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Roommates With Benefits [BL]

Chapter 224: The Promise I Wasn’t Ready to Make · Oct 29, 2026

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Chapter List (345)

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201 Chapter 202: From Murderous To Going All Lovey-Dovey 2026-10-29
202 Chapter 203: Home Is Where You Are 2026-10-29
203 Chapter 204: Absence Makes The Heart Grow Hornier (18+) 2026-10-29
204 Chapter 205: The Asshole Between My Thighs (18+) 2026-10-29
205 Chapter 206: I Asked for It, Didn’t I? (18+) 2026-10-29
206 Chapter 207: Damien Lockwood vs. My Bullshit Detector 2026-10-29
207 Chapter 208: Stop Dodging the Question, You Pretty Idiot! 2026-10-29
208 Chapter 209: Freedom Lasted Approximately Five Minutes 2026-10-29
209 Chapter 210: This Is Why I Don’t Trust Rich People 2026-10-29
210 Chapter 211: Oliver Reyes Is Way Too Poor for This 2026-10-29
211 Chapter 212: A Paradise Meant for Two 2026-10-29
212 Chapter 213: The Ocean Has Beef With Me 2026-10-29
213 Chapter 214: The Sea, the Sunset, and You 2026-10-29
214 Chapter 215: Who Even Needs Dinner? (18+) 2026-10-29
215 Chapter 216: Pride Cometh Before The Tongue (18+) 2026-10-29
216 Chapter 217: Cake By The Ocean (18+) 2026-10-29
217 Chapter 218: Damien Gets What Damien Wants (18+) 2026-10-29
218 Chapter 219: A Candlelit Dinner and a Terrible Idea 2026-10-29
219 Chapter 220: Before It All Fell Apart 2026-10-29
220 Chapter 221: The Long Way Home 2026-10-29
221 Chapter 222: Just Hold My Hand 2026-10-29
222 Chapter 223: Apparently My Dad Woke Up Just to Roast Me 2026-10-29
223 Chapter 224: The Promise I Wasn’t Ready to Make 2026-10-29
224 Chapter 225: One Crisis at a Time 2026-10-29
225 Chapter 226: A Reason to Hope 2026-10-29
226 Chapter 227: Roses Are Red, My Ex Is Here 2026-10-29
227 Chapter 228: Melanie And Her Terrible Taste In Men 2026-10-29
228 Chapter 229: The Day of the Surgery 2026-10-29
229 Chapter 230: A Successful Failure 2026-10-29
230 Chapter 231: Peace Was Apparently Too Much to Ask For 2026-10-29
231 Chapter 232: The Heir, the Poor Boy, and the Evil Lockwoods 2026-10-29
232 Chapter 233: For Sale: My Love Life 2026-10-29
233 Chapter 234: The Barista Boy Special 2026-10-29
234 Chapter 235: The Rich Heir and the Broke Idiot He Loved 2026-10-29
235 Chapter 236: The Day Oliver Reyes Finally Said It 2026-10-29
236 Chapter 237: I’m a Lover Boy Now (18+) 2026-10-29
237 Chapter 238: Stay With Me (18+) 2026-10-29
238 Chapter 239: Case Closed: We’re Both Freaks (18+) 2026-10-29
239 Chapter 240: Oliver Reyes Gets A Boyfriend 2026-10-29
240 Chapter 241: A Gift He’d Been Saving 2026-10-29
241 Chapter 242: Two Idiots and a Stalker 2026-10-29
242 Chapter 243: I Threw Coffee at a Billionaire. What Could Go Wrong? 2026-10-29
243 Chapter 244: Who Knew Throwing Coffee At Billionaires Has Its Consequences? 2026-10-29
244 Chapter 245: Something Worth Losing For You 2026-10-29
245 Chapter 246: Because One Disaster Wasn’t Enough 2026-10-29
246 Chapter 247: Same Photos, New Nightmare 2026-10-29
247 Chapter 248: Tutoring Comes With Stalking Now 2026-10-29
248 Chapter 249: Can Everyone Stop Ruining My Relationship? 2026-10-29
249 Chapter 250: My Boyfriend Is About to Commit a Felony 2026-10-29
250 Chapter 251: The Night We Went Creep Hunting 2026-10-29

That man could probably sense emotional tension from three rooms away, a skill he’d honed over decades of catching me in half-truths.

”So,” he said, leaning back against the pillow, ”how was your trip?”

I stared at him. ”You’re asking about my vacation?”

”Yes.”

”Dad, you’re in a hospital bed.”

”And?”

”And you almost died!”

”Almost.”

”That’s not reassuring!”

He smiled. ”You’re so dramatic.”

Dad grinned, clearly delighted by our banter.

For a little while, we managed to pretend everything was normal, he talked about school, exams, how tired I was.

Dad complained I was still too skinny, I complained hospital food was probably why he couldn’t gain weight.

And I wanted to freeze that moment, capturing the sound of his laughter and our easy back-and-forth, never letting either of us step out of that room.

