He Picked My Roommate, I Picked a PhD Instead Chapter 10
Sierra crumpled to the floor, tears mixing with her makeup.
She pointed at me and screamed, “Why? You used to depend on Keaton too! Why do you get an advisor who
wants you, get to publish papers, while I only get your leftovers?”
“Keaton should’ve been good to me. You were the one hogging him…”
No one listened. Staff came to help her up. They were taking her to process her withdrawal from the
university.
She struggled and screamed all the way out, her voice fading until only echoes remained.
Keaton’s guy walked up to me, still holding the USB drive.
“Miss Hayes, there’s something you should know.”
“Keaton bought those gifts for Sierra because he wanted her to give them to you. To win you back. He told
her not to mention him. Just hand them over and leave.”
He opened the chat log. I saw Keaton’s message: [Don’t tell Sloane it’s from me. Just give her the stuff and
go.]
“Instead of doing that, Sierra went back and told Keaton you refused the gifts. Said you’d already moved on
to someone new.”
“The money transfer, telling your parents, leaving you on read-Sierra came up with all of it. She thought it
would make you come crawling back.”
“And the food truck lot? Keaton made calls ahead of time. Nobody bothered you.”
I looked at the messages on the screen, closed my eyes, and let out a long breath.
He asked, “Keaton’s outside. He wants to know if you’ll talk to him. Just talk.”
“No.”
I packed my things into my bag. “It’s in the past.”
I’d spotted Keaton in the corner when his guy walked in. Hair still a mess. He didn’t come close. Just stood in the shadows watching.
But that didn’t matter anymore. I didn’t care.
As I walked out of the meeting, my advisor texted: [Read your paper. Good ideas. Come by my office next week to talk.]
I texted back “OK” and put my phone away.
Footsteps behind me. Keaton. He didn’t speak. Just followed me two steps back.
At the dorm entrance, he finally said, “Sloane. Everything before-I was an idiot. Sierra played me, and I…”
“I know.”
I stopped without turning around. “But that’s not my problem anymore.”
“And I’m busy. I have a paper to revise, a topic to discuss with my advisor next week, a food cart to run tonight. No time for the past.”
He walked around to face me. His eyes were red, voice shaking. “I know I was a piece of shit. I shouldn’t have believed her. Shouldn’t have ignored you. Give me one more chance. I’ll fix everything-your brother’s
situation, your PhD tuition, I can handle it all…”
He reached for my hand carefully. “Whatever you don’t like about me, I’ll change.”
“Keaton.”
I looked up at him, voice flat. “My brother’s wedding fund-I’ll talk to my mom myself. You don’t need to worry about it. And my PhD tuition? I’ll save up from the cart and tutoring.”
“What I want isn’t the easy path you buy with money. I want to stand on my own.”
He froze. “So our eight years together… really just… over?”
“Yes.”
Keaton’s eyes welled up. Tears kept spilling over, hanging on his lashes. He gripped my sleeve and wouldn’t
let go.
Until his parents showed up and pulled him away.
