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rummaging through his bag.
    “Beth and I use the bathroom down the hall, so this one here will be all yours. That means you need to clean it yourself, just to be clear.”
    For a moment or two I watched as he began removing his things, trying to adjust to the idea that a man I barely knew would be sleeping just a few steps away from me.
    I’ll start locking my door when I go to sleep.
    When he’d finished, he tossed a sheet clumsily across the bed and started removing his t-shirt, as if he’d completely forgotten I was there. I felt myself start to blush as I quickly turned away.
    “Don’t go anywhere while I’m asleep .” I heard Alex’s voice follow me, “If you have to go somewhere, wake me up. Understand?”
    I didn’t grace him with an answer, but left the room and pulled the do or closed behind me with a thud. When I got back to my room I crept into bed and involved myself in the task of writing my paper, grateful for some peace at last.
     
    Darkness was falling outside and my eyes felt fuzzy after long hours spent gazing at the screen. I didn’t know how much time had passed while I was writing, but the paper was almost finished when the silence was broken by a shrill and piercing scream from the direction of the kitchen.
    I leaped out of bed and headed for where the sound had come from, almost colliding with Bethany in the process. She was standing near the entrance to the kitchen, a hand over her mouth and a terrified look on her face. Following her gaze to the source of her anxiety, I almost screamed myself… but whether out of fear or something else I couldn’t say.
    Alex was standing by the open fridge, leaning on the door with one hand while holding a carton of milk in the other. And he was wearing just his sweat pants.
    I found myself staring in astonishment at the web of interwoven black tattoos covering the entire surface of his chest, continuing around his back and down his arms as far as the knuckles on his fingers. They were scary and magnificent at the same time.
    O nly when initial shock had passed, I noticed that the black pattern was broken in some places by pale marks. Scars. And there were more than a few. It didn’t take long for me to realize that two round ones, on his stomach and right shoulder, had to have come from bullet wounds.
    That bizarre interplay of dark shapes, symbols, tribal patterns, words and scars would make anyone feel disturbed, but his sculpted body, with its perfectly toned muscles, could only leave you breathless in the end. With the ruffled hair, his half-open eyes and that certain aura of pent-up aggression, he reminded me of a model from some stylized, avant-garde Diesel ad. Again, a million little butterflies started twitching in my belly and I wondered whether the bald gorilla might have been a better choice after all.
    “What's wrong with her?” Alex drawled, pointin g the top of the carton at Beth and bringing me back to reality.
    “I don’t think she expected to see a tattooed monster jumping out of our fridge.”
    Hoping no one could detect too much emotion behind my tone, I wrenched my eyes away from him and turned to Bethany, who maintained the same pose, looking utterly confused.
    “I’m so sorry, I should have told you earlier... mmm, this is Alex. Our new roommate.”
    Beth turned to me with wide eyes, “Excuse me?”
    “Well, it seems we’re somehow related, unfortunately, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’d been some mix-up at the hospital. He’s transferred to our university and I basically agreed that he could stay here with us. You know, we have the spare room and all… I just hope you’re not angry with me?”
    I put this question to Beth carefully, since in all the confusion it had totally slipped my mind to tell her about our new houseguest. She started shaking her head, a disapproving look on her face as she raised one finger in accusation, her shiny blond hair flying in all directions.
    “You’ve been forgetful lately