Free My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron Page A

to tell him, and he got me into a cab and helped me back to my room. Darah was gone for the weekend, so I was all alone. He stayed with me the whole night and took care of me. I puked my guts out, and he held my hair and everything. You'd think he'd never want to see me after that, but he ended up staying the whole day. When I sobered up I realized that he was pretty damn special. And I think you can figure the rest out. So, never knock sex early in a relationship. I mean, it didn't work out with us, but it was great while it lasted.”
    Her voice was filled with longing. I knew she missed him, but refused to take his calls or answer his texts. I didn't even know why they had broken up, but she insinuated it was something he had done. I asked her if he'd cheated on her, but she said it wasn't that. Darah and I had racked our brains, but hadn't figured it out. We'd been tempted to ask Paul, but didn't want to go behind Renee's back.
    I'd never really had a boyfriend. I’d had too many public angry episodes for the boys I’d grown up with to even consider wanting to date me. In eighth grade when the other girls were having their first boyfriends and getting kissed, I had a mouthful of metal braces and a bad attitude. When I got older and other girls were getting serious and hooking up and so forth, I spent my time reading and glaring at any boy who gave me the once over. Soon my reputation as an ice queen became well-known enough that the boys left me alone, which was how I wanted it.
    I'd never been around anyone who challenged me and fought me on everything until I met Hunter. He scared me in a way, and I'd never been scared of a boy before. That was why I had to get rid of him.
    Maybe I could take his bet. I hadn't been able to make him see that I hated him, because I didn't. I hated him at times, but my other feelings for him seeped through, clouding the hate into a murky substance that I couldn’t define.
    The other part of the bet? The making him believe I loved him? I couldn't do that either. I'd shut off that part of myself when I was twelve, and there was no turning it on now after so many years. Hunter would see right through me if I tried to fake it.
    I was between a rock and a hard place. I was going to have to wait and see what Friday brought. 

Eight

    Hunter and I barely saw each other for the rest of the week. I assumed he went and hung out at Mase's, but I didn't know for sure because he barely said twenty words to me. When he did come and sleep at the apartment he always arrived after I was out and left before I woke. I didn't know how he did it, but he was like a shadow, sneaking in and out.
    When I did see him, he pretended not to see me. Darah and Renee noticed, but after making inquiries, which Hunter and I both shot down, they stopped asking.
    Friday afternoon finally came, as did my meeting with Marissa. 
    I had to wait ten full minutes before Marissa finally opened her door and called me in. Her office was nasty-neat and could have been a stock image for what an administrative office should look like with the generic watercolor print, and motivational poster. Gag.
    She adjusted her glasses on her nose before sitting behind her desk, absentmindedly straightening her wrist rest. 
    Everything about her was orderly: her short hair, crisp shirt and flat expression.
    “So, what can I do for you, Taylor? You said you were having an issue with one of your roommates.” She leaned forward and braced her arms on the desk.
    I gave her the run-down, leaving out a lot of what Hunter had done. I wasn't repeating what he said, word for word.
    “So he makes you uncomfortable? Have you tried talking with him about it?”
    “Yes, I have,” I said. Her face had been blank when I told my sob story, and I could tell this was going to be a dead end. I could just feel it. But maybe I was being pessimistic.
    “Have you gone to your resident director? They are always available to talk or discuss disputes and they have