The American Roommate Experiment

“Because he was smiling. And it was big and bright and, quite frankly, beautiful in this blatant way you don’t really know what to do with. Possibly more than the smile he wore on the one screenshot I had allowed myself to keep and might still look at occasionally.”

This quote’s alliteration (“big,” “bright,” “beautiful,” and “blatant”) emphasizes the way Rosie is overwhelmed by Lucas, establishing that his arrival will change her life. Her reference to taking screenshots—an early mention of her following his social media—underlines that she is now confronting a real person rather than an idealized image. She “allow[s]” herself to keep an Instagram photo and “might” still look at it, which underscores her lingering crush on Lucas.

“I nodded slowly, pushing my growing eagerness down. ‘Because you just fed me, and I’m a man in debt, I’ll let you start.’ Her gaze roamed around my face, one of her eyebrows dipping in thought, as if she was readying herself to uproot my deepest secrets right out me. It was adorable. And a little scary.”

Here, Elena Armas sets up that Lucas is just as intrigued by Rosie, though he has no history of wondering about her before their meeting. He notices her curious eyes, calling her both “adorable” and “scary”—which emphasizes that he is both attracted and intimidated. He is “eager” to get to know her, assuring the reader that the attraction is mutual.

“‘Hey.’ Lucas’s voice registered, making me realize I had been staring into empty space. ‘You’re ballsy, Rosie.’ The right side of his mouth tipped up. ‘That’s something you should never forget. And something you should be proud of.’ Ballsy. I’d never been called that. Not even once. Cautious, responsible, driven, but never ballsy.”

In this moment, Lucas sets himself up as Rosie’s staunch supporter, urging her to celebrate herself rather than give in to doubts. She finds his compliment remarkable because it contrasts with her self-image: Lucas already sees the best of her, encouraging her to embrace the risks she has taken.