Chapter Four

Boundaries... Chase Ruiz doesn't have that.

He doesn't.

For one, he seems to believe that personal space is just a suggestion or an option. People would normally keep at least an arm's length between them and the next person's breathing space, but no the man.

Chase just doesn't understand that concept.

And Lia confirmed this the very next day after that abominable and awkward move-in she experience.

She was in the kitchen trying to make herself a morning cup of coffee when out of nowhere, she felt the man press up against her back. There was almost no room for air between the two of them. And Chase actually pushed her over the kitchen counter.

And although she admitted that she find the man hot, it threw her a bit off. She had no idea what was happening. It was totally unannounced. She had just moved in for fudge's sake.

The most confusing part of this was that the man didn't seem to mean anything by it. He was just trying to reach the box of cereal on the cupboard above her and she just happened to be in the way. Like he genuinely didn't notice that Lia was there. It makes her think if she apparently successfully managed to blend in with the kitchen counter.

But the man could've excused himself. He could have told her to move the heck out of the way. He could have even asked her to get the damn cereal for him. But no, Chase decided that it was fine to push Lia forward with his body.

"Excuse me??" Lia told him once she had wiggled out from between the man and the kitchen counter she was bent over. "Am I in your way?"

Chase unbelievably did not notice the clear tone of disapproval in her voice and didn't seem to understand what she was getting at, "Oh, no, you're fine." the man said with ease.

Before she could reply back, Chase had already left the kitchen without a care in the world.

Another issue she has with personal boundaries has to do, unfortunately, with bathrooms.

Lia had naively thought that it wouldn't be a problem to share a bathroom with the man. He seems clean and hygienic enough. She didn't find wet towels on the floor either, and no bodily fluids smeared on the walls... she thought she was blessed, to be honest.

Except, he ruins it by again, having no boundaries.

During the first week after she moved, and after realizing that the bathroom we shared didn't have a lock - which is actually a crap - she gathered enough courage to take a shower. She even said it in a loud voice. She let the man know, well, ahead of time, that she was going to be in the bathroom.

But not even five minutes has passed when Chase came barging in.

"What the hell?!" Lia yelled with all her might as she peeked from behind the shower curtain, shampoo studs threateningly close to her eyes.

"Yes?" he replied back with the most nonchalant attitude.

"Do you mind?! In case you are not aware, I am trying to take a shower here!"

"I don't mind, I am just here minding my own business." at that point, the man had already unzipped his pants and pulled the toilet lid up, about to relieve himself.

"But I DO mind!" she clearly wasn't making a strong argument hiding behind the shower curtain like a blushing school girl.

But the freaking pervert just shrugged his shoulders and replied with "What's the problem? It's not like I have not seen what you have to other girls I've been with."

The nerve!

And oh, her bedroom door didn't have a lock either.

Yep, it didn't have any lock.

By the first week, she had almost gotten used to Chase barging into her bedroom.

Knocking is apparently a form of respect he does not think Lia deserve.

He grants her no privacy. She have to be on full alert at all times. It doesn't matter if she is eating, changing clothes, or laying down in bed.

Lia is skittish and she is not shy to say that. She do jump at the smallest sounds and movements. Her life doesn't need the added excitement. So every time Chase barges in her bedroom, it doesn't matter what she is doing, she will always jump. It's just her body's natural reaction.

Thankfully, the man had not walked in on her state of nakedness, yet. But damn it, he's trying. She knows he is.

And oh, how can she forget that Chase does not like wearing shirts!

Yes, he is shirtless most of the freaking time!

And even though he really have a nice body, it is still truly annoying for her.

Not because she is jealous of how perfectly define the man's body is, but because she is obviously sexually frustrated.

And nope, that is not something she choose to feel, but what can she do? The man does everything shirtless. It includes vacuuming the floor, eating meals, and even watching TV. He also does these morning push-ups but he does it in front of her like he's showing off. Lia would be sitting on the couch, having her toast for breakfast and Chase would do his freaking push ups on the carpet in front of her, shirtless. She tried to feign annoyance and even feign ignorance and groan in disgust as his sweat trickles into the carpet, but who the fuck is she kidding? She just want the man to put a shirt on so she would feel less of a pervert.

Their apartment already have a pervert and it wouldn't be good to have two perverts.

The first time she complained and told her to put on a shirt - he was walking around the kitchen, drinking milk straight from the cartoon, and some trickled down to his chest - he looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language, then casually said,

"At least I am wearing underwear. And you're welcome."

Those should be enough examples to demonstrate how invasive Chase is as a roommate, and she should've moved out from there but the thing is, Lia couldn't seem to do it.

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