Chapter 4

• Emma
• “This place is a dump.”
• For once, she found herself in agreement with Xavier. From her perspective, it was indeed a dump. The inside of their new apartment was even worse than the outside. Furthermore, they weren’t even close to school; instead, they resided on the other side of town, in a residential area.
• Lorthford College was a small school in a small town, where the area was divided by socioeconomic class. The wealthy lived in proximity to the school, working in the surrounding towns and cities, while the less fortunate resided in the outskirts. There seemed to be no middle class, and every year the town’s population more than doubled when school started.
• Looking at it objectively, they weren’t that much farther away from school than they would have been in off-campus housing. However, the area was far from safe, and students stayed away from the east side for a reason.
• The square and squat appearance of the building outside hadn’t provided Emma with much hope. The brick façade of the five-story structure was faded and grimy. As she entered the lobby, she noticed an open area with ten mailboxes, one for each apartment. A fake potted plant stood in the corner, and caution tape stretched across the elevators.
• Being situated on the fifth floor, Emma couldn’t ignore the unpleasant stench of body odor and spicy food that permeated the hallways and even the stairwell. As she stepped into the apartment, she was greeted by a living room that was incredibly tiny. It consisted of a loveseat, a TV stand without a TV, and a threadbare area rug beneath a scarred wooden coffee table.
• The galley-style kitchen offered only one small square of counter space, three cupboards, an aging fridge that appeared older than Emma herself, and a small stove with coiled elements and a scratched surface. In the corner of what could have been a dining nook, a small four-person table had been squeezed in, but it only had three chairs, and they looked dangerously unstable.
• They hadn’t even inspected the bedrooms or the bathroom yet, but Emma doubted they would be any better. Xavier dropped his bag and forcefully shut the door, expressing his hatred for their new living arrangements. Emma shared the sentiment but chose to remain silent.
• Xavier took determined strides towards the first closed door and pushed it open, revealing a bedroom with a double bed, a dresser, a night table, and a footlocker. The small window was adorned with tattered Venetian blinds, and to Emma’s disappointment, the room lacked a closet.
• “I called it,” Xavier declared confidently.
• “No. You can’t call it until we’ve seen both rooms,” Emma retorted.
• “Fuck that,” Xavier responded, closing the door and positioning himself in front of it. “I’m calling it.”
• “You’re an asshole,” Emma muttered under her breath.
• “Your insults are getting old,” Xavier fired back.
• Emma clenched her teeth in frustration and stomped over to the next door, forcefully pushing it open. The room before her was noticeably smaller, barely able to accommodate a single bed, a dresser, and a footlocker.
• “Enjoy your closet,” Xavier taunted, wearing a smirk as Emma slammed the door shut in response.
• “I hate you,” Emma muttered, her voice filled with disdain.
• “Mutual,” Xavier retorted, pushing past her and opening the final door.
• Emma’s eyes widened at the sight of the dingy bathroom before her. The counter was minuscule, the sink shallow and yellowed with age. The flooring peeled at the corners, and an olive-green tub with a clear, worn shower curtain liner completed the dismal picture.
• Had anyone bothered to clean this place in the last twenty years? It was utterly disgusting.
• “This place sucks,” Xavier declared, slamming the door shut with frustration evident in his actions before storming away.
• “I’m not taking the tiny room!” Emma shouted after him, her anger fueling her words.
• Furious, she felt a surge of indignation toward the entire situation. The apartment only made things worse. Did their parents not care about their well-being at all?
• Emma hadn’t expected luxury or extravagance, but she had hoped for equal-sized rooms and a functioning elevator. The reality fell far short of even her modest expectations.
• “What are you going to do about it?” Xavier challenged, slinging his oversized duffle bag over his shoulder.
• Quickly, Emma hurried to the door of the larger room, defiantly positioning herself in front of it, hands on her hips.
• “Move,” Xavier commanded, stopping in his tracks so they stood toe to toe, his anger evident in his eyes.
• “Make me,” Emma retorted, her determination evident.
• In an act of frustration, Xavier dropped his bag on Emma’s foot, causing her to yelp in pain.
• “Ow! Asshole,” she exclaimed, rubbing her foot while shooting him a glare.
• “You really want to fight me?” Xavier leaned closer, his chest barely inches away from hers. His breath, infused with mint and a hint of citrus, reminiscent of the gum he had been chewing during the drive, brushed against her cheek, causing her breath to catch.
• Her heart raced as he straightened, his stature imposing despite his similar height. Though not significantly taller than her, his broad build and strength made her feel small in comparison.
• “You know I could break you in half without even trying,” Xavier whispered, his lips hovering close to her ear. “But maybe you’d like that.”
• Startled, Emma jerked back, unintentionally hitting her head against the door.
• “I fucking hate you,” she seethed, rubbing the back of her head while glaring at him.
• “Besides, it only makes sense for me to have the room with the double bed,” Xavier smirked, teasingly pressing his chest against hers. “It’s not like your virgin ass is going to need more than a single.”
• “I’m not a virgin,” Emma lied, her cheeks reddening with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
• “Sure, you’re not,” Xavier taunted, closing in on her, effectively trapping her against the door. “I know all about you and Gavin.”
• Emma’s eyes widened in shock.
• How had he found out about her and Gavin? They had secretly dated last year, albeit discreetly.
• They had engaged in sexual activities, but Emma had decided to end things with him after realizing he would never acknowledge their relationship publicly. Initially, being with Gavin had been thrilling, but it had quickly become apparent that she would forever be his secret.
• “I know all about how you wouldn’t let him fuck you. Twenty-one years old and you still haven’t taken a dick,” Xavier taunted, his words dripping with mockery.