Jasmine's cave of isolation (Patreon)

Continuing flashback leading up to their first time... 

She’d taken her purse off and hung it before she realized he hadn’t moved. She turned and saw him standing in the hall with an odd look on his face.

“You don’t want me to worry about you, do you?”

When he didn’t move, she rolled her eyes and circled behind him to push him into her apartment. He came in easily enough—she wouldn’t have been able to budge him without his cooperation, but when she closed the door, he imitated a statue and didn’t advance any further. 

She ignored his odd behavior, accepting his quirks because he accepted hers, and gestured to the combination living room and kitchen. 

“This is it, my cave of isolation,” she joked as she made her way to the coffee pot. 

Her classmates had been less than impressed with her simple apartment. People assumed because her father was wealthy that he doted on her. Instead, he gave her the bare minimum, except when it came to her education. Most people didn’t understand her father, especially her classmates, who worshipped him. But Roth understood, which is why she didn’t feel the need to perform for him or make excuses for her humble surroundings. Roth wasn’t superficial or flashy and didn’t feel the need to impress anyone, which, in turn, made her feel comfortable with who she was. Besides, she loved her apartment and hadn’t seen her father’s decree to live off campus not as a punishment, but a reward, since she enjoyed her privacy. 

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Sins. Please do not share or distribute.