When the lights go out

JESSE

My eyes went to the window just as the rain pelted against the window.

This storm was forecast, and it looks like it is rolling in this very moment. I have a love hate relationships with storms, but for this evening I was in love with it since I was not planning on leaving the apartment till it was gone.

Letting out a sigh, I lowered my eyes back to the book I was reading and got back to it.

I may be twenty-two, but this was a good night for me. Usually, I would be working at the local cafe till nine in the night and would have to walk home due to lack of transport. But since the weather forecast issued a storm warning, Donald, my boss, decided to close the cafe for the night. I, for one was over the moon since I didn’t like walking in the rain, which is one of many reasons why I hate storms. The mere thought of having my clothes sticking to me, makes feel cold.

Turning the page of the book, I begin to read when the room fills with darkness. Looking back to the window, the clouds seem to be getting darker.

Fuck. It’s going to be one of those storms.

Placing my tattered bookmark into the book and leave it to the side, I got up from my bed and walked over to the window.

A shiver ripples through me, making me wrap my arms around my waist. I needed to think warm thoughts. Even though the thought of a beach vacation would be on the cards, if I had the money, but I will settle for a cup of tea.

Moving away from the window, I headed to the door and straight into the hallway. Living in a flat with a roommate was something I never thought I would be doing, but here I am.

I applied for the room through an ad, when I was kicked out of my family home. My stepmum was hellbent on my father kicking me out at the age of eighteen, which he did. I don’t think my father has ever said no to her in his life, since he married her. Like a lapdog that he is, he told me I had a month to leave since they wanted my room for something. I didn’t know what they were turning my room into until he told me—a games room for my stepbrother, Colton.

All I could do was roll my eyes and walk away from him. He chooses his stepson over his own flesh and blood. I decided after that to have no contact with them and I haven’t since. It has been peaceful, and I haven’t spoken to them for a year now.

As much as it bothers me my father would choose a woman over me, who he had only known for a year, I knew I couldn’t win. My mother died four years before, leaving just the two of us. Dad thought I wanted a mother, but I didn’t, especially not at the age of fourteen. All I wanted was my father and to grieve for my mum.

Shaking my thoughts way, I walked toward the kitchen area and quickly grabbed my favourite mug from the cupboard, while stretching over to flip the kettle on. I pressed the button for it to boil and looked over my shoulder to the calendar.

My eyes skimmed over the dates to see what was happening over the next few days until I noticed something. I moved away from the kettle and noticed Trent; my roommate had put something on it.

‘Going home.’

My stomach dropped at the mere words. Trent was going back home, for how long?

Trent has left a few times to see his family before, leaving me to organize something since I hated being on my own. I liked knowing someone was here with me, so if anything happened, I knew he would be there to help.

Trent and I have been roommates for two years. When I messaged about the room, Trent was eager to find someone to fill it and agreed to have me since I met his requirements, which I still to this day didn’t know what they were.

Shaking my head, but a memory of when we met flooded my thoughts. Trent wanted a male roommate, but didn’t think Jesse would be a girl. He had hesitated at first, but after we were locked in together during covid we have been cool ever since.

Who would have thought three weeks of being locked in a flat with a hot man could bring us closer together? Mostly as friends.

Oh, and did I forget to mention Trent’s hot?

Fuck. He is.

The man is like a Greek god from a fantasy novel. He has jet black hair and the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen, that’s not including the man’s physique. He has rock hard abs and toned thighs, something that gets my body hot and bothered over.

Trent is someone I would fantasize about but would never have a chance to be with—not a man like him. I am what you call a plain Jane. My hair may be purple, but I love my comfy clothes—sweats with an oversized t-shirt, but I am not anyone’s type.

Take the last relationship I had was when I was eighteen. Before I was kicked out, the relationship I was in ended badly. My ex had a wondering dick and would always fall into a cunt of a plastic wannabe troll, when it felt like. He cheated on me but then gaslit me into believing it was my fault, when it wasn’t. I believe the best part was the punch I gave him after hearing his excuses, which resulted in broken nose and two black eyes—the best parting gift any woman could give a man if he makes you feel like shit or it could have been the knee to the balls too, which if I remember was the first thing I did before he decided to open his mouth which resulted in the punch. I’m not normally a fighter, but the man deserved it.

The room starts to go darker, which makes me come back to the present and look towards the kitchen window. The sky was darker then no more than a few seconds ago and the rain came and got heavier.

A click on the door made me look over at the clock—seven p.m. It sounded like our next-door neighbours had just got home.

Trent was supposed to be home an hour ago from training. Where the hell had he been? I sound like a worried girlfriend or something, but I wasn’t. That would make the most stupid woman on the planet to believe such thing, that Trent Clark would go for someone like me.

The click on the door came and then opened to me seeing a very drenched Trent standing in the doorway in his gym gear. I couldn’t help but let my eyes trail down his whole length. His clothes were saturated to his body and outlining every muscle the man had.

Fuck, my life.

“Jess, eyes up here!” he growled, which only made my cheeks go bright red. I looked away and kept my eyes to the window.

Oh fuck, he caught me looking at him again. This seems to be a real occurrence lately.