One

“Are you sure about this? It seems a bit…sketchy.”

“What exactly is so sketchy about it?”

“You’re putting up a flyer and inviting strangers into our apartment.”

I hold up a finger. “Nuh uh. You don’t get to have a say in this. You’re the one leaving me. This is my apartment now.”

Delia, my best friend and soon-to-be former roommate, sighs in defeat and crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine. You’re right. I just think it’s a little…I don’t even know. Makes me worried you’re going to get some creeper trying to move in with you.”

“I promise to vet each one before I make a decision. Sound good?”

She nods. “I’ll take what I can get with you.”

I adjust the laptop on my knees and lean back into the couch, my gaze planted firmly on the blinking cursor on the nearly blank screen. All I have so far is ROOMMATE WANTED. I’m going to need more than that.

“I still cannot believe you’re ditching me to move in with your stupid boyfriend,” I tell Delia.

“And goats. Don’t forget those sweet baby goats I bought her,” said stupid boyfriend interjects, piping up from behind the stack of boxes he’s preparing to haul out of the apartment.

“Yeah, what he said.” There’s a smile on her lips that tells me if I weren’t in the room right now, they’d likely not be clothed.

These two lovebirds make me sick.

“Gross, stop smiling at him like that.”

He pops his head out, a shit-eating grin covering his face, green eyes lit with mischief. “Did she do that sexy thing where one side of her lips tilts up? God, I love that fucking smile. Talk about a boner inducer.”

I throw a disgusted look his way. “Can we not discuss your dick right now, Zach? We’re trying to be sad.”

“I mean, I guess we don’t have to. It is a pretty spectacular subject though.”

Delia nods. “He isn’t wrong.”

Groaning, I toss myself back on the couch. “You two are terrible.”

“Are we really though, Zoe?”

“Can I kill him now?” I say to Delia.

“No,” Zach answers. “I—”

“Zachary Hastings!”

He throws a grin his girlfriend’s way, not buying the false reprimand from her either. “I’m going, I’m going.” Stacking up two boxes, he hustles his way from the room before I lob something heavy at his head.

“Are you sure you want to live with him already? You don’t think it’s too soon?”

She meets my questioning gaze with a serious, sure one of her own. “I’m ready.”

I know she is, and that’s what makes me so sad. We’ve been joined at the hip since freshman year. After sharing a dorm room for the last three years, we finally managed to score an apartment off campus last summer for our senior year and beyond. Our friendship, though it was already solid, has grown by leaps and bounds.

She’s my person, and I’m going to miss the hell out of her.

“Are you ready? For a new roomie, I mean. So soon? That’s a big leap, and we both know you don’t need someone to help foot the bill. Your parents—bless them both—take care of damn near everything already.”

“I know, but I think I’m going to get lonely fast. We both know I’m the more social one out of the two of us.”

Delia nods. “True, but do you really want to post a flyer? Why don’t you just, I don’t know, go out?”

I place a hand on my chest and gasp. “Do you mean I should, like, go out and meet someone the old-fashioned way?”

She cringes. “No, you’re right—people are gross. A flyer works, but do not give your personal information! You don’t want any randbro to get ahold of that.”

“Like the randbro who got ahold of yours? What happened with him again?” I tap my chin, pretending to think.

Delia pushes my hand away. “Stop it. You know what happened.”

“Yes, you banged him. You banged the first random guy who got ahold of your digits, and now you’re moving in with him!”

She rolls her eyes just as Zach walks back into the apartment.

“I’ll have you know I had to suffer through three dates with this broad before she finally gave it up. Three. Dates. Do you know how much she cost me in food alone?”

Before I can do it, Delia grabs the nearest pillow off the couch and chucks it Zach’s way. “Go away, you ass!”

He dodges the assault and laughs. “You know you love me, my little food whore.”

I watch as Delia’s eyes light up, the dopiest smile spreading on her face. “I do.”

Part of me wants to pretend to puke over their display, but more so, I love the way they love each other.

Nothing was traditional about their courtship—having met via a wrong number—and I don’t think either of them would have it any other way. Somehow that wrong number turned into the purest, easiest love I’ve ever witnessed.

“Get a room,” I tease to break the sexual tension building between them.

Zach lifts a shoulder. “I guess we could take her room for a spin one last time.”

My mouth drops open and Delia throws her head back in laughter.

“You have no shame, Zach Hastings.”

He shrugs again, not the least bit bashful, before grabbing more boxes and leaving.

Delia tucks her feet under her legs and looks my way. “I really will miss you, you know. I can’t believe we won’t be living together anymore.”

“I can’t believe you’re ditching me, and I can’t believe Zach is kicking Robbie out.”

“Hey, he’s not kicking him out. Robbie left before Zach even asked me to move in.”

I barely manage to not roll my eyes. “Oh, puh-lease. Like those boys didn’t have it planned. Zach knew you’d say yes. Robbie knew you’d say yes. He bailed for you, Delia. Don’t play.”

“I know, but if I pretend he didn’t then I don’t feel as bad.”

I laugh at her honesty. “Well he’s on to bigger and better things, so that’s all that matters.”

“You two still talking every day?”

When I first saw Robbie, Zach’s best friend and former roommate, during the Great Goat Heist last year, I was immediately attracted to him. I mean, with muscles for days, tattoos, and a killer grin, who could really blame a girl?

But then I learned he’s a single father, and I don’t do kids. That was the bucket of water on my lust fire, and I knew then we were destined to remain just friends, which, as it turned out, was exactly what we both needed.

While Delia and Zach were off falling in love, we grew close, talking about anything and everything, including my recent mishaps in the dating world and him trying to win back the mother of his child. Now I can’t imagine ever being attracted to him. He’s my wingman, too much like a big brother to be anything else.

“Yep. He’s loving his new place, by the way, said his ex is happy with him for getting out on his own. So, really, don’t feel bad about him moving out. It’s working out for him.”

She nods. “Good. That’s good. I just wish I had gotten more time to get to know him, because I’m certain he still thinks I’m halfway insane.”

“Only halfway? Are you sure? I mean you did climb through his bedroom window last year in an attempt to steal a baby goat.”

“But,” she begins to argue, “he’s also friends with Zach, and he’s the looniest of us all.”

“Good point.”

“Don’t worry ladies, you just sit there and cry and whatever else it is you’re doing. I’ll just handle all these heavy boxes myself.”

“We will!” Delia tells a passing Zach, his arms stacked full again. “Anyway, back to the roommate search—if you’re sure that’s what you want.”

I ponder this a moment. Part of me wants to try having the apartment to myself, but I will get bored and lonely. I’ll succumb to bothering Delia in a heartbeat, and I don’t want to be that desperate friend who needs reassurance when the other one gets a boyfriend.

No. I need a new roomie to keep me sane, and entertained.

“I am,” I tell her.

She claps her hands together. “Okay, then let’s get to work. I’m going to help make you this flyer before I leave.”

“Leave?” I balk. “I thought you weren’t going until tomorrow? Tonight is supposed to be our last pizza party and sleepover before you ditch me for the pretty boy.”

“Chill.” She holds her hand out. “We’re still having the slumber party, but I want to get started on this now. We want to make sure it’s perfectly Zoe.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“You know,” she says flippantly.

I cross my arms over my chest, smirking at her. “No, Delia, I don’t. Tell me exactly who Zoe is.”

“A little edgy. A little sarcastic. Crass. Adorable.” She winks at me and I laugh. “I don’t know. You’re…you. Whoever your new roomie is better like making breakfast to DMX and not be alarmed when you hole up in your room for days on end because you’re in the middle of a project.”