More Than Just Roommates (Book 1)

46. To Get Them Back

~ Leo

Last night was weird. I didn't like not sleeping in the same bed as Jackson. Even though I wasn't alone, I knew that we were all feeling his absence.

I missed Jackson.

He kept saying yesterday that it's not his fault, that he never wanted Sarah to kiss him. But the same thing happened with Marisa. How many times does this happen before it's too many times? Who's to say it won't happen again, only, with him starting something with someone else? Weren't we enough for him?

That note he left last night was on my mind since Josh found it. The words echoing through my head:

I don't know what else I can say to make you forgive me. I think it's best if I give you space, so I won't be coming back tonight. I really do love you. Jackson.

I wanted to forgive him. I know Kyle and Josh did too. But we were all just trying to be mad so that he'd understand that he fucked up, that he hurt us.

Was that too passive?

Either way, I missed him. And when we all left for class this morning, it was weird when the bed was still empty because he wasn't there.

I didn't even know where he stayed last night. He probably crashed with one of his friends, preferably not Marisa and Sarah.

I didn't want to think about him spending the night with them.

After I was out of class for the day, I knew both Josh and Kyle would be heading back to the room at the same time. I wasn't sure how that happened, but it worked out so that none of us were ever alone in the room for too long, except for Jackson, who made his schedule so that he could sleep later than us every morning.

Kyle's class was actually right next to mine, so, since I got out before he did, I waited for him. This way we could walk back together.

When we got to our floor, before even getting back to our room, I heard Josh talking to someone. I didn't recognize the other voice.

"I honestly have no clue where he is," Josh was saying. "I haven't seen him all day."

"It's just that Jackson's not answering his phone."

Josh caught sight of us just then. "Hey, you guys haven't seen Jackson around, have you?"

Both Kyle and I shook our heads. The kid sent a text on his phone, before looking back up at us. "Okay, well, I guess I'll leave then. Hopefully he'll be around."

As soon as he was gone, I asked, "Who was that kid?"

"Matt Osborne," Josh answered, pulling out his key. "He's a friend of Jackson's. I thought you knew that."

I shrugged. "I'm bad with faces and names. I thought you knew that already." 

Having a strange kid outside our door was a surprise. I didn't expect any more surprises today. As soon as we walked into the room, I realized I had just walked in on the biggest surprise I have ever experienced.

Jackson was standing in the middle of the room, surround by a hundred balloons rolling around the ground.

"Your friend, Matt, was just out here looking for you," Kyle spoke up, looking around the room.

"He was keeping you guys outside so you'd all come in together."

"What are you even doing?" I asked, completely confused as to what was going on right now.