A Deadly Affair

Four

"This is awesome!" Liam shouts as he races around the apartment. Charlotte walks inside and sets a box down, looking exasperated as he runs into my new bedroom that is completely empty.

"Liam, don't break anything!" She calls, rubbing her temples, causing our Dad to laugh. She glances at him before sighing, "He gets it from his Dad." She mutters, as Drew walks in.

"What was that, babe?" He asks, raising a dark brow as he sets one of the heavier boxes down, the one filled with half of my books.

"Nothing, sweetheart." She chirps, smiling innocently as Liam races back out into the living room. Drew snags him up, throwing him over his shoulder which causes the five year old to erupt in giggles.

"Is your roommate home?" Mom asks, as she inspects the apartment. My entire family decided to help me move, which is fine by me; I discussed it with Ryan through an abrupt texting exchange resulting in my picking a day when I knew he for sure would not be here for my family to meet. I want to avoid that for as long as possible. I know my family is on edge. Charlie never actually moved out "on her own", so they're all scared for me. I tried explaining I wouldn't be alone since I'd have a roommate but it hasn't eased any worries.

"No, he's working." I wipe my hands on my jeans, before motioning around the tidy, quite spacious apartment. "So?"

"It's cute," Charlotte grins, as she looks over everything. "It's in a good spot too."

"I agree." Drew says as he walks a laughing Liam around the kitchen on his shoulders. Dad kisses my forehead, and hugs me on my side.

"I'm so proud of you, Jules." He says quietly, and I lean into him, fighting the sudden urge to bear hug him. My Dad, Fitz Montgomery is a big time renovator, and is one of the most down to earth people I know. He always smells of peppermint, and is an absolute teddy bear, wanting nothing more for me and Charlie to be happy. He doesn't express emotion often though, so his pride for me makes me a little emotional.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Julie, your bed isn't going to fit in here." Mom informs me, as she looks inside my room which is at the end of the hall, across from Ryan's whose door I made sure was shut before my family came inside. The last thing I need is Drew going through his things to make sure he's "clean", according to Drew's standards.

"I thought it would." I frown, moving to join her. I look around my new room; of course it's smaller than the one at home, but I thought it was big enough to fit a king bed. I look around again, imagining all my furniture in my new room. I have two bookshelves, a vanity, and a desk...

"No, you'll definitely have to downsize to a queen." Charlotte agrees as she walks into my room and looks around. "I like it, Jules." She tells me, as she stands at the large window overlooking downtown; it's one of the things I loved about the room. I can only imaging reading with that view. A grin lights her face, and I get uneasy- whatever she's thinking isn't going to go well for me, I can feel it. "What does your mysterious roommate look like, Julie?"

"Uh," I blink, stammering over my words because of how random her question is. "Dark blonde, super tall, and built like Josh." I shrug, shoving my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. She's had a lot of inquiries regarding Ryan the past few days, but it's the first time she's asked what he looks like.

"Does he wear a leather jacket?" She grins as she turns to look at me, and I'm suddenly trying to figure out how to get every last family member out of the apartment. Mom all but squeals, and Charlotte laughs as she rushes past us to go inform the other males of Ryan's unexpected arrival. I rub my temples, as panic overwhelms me. I didn't want him to meet them yet. I need to act natural, while also appearing like I didn't mean for this to happen. Where does he work anyway? I check my watch; who can just come home at eleven? Maybe he took an early lunch?

"Hi, you must be Ryan." Mom's voice carries like an echo, and I squeeze my eyes shut; I hadn't even heard him come in! How fast can he walk anyway? Did he jog? "I'm Julie's Mom, Kate."

"It's nice to meet you." I hear his baritone as I emerge from my room. His eyes find mine, and he sends me that easy grin which manages to calm me, before he looks to my family as Mom introduces them. Charlie sends me an impressed look when Ryan is talking to Drew, and I shake my head slightly. She's acting like they're meeting my boyfriend, instead of my non-romantic roommate. Ryan and I aren't even friends, we're just two people who are going to be sharing an apartment that we both pay half for. That's it. Even if he is unnaturally attractive- we're just roommates.

"There's still a few boxes. Help me out will you Drew?" Dad says, and Drew nods, following him as they exit the apartment. Charlotte pulls Mom away, both grinning at me as they follow their husbands out of the apartment.

"Sorry, I thought you worked today." I explain, and he smiles. He looks really good in his tee and jeans, and that leather jacket adds an edgy side to him I wouldn't have pictured.

"Tomorrow. Today's my day off." He reminds me, and I squeeze my eyes shut for a second.

"Sorry," I breathe, and when I open my eyes he's standing closer to me, that smile that makes my heart beat faster on his smooth face.

"You don't have to apologize to me. Ever." He says this firmly, before his eyes wander down to my leg. I furrow my brows, wondering why he's looking at my legs before I realize that something is holding onto my leg- not something, someone. I can't help but grin.

"What are you doing, little man?" I inquire, as I pluck him off my leg and into my arms; he rests his head in the crook of my neck, suddenly shy which almost makes me laugh considering Liam is far from shy. "Ryan, this is my nephew Liam. Liam, this is my friend Ryan."

Liam smiles sheepishly at Ryan, before looking at me, and back to him. "I like your apartment." He tells him, his voice stumbling over the word apartment. Ryan grins at him.

"Thanks, it's nice to meet you. You can come hang out with me and your aunt anytime you want." He offers, and the smile that lights my little nephew's face has my heart soaring.

"Awesome!" He exclaims, as he wiggles out of my arms and walks up to Ryan. They begin a talk of some cartoon and I watch, smiling the entire time. All doubts that everyone else had placed in my head vanish as I watch Ryan with my nephew.