Possessive Roommates

VALENCIA

"We should break up."

I watch the pathetic excuse of a man squirm uncomfortably in his chair. His pasty white face is distraught, tears welling in his pale blue eyes.

"And before you ask yes, it's entirely your fault; not mine." I worsen the blow, pouring salt on an opened wound.

Kaden's lips purse together, a small sniffle breaking the tense silence. "Are you sure? Is this about the stripper last week? I swear, she didn't mean anything to me—-"

I scoff at his absurd whining.

Seriously, how clueless can a man be?

Kaden and I have been dating for almost two years. What a fucking waste of time. His constant manipulation and gaslighting have drained me mentally. I can't stand to be a victim anymore.

I grab my already-packed suitcase and take note of Kayden's body language. His knuckles turn ghostly white as he grips the metal of the chair.

Unfortunately, today was the last straw. I found Kayden making out with a pretty blonde at my workplace. I went to restock some liquor when I saw the two in the storage closet. He tried to deny it, but I saw the red lipstick smeared across his lips.

I may be many things, but a dummy isn't one of them.

"We are supposed to have dinner with my parents tonight, Valencia. Stop being selfish and stay with me," He pleads.

"Selfish?" I sneer the word as if it caused me pain. After all the things I did for him, he has the audacity to call me selfish!? He's like a vampire, sucking all my energy and happiness away.

"Who took double shifts to bail you out of jail that one time? Who paid for you to get stitches after you got attacked by a dog last week? Who helped you get that job at the junkyard only to be fired the following month!?" I tried to make our relationship work. I really wish he didn't cheat or lie or manipulate, but he did.

After all the things I did for him, he cheated on me, multiple times. I gave him a plethora of chances, but each time he broke my trust more. How is having faith in him selfish? Is he really that narcissistic that he can't see all I did for him!?

Kayden runs a hand through his blonde hair in frustration. I can see he is grasping at straws, desperately attempting to find a reason to make me stay.

I'm glad I packed most of my belongings while he was away with his drunk friends. Even after I caught him cheating he insisted that he still finished his plans for the day which included bowling and drinking beer. He was in no rush to confront me, which spoke volumes.

"Look Kayden—-"

"Fine, leave me," He snaps. His face twists into an arrogant smirk as his eyes flicker to my packed luggage. "Where will you stay? No one will want to put up with you for long. I bet you will come crawling back to me by the end of next week."

Ugh, how could I be so blind? The dude is a walking red flag. All of the signs of his cunning behavior were right in my face, yet I looked the other way. I wanted to believe that he was good for me.

"Valencia, you're going to regret this," He sighs softly, reaching out to touch my arm. I don't miss the shift in his gentler tone, knowing this is a pathetic attempt to console me.

I yank my arm out from his grasp, hating how his clammy hands feel against my skin. Truth be told, I used to crave his touch but now it makes me want to gag.

"Goodbye, Kayden." I don't wait for him to reply, slamming the apartment door behind me.

I don't need him in my life. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, right? I swallow down my emotions and place the suitcase in the trunk of my car.

I put my car keys into the ignition and look out my rearview mirror immediately regretting doing so. Kayden stares out the apartment window from above, glaring down at me with hostility.

He was my everything for two years. I never could have fathom the thought of losing him, but here I am, ready to start a new chapter in my life.

My heart aches as I drive away from the one person who had my back for years. He knew me like the back of his hand, which really is a double-edged sword. Kayden knew how to please me and make me smile, he also knew how to wiggle out of trouble and use my weaknesses against me.

There's no turning back now.

Tears prick at my eyes but don't fall; I don't let them. Leaving Kayden in my dust was the start of my uprising. He was weighing me down, drowning me even. Now it's time to swim back up and live my life to my choosing.

I drive for about thirty minutes before pulling into a familiar parking lot. Just a few blocks away is an old coffee shop that I have found to be a hidden gem.

The smell of roasted coffee beans hits me like a fresh breath of air. My breath hitches as I hear the beautiful melody of a violin, the man dressed casually sways as he plays the string instrument.

Fuck, I forgot to take my violin with me. I mentally curse myself for leaving behind my precious instrument. Besides bartending, playing the violin is the only other action of keeping me sane through my relationship. Well, past relationship now.

My dreams of becoming a famous musician were crushed after Kayden made me drop out of Juilliard, but I continued to play my heart out even if it truly was only a stupid hobby.

"Valen!" I whip my head around as soon as I hear the familiar voice. With a goofy grin, my friend Isabelle waves her hand at me, ignoring the customer before her.

I make my way over to her, careful not to unleash all of the waterworks threatening to spill.

"Have a nice day." Isabelle hands a receipt to the customer before bouncing over to me. "Valen, it's been weeks since I last saw you." She throws her arms around me, smothering me with her usual affection. In a good way of course.

"I broke up with Kayden," I murmur into her shoulder, accepting her tight embrace.

"Good—-I mean he's a dick and breakups totally suck, but that's a good thing." She pulls back to place both her hands on my shoulders. Her hazel eyes which I have grown envious of over the years stare back at me. "You are a literal goddess and you deserve to be treated as one, nothing less. Kayden was a controlling prick, and I don't mean in the hot way."

Isabelle grabs my hand and leads me to a leather booth. It's slightly greasy and the table is loitered with pastry crumbs but that doesn't stop us from sitting down.

"The real question is: Who broke up with whom?" She arches an eyebrow, flipping her dark curly hair behind her shoulders.

"I broke up with him. He cheated on me again but this time it was at work. He fucking cheated on me with a co-worker of mine, Isa!" My cheeks feel flushed as I recounted what happened today. How could he do this to me? I was so good to him. I tried to be the perfect girlfriend, I really did.

