The American Roommate Experiment

Rosie and Lucas take the elevator to the restaurant’s roof. From there, Lucas instructs Rosie to close her eyes. He tells her that the date was partly inspired by romantic scenes on YouTube and the ending to her first book. Rosie opens her eyes and finds that Lucas hung lights and baked a cake to pretend they are meeting for the first time at Lina and Aaron’s wedding; he also included a slideshow of wedding photos. Rosie is in love, and Lucas admits that if they had met at the wedding, he would have been overwhelmed by her. As a thunderstorm gathers above them, they dance, caught up in the moment.

When Lucas fusses over Rosie getting wet, she gives a long speech about wanting to return his devotion. When Lucas does not respond, she apologizes for burdening him with her feelings and begins to cry. Lucas is devastated, assuring her that his efforts to create distance between them have only been because he thought distance was what she wanted. Rosie asks him to kiss her. They embrace, and she assures him that she is ready for a night of passion. Suddenly, her phone rings: Her brother, Olly, needs help out of a dangerous situation.

Lucas accompanies Rosie to the nightclub where Olly works. Rosie asks Lucas to only defend himself and not take risks. A bouncer tries to make them leave, but Olly emerges, telling Rosie that they must hurry. One of the club’s owners, Jimmy, catches up to the trio and makes threats. Lucas tells Rosie to take Olly to their waiting rideshare; she does but goes back to protect Lucas. Jimmy kicks Lucas in the leg. Rosie is tempted to fight but ultimately rushes Lucas away.

Rosie, Lucas, and Olly return to the apartment, and Rosie is wracked with guilt over Lucas’s new injury. Lucas comforts her, saying he does not blame her. Olly finally explains that he began working at the strip club to impress a girl and ran afoul of the owners after protecting her from them. He apologizes for ruining Rosie’s date. Sitting with Lucas, Rosie reflects that the love she feels is not merely passion but also contentment and security. She urges Lucas to share the bed and says that if he refuses, “[he’s] going to break [her] heart” (290).

In bed, Lucas assures Rosie that he would have followed her to the strip club even if she had not asked. He is especially touched by her anger on his behalf. He tells her that they should rest rather than resume kissing. Rosie asks Lucas about his nightmares, and he finally explains that he was injured in a surfing accident in France and now has panic attacks. She refuses to let him describe his current self as inferior, saying, “You didn’t lose yourself; you just…changed” (293). They cuddle, and he expresses gratitude for her words.