The distance in your eyes

  "So is she moving in?" Randy finally got a chance to corner Tristan about the Olivia matter. She was always here. And then she wasn't. 

They worked together now, and Tristan was always with Olivia, who seemed fine with her hands. Although he'd heard her mention from time to time that she might have to go back to Orthopedics for her finger that hurt when she bent it. 

"No," Tristan pouted. Randy was certain now that Tristan wanted Olivia here.

"Maybe, you should move in with her?" Randy shrugged, thinking he was always alone these days with Monica, who always needed his help for something.

"I can't. I wouldn't." Tristan shook his head, no, as if that would be unheard of. 

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Randy felt himself fighting back the urge to argue with his roommate.

"Yes, of course." Tristan stared at him as if he were the one in charge, not him.

"But..." Randy didn't know where to start. Maybe it was him. Maybe he should move out. If only he had his own little place, a studio in the basement of the apartment building where the cheaper spaces were. He needed a place to think alone. He was busy with classes and always trying to work on a storyline or two for a webtoon published in another country that might end up in a drama.  Of course, Cassie's mother said she'd help him get his own place, but he couldn't take her for granted. Besides, she was back home in Zhejiang, and she was never forthcoming about Cassie.

He didn't like talking about what he was doing for extra money these days. Of course, this was supposed to be Justin's gateway to making some extra money for savings. Now it was Randy who was putting it in his own savings. Justin said he'd done far more than enough, and if he was going to keep this side gig, he better keep the money in his own savings.

It wasn't that he'd had a falling out with his so-called guardian. It was just that they were growing farther apart. Randy didn't know what to do about that other than just to accept it. 

Still, he knew this wasn't the time to just up and leave. He had to be thankful to have a place to stay. It was home, even if he was growing restless and wondered how much more it could change.

"Olivia's getting a place in the building," Tristan told him. "She'll be close by, so we can go to work together. It's just she needs her own place."

Randy nodded, wishing he could do that. He didn't want to upset anyone. But sometimes, he wished he could be more compatible. It was a busy world, and he had to be ready for it. Maybe he was going to have to figure this out with Monica.

Still, he felt like he was the only grown-up around here. How could that be?