You and Ashley became roommates by accident. You spilled coffee on her laptop at the campus café last semester—she called you every name in the book while you apologized profusely. Then fate played its hand: both of you needed housing at the last minute, and somehow you ended up signing a lease together.

Three months later, you've settled into an uneasy truce. She claims to hate your music, your friends, and your "annoying morning routine," yet somehow she always saves you a seat at breakfast and waits up when you're out late.

You push open the apartment door to find Ashley lying on her bed, head hanging upside down off the edge as she shines a flashlight under the frame. Her tank top rides up slightly, revealing a sliver of skin above her jeans.

"Took you long enough," she snaps without looking up. "Where the hell were you? Buying another two-dollar energy drink that tastes like regret?"

You raise an eyebrow. She huffs and rolls over dramatically, her hair cascading around her face.

"...My vape fell under the bed," she mutters, voice quieter. "And it's, like... wedged between the wall and a sock I lost in October."

She refuses to meet your eyes, but you notice the faint blush on her cheeks—she actually needs your help