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CHAPTER 5: WEIRD DECISION

"Hey," he greets with a friendly tone as he steps out of his room. "That metal bed won't cut it if you're aiming for an Airbnb," he quips, laughing, and I chuckle along, my gaze glued to the floor.

"Uh, no, I'm actually friends with Carlo," I reply, working to keep my heart rate steady. Why can't I just stay composed? "I'm Julianna."

"Julianna," he repeats, walking with me into the room. I offer a nod and swallow the lump forming in my throat. "I'm Kent," he introduces, extending his hand. Taking a deep breath, I mirror the gesture, carefully shaking his hand, trying my best to control the nerves.

"Nice to meet you," I manage, cursing myself for the slight stammer. I withdraw my hand a tad too quickly, wary of sweaty palms.

"Why are you in Carlo's room when it's empty?" he queries with a smile, and my stomach twists in knots.

"Well, I'm checking it out," I explain. "He mentioned you guys are looking for a fourth roommate."

"Ah, got it," he grins, putting me more at ease. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to think I'm a total dork. "Did you meet everyone else?"

"Yeah, they're probably deliberating if I should move in or not," I chuckle, and he joins in.

"So that's what the chatter in the kitchen is about," he sighs, and I simply shrug. "I don't really keep tabs on their conversations, but I think you'd fit right in." He gives a wink, and I swear I can feel my heart racing beneath my skin. "Well, I'm gonna toss my gym bag in my room. Nice to meet you."

"You too," I reply, feeling a rush of relief as he exits the room. However, just before leaving, he winks at me again, nearly giving me a cardiac arrest. I really need to chill.

"Julianna!" Carlo's voice calls down the hall, snapping me back to reality. Clearing my throat, I slide my hands into my back pockets. "You meet Kent?" he asks as Kent reappears from his room and closes the door behind him.

"I did," I answer, our eyes locking momentarily. Those green eyes might just be my undoing.

"Alright, come on out, and let's have a chat about some important stuff," he says, and I nod, trailing alongside him into the kitchen. Along the way, I sneak my phone out again to send my mom a rough address of our location.

With all five of us huddled around the kitchen peninsula, Mark produces a copy of the lease.

"Here's our lease," he says courteously, and I offer a smile. "If you're interested, Julianna, and everything checks out, we'd like you to move in. Take your time to review it and hit us with any questions. After that, we can arrange for our landlord to meet you, and you can sign on with us."

"Alright," I simply shrug, quickly flipping through the papers.

"Interested in moving in with us?" Kyle asks hesitantly.

"Yeah, I don't see any red flags," I shrug. "Are you all secret serial killers or something?" I jest, and they all share a laugh.

"Nah, just had to check," Kyle shrugs, a hint of a grin on his face. "Some girls might not vibe with it."

"I really need this," I admit, shaking my head. "I can't bear my commute anymore; it's draining me. I work at the campus pool, and if this works out, it would give me more freedom. I'd really love to move in. Good credit, tidy, quiet, and I can cook?" I rattle off in a jumble, and when I'm done, their collective raised eyebrows make me feel like I've said the right things.

"What sort of dishes can you whip up?" Kyle inquires, while Mark playfully nudges him.

"What's your deal?" Kent strides in, and I hastily avert my gaze from his. It's hard to think straight when he's in the picture.

"I'm an arts major, so my schedule's usually packed, but I'm pretty easygoing. I guess I'm more on the quiet side," I reply, stealing a glance toward him. "No wild parties or anything that'll keep you up at night."

"That's crucial," Mark insists. "It's cool to talk about it upfront. So, do you enjoy partying, or is that not your scene?"

"I don't mind it," I shrug. "Maybe not always, but I'm not opposed to a night out."

"Sounds good," Mark nods, and I echo the sentiment. "You tidy?"

"Absolutely, I'm very neat," I assure them.

"Your room is your territory, so you can leave it as messy as you like. But can we all agree to do our part and keep the common areas and bathrooms clean?" he asks, and I agree, unsurprised by the request.

"Sure thing, I'm on board," I promise.

"We're glad you're neat," Mark grins, and I can't help but join in the laughter. "Glad to have cleanliness onboard."

Mark looks around at everyone and concludes, "So, looks like we've got a deal." They all nod in agreement.

"We'd like you to move in," I can't contain my excitement, so I flash a beaming smile and give Carlo a hug. This was beyond thrilling, it was unreal. There's applause all around, and my heart races with joy. Living here would be such an upgrade, even with three guys as roommates. "I'll go over the lease, and we'll chat soon. I can move in whenever, right? Carlo's pretty much moved out."

"This is awesome," I exclaim as I take hold of the lease. "Thank you all so much."

"Come on, you're doing us a solid," Kyle chimes in with a look of relief. "This is going to be great. I've been saying for ages this place needs a bit of a woman's touch." Kent and Mark roll their eyes, and I tuck the lease into my bag.

"Oh! I should probably grab your numbers so we can stay in touch," I remark, fishing my phone out of my bag.

I create a new contact and hand my phone to Mark first, figuring he's the guy to coordinate with.

"We've got a group of girls living above us. We all hang out and are pals," Kyle shares, and I nod and shrug. I couldn't help but wonder if they'd include me in their activities or if I'd just become one of those cohabitants they didn't really connect with. I really hoped at least one of them would invite me to hang out. These guys were different from my usual crowd, and I didn't feel as cool as they were.

"Cool," I reply with a shrug, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Kyle takes my phone, and then it's Kent's turn. The thought of Kent giving me his number makes me a bit tense. These guys are out of my league, so I'd never think of messing things up, yet here they are sharing their numbers.

"Julianna?" Kent calls my name, and I glance up at him. "Your mom needs you." He hands me my phone, and I shrug and take it back. A shiver runs down my spine as our fingers accidentally touch.

"Oh, I have to go. But I'll reach out to you, and we'll sort things out," I inform them, and they all smile. "Thanks again."

"No, no. Thank you," Kyle chuckles.

"Just so I don't forget," I say as I turn to hug Carlo. "Enjoy your new job."

"Thank you," he mutters. "Thank you for taking over my room."

"I appreciate you offering it to me," I mumble, and he releases me. I wave to everyone and make my way out.

"Goodbye, Julianna!" I hear a collective farewell and grin as I exit through the screen door, ascending the steps back to ground level.

I can't help but wear a constant smile; I'm absolutely thrilled. I can't believe my luck. I need to put together a budget and get everything ready for the move.

I can only think of two potential snags. First, my parents are going to have a meltdown when they find out. Second, I'll need to figure out how to coexist with Kent.

To be honest, that second one makes me quite nervous.

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