"Babe, he is an asswipe." She scrunches up her nose in distaste. "I bet he begged you to stay, didn't he?"

This time I can't help but let a small giggle escape, making Isabelle join in. "What a fucking loser. He may have cheated, but he won't be getting a new woman anytime soon with that small dick energy of his. How did he even manage to charm you?"

"Black magic, probably," I tease, trying to lighten up my mood. Friends weren't something Kayden allowed me to have. He said it drew too much attention away from him, but I made sure to keep Isabelle close. She is my other half.

After a few minutes of catching each other up on both our lives, Isabelle finally pops the question.

"So....Where are you going to live now? I assume Kayden kept the apartment which means you found somewhere else to stay?"

My decision to leave was rash, an in-the-moment type thing. I absolutely stand by my choice but my lack of thought did put a slight damper in my victory of freedom. My living arrangements were not considered and it finally hit me.

"I'm not sure yet—-" I rest my elbow on the table to hold up my chin. "There are a bunch of cheap motels nearby. I'll probably stay a few nights then go apartment hunting." I say more to myself than to Isabelle. I can see the dissatisfaction in her eyes. She doesn't approve of my 'motel' idea.

Apartments are expensive in New York. Finding the right one for a decent price takes time, not just a few hours. Unfortunately, bartending part-time isn't exactly lucrative unless horny guys are desperate enough to throw their money at you. Crashing a few nights on the streets seems better than staying in an abusive relationship.

"Hear me out—-" Isabelle grabs my hand, holding it in both of hers. I eye her suspiciously, knowing her slower spoken words mean she is up to no good. "I know someone who is looking for a roommate and I think you would be the perfect candidate."

"Candidate, huh?" I cross my arms over my chest, somehow intrigued in the slightest. "Is this person the president or something?" I joke earning a smirk in return.

"Nope. Just a very picky man."

"Oh, Isabelle," I huff, rolling my eyes to the back of my head. "I just ended a two-year relationship. I don't really need another asshole in my life. Besides, I doubt this man wants some trailer-trash roommate like me."

"I swear, Valencia Erdogan, if you say another bad thing about yourself; I will kill you!" I throw up my arms in surrender as she playfully swats my shoulder. "Seriously though, please consider it. Arden is a nice guy with a nice apartment and that's not even the best part—-" She dramatically drum rolls on the table before revealing, "Arden is British."

Perhaps some British charm is what I need to get out of the slumps, but I don't like the idea of sharing an apartment with a dude. Especially a stranger...

Then again, I may be homeless in a couple of days. I can't really afford to be picky.

"Fine." I acquiesce. "I will think about it, but no promises."

I know Isabelle is just looking out for me like a best friend should, but maybe she sees a little too much in me. I confirm that thought as soon as she shows me pictures of the penthouse's location, not an apartment.

"Are you crazy?" I question as all the hope in my heart diminishes as quickly as it came. The place is located in the wealthiest neighborhood in NYC. "There is no way I could afford this. I barely have enough money to pay for three nights at motels, Isabelle!"

She shakes her head with a small smile, "Trust me, it's not as pricy as you think. He just wants someone to take care of the place while he's at work. He might cut the rent in half for you." She shrugs, before typing on her cell phone. "I'm sending you the address right now and I'll let Arden know you're interested."

"Isabelle—-" I start to protest but she cuts me off with a finger to my lips.

"Hush. When have I ever led you astray?"

"N-never."

She hums, "Exactly, babe. Now let's get you treated like the goddess you are." She looks down at her phone as soon as it pings a notification. "Get some rest for tomorrow because Arden wants to show you the place."

——

After the restless night of tossing and turning, I give up on sleep. Instead, I settle for some reading time, catching up on a spicy

romance novel which makes me hot and bothered with no man around to satisfy my desires.

It's not like Kayden has ever satisfied me in the first place. As soon as he finished, he was done.

No orgasms for me.

"Fuck," I curse as all of last night's events replay in my head like a broken record. It's already half past ten in the morning and I still need to pick up my violin. I don't need to meet with Arden until noon so I have time.

I quickly lock the motel door and get in my car, driving back to the apartment with shitty memories. Kayden should probably be out day drinking or getting arrested. This should be a quick grab-and-go situation.

I use my old apartment keys to open the door and step inside. My violin lays in its hard case thankfully untouched near the couch, but I stop dead in my tracks as soon as I catch sight of Kayden.

"Look who came crawling back." He clicks his tongue before mockingly shaking his head. The man has dark circles around his eyes and a stained white T-shirt on. Glad to see I am not the only one having a hard time sleeping, although he deserves insomnia more than me.

"I'm just grabbing my violin," I dismiss, picking the case up and strapping it over my shoulders.

"For fucks sake, Valencia," Kayden snarls, pushing himself off the couch to try and intimidate me. "Why are you acting like such a bitch? Just move back in and we can both move past this."

He's fucking delusional...

I guess I was too...

Everyone told me my relationship with him was toxic, but I didn't listen. I'm no longer blinded by love, in fact, I kind of hate him. He hurt me over and over again, he took advantage of me and now he doesn't want me to escape him.

"No." I pivot on my foot to exit but he grabs onto my hair, my scalp screaming in pain. "Let go, Kayden! Stop being a piece of shit for once in your life."

Tears well in my eyes as my scalp stings, but I manage to twist around in his grip, and strike him in his cheek with my fist. The many rings on my fingers act like brass knuckles, cutting into his bottom lip. His grip finally loosens, shoving me away from him. I yelp as my knees drop to the unforgiving hardwood floors, my forehead ramming into the metal doorknob.

I don't waste time walloping in pain, instead, I make my getaway, slamming the door shut on a furious Kayden.