Eventually, though, the laughter died down.

Dad looked at me quietly, some of the lightness fading. ”Did they tell you, I told them not to call you.”

I knew exactly what he meant, my smile vanished. ”Yes.”

”I didn’t want you to drop everything.”

”You were getting worse.”

”I didn’t know how bad it would get.”

I looked down at my hands. ”You should’ve told me.”

”I know.”

”No, seriously, Dad.”

My voice wavered. ”You should’ve told me.”

He held my gaze for a long moment, something raw flickering in his eyes. ”I was scared.”

That hit me hard.

Dad rarely admitted that; I’d seen him shoulder so much without a complaint, he turned to the window.

”I didn’t want you worrying about me while you were focused on your exams. You’ve worked too hard, Oliver. You’ve been carrying too much for too long.”

I swallowed. ”I would’ve wanted to know.”

”I know.”

”Then why?”

His eyes returned to mine. ”Because you’re my son.”

His voice softened.

”And sometimes fathers make dumb choices thinking they’re protecting their kids.”

My throat tightened, I looked away to hide my eyes from filling.

Too late.

He reached over and squeezed my hand, weaker than it should have felt, but it was still him.

”You don’t need to carry everything by yourself anymore.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Hearing those words from him hurt more than everything else that had happened that night.

After a beat, Dad shifted his attention to Damien. ”He’s good for you.”

I nearly choked.

”Dad.”

”What?”

”Can we not?”

”Why?”

”Because you’re making this weird.”

Damien looked way too amused by my discomfort.

Dad continued, undeterred.

”I’ve watched you grow up, Oliver. I’ve seen you try to handle everything alone. You don’t have to do that anymore.”

I glanced at Damien, he wasn’t smiling now.

He was just looking at my dad with that quiet intensity he had whenever something mattered, giving that moment the weight it deserved.

Dad squeezed my fingers again. ”I’m glad you found someone who stays.”

My eyes stung anew, I looked down.

”Yeah.”

My voice was softer than I intended.

”Me too.”

A few minutes later, Dad’s eyelids started to droop, exhaustion winning over his stubbornness.

A nurse came in to check the monitors, and Damien quietly stepped outside with her to discuss some paperwork.

That left just me and Dad.

The room felt much quieter, the beeping of the monitors the only sound in the silence between us.

Dad looked at me. ”You’ve been crying.”

”No.”

”Oliver.”

”Okay, maybe a little.”

He smiled faintly. ”Come here.”

I moved in closer.

He reached for my hand again. ”Whatever happens with the surgery...”

My stomach dropped.

”Dad.”

”No, Ollie. Listen to me.”

I nodded, bracing for whatever he was about to say. His fingers tightened weakly around mine.

”I need you to keep living.”

I stared at him. ”I don’t like that sentence, dad.”

”I know.”

”I really don’t like that sentence.”

He smiled sadly. ”You’ve spent your whole life worrying about me. I need you to understand something.”

”What?”

”I’m proud of you.”

That broke me, I looked away, blinking rapidly, unable to hold his gaze through the blur in my vision. ”Dad...”

”I’m proud of the man you’ve become.”

I rubbed at my eyes. ”You can’t say shit like that and expect me not to cry.”

”You’re crying anyway.”

”Shut up.”

He laughed softly, the sound fragile but genuine. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his hand.

For a moment, we didn’t speak, then the door opened. Damien walked back in and Dad looked over at him.

”Take care of him.”

Damien’s gaze came to me, steady and sure. ”I will.”

Dad smiled. ”Good.”

Then he turned to me. ”And make sure he eats more.”

I groaned. ”Dad.”

”He’s terrible at taking care of himself.”

”That is true,” Damien agreed.

I looked between them, absolutely betrayed. ”Are you two really teaming up against me while I’m right here again?”

Dad smiled. ”You’re outnumbered.”

”Unbelievable.”

Damien’s hand settled gently on my back as Dad’s eyes started to close again, sleep finally taking him.

The exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

”You should rest,” I whispered.

He nodded faintly. ”Come back tomorrow.”

”I will.”

”Promise?”

I squeezed his hand. ”Promise.”

He smiled one last time before his eyes shut.

I stayed there a moment longer, watching his chest rise and fall under the blanket, counting each breath as if it might reassure me more than the last.

But the monitors reminded me none of that was guaranteed.

When I finally got up, Damien opened the door for me.

I stepped into the hallway, and as soon as the door shut behind us, the strength I’d been trying to hold onto began to slip away.

Damien didn’t say anything.

He simply took my hand.

I let him.

We walked down the hospital corridor together, surrounded by fluorescent lights and the quiet sounds of machines and distant footsteps.

And somehow, instead of feeling completely relieved, that made the fear sitting in my chest feel even sharper.

Because now I’d seen just how fragile he really was.

And the surgery was still ahead of us.

I tightened my grip on Damien’s hand as we walked.

He squeezed back, for once, I didn’t make a joke, I didn’t pretend I was fine, I just leaned into him and allowed him to walk with me.