RoomHate

When her grandmother passes away and leaves her half of a summer house on Aquidneck Island, there is a condition: the other half goes to the boy her grandmother raised. This is Justin, the person the narrator once loved deeply—and who now appears to hate her after she broke his heart years ago. Neither is willing to give up their share of the house, so they must live together despite their painful history. Justin has changed into a man with a hardened personality, and he arrives with someone else in tow, complicating matters further. As they share the space, the narrator begins to see past Justin's cold exterior and recognizes traces of the boy she once knew. Their connection remains, even as tension defines their relationship. The closer proximity makes her feelings intensify, creating a complicated dynamic between them.