Have a drink with me, Bash."

"Uh," he says, checking his phone. "Hannah is waiting for me and—"

"Have a drink with me," I say, wiping my hands on my thighs as I stand up. I beckon him over to the kitchen and head to the fridge. Pulling out a soda (because it's not like we keep alcohol here), I get another one for him. Tossing it over to him, I pop mine open. "So," I say, looking over at him with a teasing grin. "You haven't been home in so long."

Bash shrugs, but I catch the flush of his cheeks. "I guess I haven't noticed."

"Right," I say and then feel guilty all over again. But before I can overthink it, I blurt out, "Andrea and I talked, and we think it's a good idea for you to move out."

"What?" I ask, baffled when I realize he had blurted something at the same time as me. "What did you just say?"

His own face holds guilt as he says, "Hannah and I want to move in together."

I place a hand in my hair, still trying to process this as I say, "When did you guys decide this?"

"Uh, not too long away," Bash says, and then his eyes widen. He takes a seat and I do the same, sensing this sounded important to be sitting for. "I think that," Bash starts softly. "I think that I'm ready to take the next step with Hannah."

"Like living together?" I ask with a nod, but he only shakes his head at me.

He presses his lips together for a moment before he admits. "Maybe I'm ready to marry her."

"Oh wow," I manage, my mind reeling at the big statement. I had known he loved her so much, but I didn't know he wanted to settle down so early. "I didn't know that."