The Roommate Equation

Shit, this is real.

Panicked, I sit up and use my forearm as a shield from the sunlight, staring down at her in disbelief.

What the fuck did I do?

Ash moaned my name a few seconds ago.

I thought I was dreaming.

I have sand in my hair, on my clothes, matted into my leg hair. Sweat beads off my forehead and the full effects of the alcohol I consumed last night are fully kicking my ass.

How did we end up here… together?

If Sloan were to see us, he would murder me. Everything we have worked for will go out the window. I have too much of a hangover to explain why I accidentally fondled Ash. In my defense, I thought it was a dream. Because touching Ash like that was something I thought I would only do again in my dreams.

She’s wearing a red tank top without a bra, this one with a white tulip design, her favorite flower. A pair of black shorts curve to the contours of her delicious body. Her ass is pressed against me, digging into the head of my cock, making it a lot harder to ignore how much I want her.

“Ash.” I grip her shoulder and give it a good shake. “Ash, c’mon. It’s time to wake up.”

Judging by the sun's position, we’re already an hour behind my usual schedule, if not more. Sloan is probably having a stroke, assuming the worst. This doesn’t look good for either of us. How do I explain why we slept on the beach together without getting into a fight with Sloan? Most of the time, Ash and I act like we hate each other. Sloan might believe we both got drunk and fell asleep. At least I hope he does.

Ash’s eyes flutter, and her hand slides between her thighs. She lets out a soft moan that makes my cock harder. Does she think she’s still dreaming? I suck in a deep breath and watch as Ash rolls her head back against my chest, her hand moving lower.

“Dylan,” she cries out.

She’s dreaming of me.

I didn’t imagine it.

Years ago, I watched her do the same thing and couldn’t control myself. I was like a wild animal that needed to be tamed. Because when it came to Ash, I was ravenous, hungry, and desperate for more. One taste wasn’t enough. I knew it from the second her cherry gloss touched my lips.

“Ash,” I say against her earlobe, and she shivers. “Wake up. We’re late for work.”

This time, her eyes open, and she shoots up from my chest like she’s on fire. Panting and out of breath, Ash turns her head both ways, looking at me, the ocean, and then at me again. Horror scrolls across her beautiful face. Then, she glances down at her arm and pinches the skin between her fingers.

“It felt so real,” she says under her breath, almost sad. “Like before.”

When we were together.

Ash hugs her knees to her chest as she shoots daggers in my direction. Her blue eyes are so beautiful even though they’re slightly glassy from sleep. Ash holds my gaze for a few seconds before she blows out a puff of air that hits my cheek.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to touch you. Please don’t say anything to Sloan.”

Ash gets so close our mouths are several inches apart. A smirk turns up the corner of her mouth. “Don’t say what?”

At least she’s game with pretending this never happened. She never told Sloan about our secret relationship. After our first night together, Ash applied to Boston College, so she would be a short drive from Cambridge, where I attended MIT. We saw each for over a year in secret. That’s why I didn’t date anyone while I was in college. To this day, Sloan still thinks I hooked up with the girl from Zeta Beta when she was only a cover.

The entire time I was with Ash, Sloan thought she was in Boston enjoying the college life. Every weekend, when I could sneak away from Sloan, I saw Ash. I hated living a double life. Back then, Sloan lived in our fraternity chapter house, and I moved into a hacker hostel with my coder friends. But Ash was the reason for the sudden move.

Ash glances down at her nipples, poking through the thin fabric of her tank, and her cheeks flush with embarrassment. I push myself up from the ground and extend my hand to Ash. She takes it without complaint.

“What’s our story?” Ash sighs. “Sloan is probably going insane right now.”

“We tell him the truth, but leave out the part about us touching.”

She nods. “Let me do the talking. If he hears it from me, he’ll be less hostile.”

I laugh. “Yeah, if you say so.”

“Sloan wouldn’t believe we were together anyway. Not with how much we bicker.”