Nick & Bailey

69. Bailey

I'm woken up the following afternoon to a soft knocking on my door. I didn't get back to my dorm until two in the morning, and I was, luckily, so tired from crying my eyes out that I crashed into a deep sleep instantly.

I groan as I walk over to the door. I feel hungover even though I didn't have a sip of alcohol. There is a split second where I hope that maybe, possibly, it is Nick coming to apologize.

Instead, it's Abby and Derek. I try not to look disappointed.

"Hey!" Abby says too loudly. "When did you get back?"

The two of them walk into my room without an invitation per usual. It's almost like my world didn't come crashing down less than twenty four hours ago. Abby sits on my bed while Derek grabs my desk chair.

"I got back late last night," I tell Abby. I sit next to her and she notices my bloodshot eyes.

"Bailey! What happened? What's wrong?"

I look away, shaking my head. I'm not going to cry. I have already shed too many tears. The well is dry. "It's just that Nick and I are..." I take a deep breath. I don't even know what word to use. "...over."

She rubs my back gently. "Oh. I'm sorry, Bailey. Why did you guys break up?"

I sniff. "Honestly we were never really together, so I can't really say we 'broke up.' But we just realized we weren't...compatible, I guess." I decide not to go into the details. This soon, it would be too painful.

"That sucks," Derek says. "And very surprising. He seemed to be borderline obsessed with you while he was here."

That made two of us.

Abby's voice is gentle. "I know this isn't a great time, but we actually have something to talk to you about. Do you think you're up for it?"

"Yes. Please. Get my mind off of this."

"Well...we found a place to live next year."

I'm confused. Are her and Derek moving in together? What have I missed?

Abby continues, "Phillip told me that their house is going to be available. Apparently all the guys there have decided to part ways for some reason."

"Phillip? Evan's roommate?!?"

Abby nods. "The house is going to be available. You and I have both said how much we like it and how it's in the perfect location. So I think we should take it! Phillip said he would make sure we got first dibs."

"Who's 'we'?" The house would be too big for just the three of us.

"You, me, Derek, Missy and Patrick. What do you say?" Abby is obviously very excited about this idea.

I would love to live with Abby and Missy, and although I haven't spent as much time with Patrick, Derek's dorm mate, he has always been very nice. Nick would lose his shit if I lived with Derek, though.

But then I remember that I shouldn't give a fuck what Nick would think. He chose to walk away.

I look at the two of them, faces waiting anxiously. "Fuck yes!" They both breathe in relief. "But I can't stay in Evan's old room. That would just be too bizarre."

Abby smiles. "Deal."

The two of them leave shortly after, leaving me alone in my misery once again. I don't know what to do. I don't want to eat, I don't want to sleep, I don't want to leave this room. I eventually decide to settle in and watch "Friends" on Netflix. I've seen every episode a million times, so it's easy for my mind to go blank while I'm watching it.