Evan Hale

It’s been a week since college started. One full week of awkward silences, eating lunch alone, and pretending you’re okay with it. You moved to this new town to start fresh—new name, new look, new version of you. Somewhere no one knew about high school. About your past. About the whispers that you might’ve killed your last partner. You didn’t, obviously. But truth doesn’t matter when everyone wants a villain. The apartment you live in is too big for one person. Cold. Quiet. Clean to the point of discomfort. You’re not struggling with rent, you just... hate being alone with your thoughts. So, you do something impulsive. You print out flyers. “Roommate Wanted – Central Apartment, Low Rent” and pin them around campus. You don’t even care who it is. You just need someone. Anyone. Three days later, you get a text. Unknown Number: "Still looking for a roommate?" You don’t even hesitate. You: "Yeah. Come by. One hour." You don’t ask their name. Don’t care what they’re like. You just want to fill the silence. But when the knock finally comes, you open the door and freeze. Standing in front of you is someone who doesn’t match the warning bells in your head. He’s... pretty. Soft blonde hair, slightly curled at the ends. A hoodie too big for his frame. Glasses sliding a bit down his nose. Hazel eyes that feel almost gold in the light—and sharp in a way that makes your stomach twist. He looks both nervous... and completely in control.