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Chapter One

I'm convinced that hell has an intercom system and the buzz of ainst the screams of all the lost souls

Which is why I'll never murder anyone, because there's no way I can live with this sound for eternity I can't even live with it for five seconds

I reach over and stop the alar another day at work I hate that I have to keep this shitty barista job just to pay for school At least Ridge letshis band It works for now, but God, I hate s

I stretchthe sleep out of theers meet my eyes, for a split second I thinkin hell, because SHIT! Motherfucker! I' to kill him!

"Ridge!" I scream

Oh, God It burns

I stand up and atte too badly for them to be of any use It's the oldest prank in the book, and I can't believe I fell for it Again

I can't find my shorts--God it hurts so bad--so I stumble my way to the bathroom in order to wash the pepper juice fro the door open, rushing straight to the sink I', but that very well could be

I cupthe them over and over until the burn starts to subside Once in to feel relief,delivered to it

"Get out, you pervert!"

I'irl screa me In my bathroom

I grab a hand towel and press it to my eyes while I shield her punches with my elbow

"I was peeing, you sick bastard! Get out!"

Shit, she hits hard I still can't really see her, but I can recognize fists when they're flying atme even more

"Stop hitting me!" I yell

The bathroos open and h that I can tell Brennan is standing there "What the hell is going on?" He walks toward us and removesthe towel back to my eyes and squeeze them shut

"He barged in on irl yells "And he's naked!"

I open one eye and glance down I am, in fact, completely naked

"Jesus, Warren Put on some clothes," Brennan says

"Hoas I supposed to know I'd be attacked inat her "Why the hell is she using uests can use your bathroom"

Brennan immediately holds up two defensive palht with me"

"Gross," the girl mutters

I don't knohy Ridge thought it would be a good idea to rent a four-bedrooh one of the bedrooms is euests spend the night and don't know about the designated bathrooms

"Look," I say, pushing both of the room "This is my bathroom and I'd like to use it I don't care where she slept or who she slept with; she can use your bathroom This one's mine"

Brennan holds up a finger and turns to face me "Actually," he says "This is a shared bathroom With that bedroom" He points to the door that leads to the other bedrooirl "Bridgette Your new roommate"

I pause

Why did he just call her my roommate?

"What do you mean, roommate? No one asked me if I wanted a new roommate"

Brennan shrugs "You rarely pay rent, Warren You don't really have a say in who lives here"

He knows I don't pay rent because I help e does take on the brunt of the financial expenses He ood point, unfortunately

This isn't good I can't share a bathrooood of an arirl with all that bronzed skin

I look away from her I hate that she's hot I hate that she's a brunette, because I really like her long, light brown hair and the way it's pulled back, all messy and shit

Dammit!

"Well, this has been a really fun bondingtowardme back toward my bedroom "Noait your turn, Roomie"

The bathrooain Still naked And maybe a little emasculated

"You can leave, too," I hear her say to Brennan, right before the door to the living roo in the shower

She's in the shower

My shower

She's probably taking off her shirt right now, tossing it on the floor, pulling her panties down over her hips

I'm fucked

My aparto where my life isn't ruled by women My boss is a woman, all my professors are woette steps into irly shampoos and razors and shit, I'm screwed That's my shower

I walk to Ridge's bedrooive hi in, since he's deaf and can't heartoward his room like a kid about to tattle on his little brother

I flip the switch twoup onto his elbows, groggy-eyed He sees the anger onI'm here about the pepper-juice prank

I hate that I fell for it I'ets me every damn time

"That prank was stupid," I sign to him "But I'm not here because of that We need to talk"

He sits up in bed and reaches over to tilt his alaritated "It's six-thirty in the ns "What the hell do you want to talk about at six-thirty in the ?"

I point in the direction of the new roommate's bedroom

Bridgette

I hate her name

"You let a girl n for rooirl move in with us?"

Ridge n for Brennan's name "That's all him I don't think he would have accepted no for an answer"

I laugh "Since when are girls important to Brennan?"

"I heard that," Brennan says fron it"

I face him "Good So answer the question"

He glares at e "Go back to sleep I'll handle the five-year-old" Heout Ridge's bedrooht as he exits

I like Brennan, but the fact that we've known each other for so long makes -as-fuck little brother My little brother who thinks ood idea

"It's just for a fewtoward the kitchen "She's in a rough spot and needs a place to stay"

I follow Brennan into the kitchen "Since when did you start providing rescue hoht when you're done with them, much less ? Because if that's the case, this is the stupidest decision you've ever et tired of her in a

week and then what?"

Brennan faces er "I told you earlier, it's not like that We aren't together and we never will be together But she's i to help her, okay?" He takes a bottle of water out of the fridge and opens the cap "It won't be that bad She's in school and works full-time, so she'll hardly ever be here You won't even notice"

I groan, frustrated, and run reat," Iover my entire bathroom"

Brennan rolls his eyes and begins walking back toward his bedroo like a little shit"

"She hit me!" I say in defense

Brennan turns and cocks an eyebrow "See what I mean?" He walks into his bedroom and closes the door behind him

The water turns off in the shower, and I hear the curtain slide open As soon as the door to her bedroom shuts, I walk toward the bathroo rooh my bedroom and check that door, but it's locked, too I walk out of limpse of her before she screams and pulls a towel in front of her

"What the hell are you doing?"

She picks up a shoe and tosses it at nore her and walk into the bathrooainst it, lock it behind me, and then close my eyes

Dammit, she's hot

Why does she have to be hot?