The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

ARIA’S POV

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The next morning, I woke up and felt a mix of pain and pleasure. A smile graced my lips as I opened my eyes to get acquainted with my surroundings. I was in Julian’s bed, in Julian’s room.

But first, my head was pounding. A dull, throbbing ache that made me groan softly as I shifted against the bed.

Everything felt pleasantly heavy. My body.

My limbs. Even my thoughts. I blinked my eyes slowly, the sunlight streaming through the curtains making me wince.

“Ugh…” I murmured and turned slightly. Then, I froze. The bed was empty. My heart skipped.

Then dropped. Was it all a dream? Where was Julian?

“Julian…?”

Silence.

I pushed myself up quickly, ignoring the way my body protested. A sharp soreness settled low in my body, making me suck in a breath.

But even that didn’t matter right now. Because he wasn’t here. My chest tightened. “He probably just stepped out. There’s no need to panic.” I muttered under my breath.

But something about it didn’t sit right. The room felt too empty. Too quiet. Too cold. A knot formed in my stomach.

His side of the bed was cold and it felt like he had stepped out long ago. And just like that, the thoughts started creeping in. Did he regret it?

Did he wake up and realize it was a mistake?

Was I…I swallowed hard, the question burning in my mind.

Was I not enough? My grip tightened around the sheets. “Stop it,” I whispered to myself.

But it didn’t stop. Because the truth was, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no experience. The only other boy I had liked was Luca and we never had sex.

No idea if I did anything right. If he liked it.

If, after last night, he realized I wasn’t it for him. My chest tightened painfully.

What if he didn’t? What if I wasn’t enough for him? The thought hit harder than I expected.

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Chapter 53

Because I had tried. God, I had tried.

I squeezed my eyes shut briefly before forcing myself up. I needed to find him.

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I grabbed one of his shirts and despite my legs being weak, I forced myself to leave the room in search of the man who had settled deep into me without moving.

I barely took a few steps into the living room before I saw him.

Julian.

He was bending near the door, his back partially turned to me, his movements sharp. Tense. He was lacing his boots. Hard. Fast.

Like he was trying to hold something in. “Julian?” I called softly. No response. I stepped closer, my brows pulling together. “What’s wrong?”

That was all it took. He turned to me quickly and the look in his eyes wasn’t soft. It wasn’t warm. It was filled with fury.

Raw, unfiltered fury and I froze. My steps faltered. “What… is everything okay? What’s going on…” Before I could finish, he was already moving toward me.

Closing the distance in seconds. My heart jumped. “Julian, what’s going on-”

“Explain this.” His voice was sharp. Cold.

He shoved his phone toward me. I blinked, confused, before my eyes dropped to the screen.

And then, my breath caught. There were photos of me and Professor Hensley.

Getting into his car on that rainy day, sitting inside and him dropping me off in front of the apartment.

The angle. The timing. The way it looked made me feel nauseous. My stomach dropped. “It’s not what you think…” I started quickly.

“Really?” he cut in, his tone dangerously quiet. “Because it looks pretty clear to me.”

My chest tightened. “He was just giving me a ride! It was raining, I—”

“And you couldn’t call me?” he snapped. The words hit. Hard.

“You had left the night before, Julian. I wanted to call but I didn’t think—”

“Exactly,” he cut in again. “You didn’t think.”

My frustration flared instantly. “Because you weren’t there!” I shot back. “You left, remember?”

That struck something. His jaw tightened. But he didn’t back down.

“You think I don’t see what’s happening?” he continued, his voice low but laced with anger. “First the kiss goes

11:47 Thu, May 14

Chapter 53

public, now this-”

My eyes widened. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re getting comfortable,” he said flatly.

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My chest tightened painfully. “With him?” I asked, disbelief creeping into my voice. “Are you serious right now?”

He didn’t answer. And somehow, that made it worse.

“Julian, he’s my professor,” I said, my voice shaking now. “He offered me a ride. That’s it. Nothing happened.”

His gaze didn’t soften. Not even a little. “Save it.”

That broke something in me. “Save it?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes.”

A sharp laugh escaped me, but there was no humor in it. “Wow.” I shook my head slowly. “You don’t trust me,” I said.

It wasn’t a question. It was a realization. His silence confirmed it. And that hurt more than anything else. “I just…” I started, but my voice cracked.

I swallowed hard. “I just gave myself to you,” I whispered.

That made him freeze. For a second. Just one. But it wasn’t enough. Because the damage was already done.

“You don’t get to turn this around on me,” he said, his tone colder now.

My chest caved in. “I’m not turning anything,” I said quietly. “I’m telling you the truth.”

Another silence. Heavy. Painful.

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