Forever Mine (Roommate Duet 0.5)(37)

Now, I’m screwed.





To her singing in the shower every morning, dancing in the kitchen while she makes coffee, and doing yoga in our living room, I can’t stop thinking about her in all the wrong ways. She’s not mine and never will be, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to push her against a wall and claim her mouth.





She’s constantly on me for making messes, bringing chicks home every weekend, and being a smartass when their PDA gets on my nerves. Considering neither of them know how I feel, it’s not fair for the way I act toward them. I should move out so I can get over her for good; however, the selfish part of me can’t let go.





But then the unthinkable happens...

When my best friend dies in a motorcycle accident, the two of us are left to grieve our loss together. Instead of pushing her away, I pull her closer.





Just as we come to terms with our new reality, she finds out she’s pregnant with his baby.

And I’m left to make the hardest decision of my life...





**BABY MINE is an angsty, emotional, slow-burn romance wrapped up in a heartbreakingly delicious love story. It's book 1 in the Hunter & Lennon duet of the Roommate Duet Series and must be read first.





Baby Mine Prologue





HUNTER





This place is so packed, sweat beads form along my forehead. I’ve been running around behind the bar getting people’s beers and making cocktails nonstop for four hours. It’s so crowded the bouncer stops letting people enter. However, it only gets this insanely busy during spring break, especially with California State University just ten minutes away.

“Dude, Hunter,” Brandon hollers, then I look over my shoulder at him standing at the opposite end. “Need a refill, man!” He shakes his empty beer bottle as if that’ll encourage me to hustle. Considering he doesn’t tip, his pretty boy ass can wait.

“I’ll be right over!” I reply, shaking my head. It’ll be his fifth beer in the past few hours, but I know he’s taking full advantage of our last semester in college. In just a couple of months, we’ll graduate and be in the real world—hopefully not still bartending, though. I’m getting my degree in engineering and don’t plan to use it making drinks.

Brandon Locke is my roommate and one of my best friends. Though we grew up hating each other in high school since he was the kicker for my school’s rival team, we moved past that when we were forced to play football together at CSU Sacramento. He’s one of the most dependable guys I know, and though he tries to keep up with me and our other buddies, he’s more of a straight arrow. Tonight, however, he seems to be bending.

“Locke, you sure you want another?” I ask when I’m in front of him.

“Don’t make me jump over this bar and junk punch you,” he threatens, then slaps down a five dollar bill, which makes me chuckle.

“Oh, big spender. Fine.” I grab a cold beer from the cooler and slide it over to him. I take the five and put it in the drawer. “But don’t think I’m holding your hair back when you puke your guts out later.”

Brandon immediately chugs away while holding up his middle finger at me. “I don’t need a sitter, Dad. Plus, Mason and Liam are here to make sure I get home safely.”

That makes me snort, and I shake my head. “They aren’t much better.”

“True.” He shrugs, giving no fucks.

This last semester has been hard on us. These final months before graduation have been a mental head game as we focus on the future and job hunting. Bartending pays the bills for now, and I don’t mind it, but on nights like this, I wish I was hanging out with my friends instead of serving them. At least being the sober one keeps me entertained because they’re a bunch of idiots when they’re drunk.

“Manning!” When I hear my last name being yelled across the room, I immediately know it’s Mason. He’s the loud and obnoxious one of the four of us and is always ready for a party. Hell, he is the party.

He squeezes his way through the crowd until he’s standing next to Brandon. His lazy grin tells me exactly just how drunk he is.

“You better slow your shit down, Holt. I’m not gonna get a fine for over-serving your ass,” I warn, cleaning up a beer spill from the person he bumped into when he barged over to the bar.

“Dude, I’m totally fine. Look…” he tells me, aiming for his nose with his finger but misses and gouges his eye. “Well, I’m not driving anyway, so hook a brother up.”

I slide open the cooler door, grab him a Pabst Blue Ribbon, and hand it over. “I don’t know how you drink that PBR shit.” I take his money off the bar. “Should charge you extra for making me serve it to you.”

“Shut the fuck up,” he shouts. “You just don’t know what’s good.” Mason takes a long swig.

I scoff, ignoring him.

“Smells nasty as fuck too.” Brandon leans over and makes a face. “Probably why he likes it. Just his type,” he adds, and we both laugh.

“Where’s Evans?” I ask, realizing I haven’t seen Liam in a while, and look over the crowd. He’s not as rowdy as Mason, but he’s been known to get thrown out of a party or two. Kinda ironic considering he’s a bouncer here and is usually the one breaking up fights and kicking drunks out on their asses.