When a presence loomed over her, she opened her eyes to peer up at Jesse.
“What are you doing down there?” He tried and failed to hold in a laugh.
“Maybe hiding because my own brother didn’t tell me we’d be gaining a houseguest.” She pushed herself to her feet, anger overcoming her momentary paralysis.
“Crap, I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking truly apologetic. Her anger faded. She could never be mad at Jesse long.
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“I was just so focused on making sure he didn’t have to leave. I didn’t even think, Cass. Are you okay with this? You should have seen him, how upset he was.”
She did see him, but she didn’t tell her brother that. Instead, she pictured how broken he’d looked that morning. It wasn’t something she’d forget because it was so unlike Roman. “It’s okay, Jesse. You did the right thing. Just give me a little warning next time.”
“Warning about what?” Roman poked his head through the door, a wide smile on his face. “My awesomeness?”
Cassie stared at him, realizing he hadn’t set foot in her room in a long time. She didn’t move and didn’t take her eyes from his face as his smile fell, and he squirmed under the intensity of her gaze.
Cassie suppressed a smile. She’d perfected the dead-eyed stare, the uncomfortable silence. She could do it all day.
Roman was a loud guy. With his popularity came a lot of laughter and talking, but he’d get none of that from her. She wasn’t bothered by the quiet, and it amused her when he couldn’t handle it.
“Jesse,” he hissed. “Tell her to stop staring.”
Jesse laughed and clapped him on the back. “Welcome to the Carrigan house.”
Cassie propped her legs up on the arm of the couch and leaned back against the pillows she’d positioned behind her. She swiped open her Kindle. In ten days, it would be her favorite day of the year: Valentine’s Day. A day to celebrate love. And how did she celebrate? Usually by rereading one of her favorite romance novels.
For a girl who’d never even been kissed, she felt like she’d lived a thousand love stories. One day, she’d get her own. One day, someone would see past the crippling anxiety and want her.
She eyed Roman who sat next to Jesse on the floor with an Xbox controller in his hands. NHL20 played on the TV screen. Cassie enjoyed the hockey games, but she didn’t get into it nearly as much as the boys—or Charlotte.
Roman leaned his back against the couch, and she had the urge to run a hand through his messy hair. Unable to stop herself, she did.
He lurched forward, surprised by her touch.
When he turned to stare at her in question, Cassie only shrugged and returned to her book. She’d never cared if anyone thought her weird or strange. Despite appearances, she was okay with her life of online classes and disappearing into books.
She didn’t need teammates or relationships like other kids her age.
Her lips curved up when Roman returned to the game. She could tell it drove him nuts how she acted around him.
Proximity, Annie had told her. It would do her good.
Well, Annie, she was listening. Tomorrow when she went to her appointment, she’d tell her all about reading in the living room instead of her bedroom as if that was some massive improvement.
In her book, Cade made his move. He was the ultimate romantic hero. Strong, funny, handsome. Plus, he loved deeply in a way Cassie wasn’t sure really existed.
She was so engrossed in the scene, she didn’t see Jesse leave the room or hear the game pause.
“What are you reading?” Roman snatched the Kindle from her hands.
She tried to take it back, but he held it away from her as his eyes scanned the screen. One eyebrow lifted. “Cassandra Carrigan, you naughty girl.”
She wanted to yell at him to give it back but couldn’t. So, she lunged, knocking him back onto his butt as she grappled for the Kindle.
Roman laughed as she practically climbed on top of him. No one got to take her love stories from her, and they couldn’t make fun of them. Romance had a bad rep in the literary world, but they were the best kind of stories.
“I never pegged you for a saucy romance kinda gal, Cass.” He put a hand on her waist to prevent her from reaching it.
She’d show him saucy. She dug her knee into his groin, eliciting a squeak of protest. He dropped the Kindle, and she scrambled off him to grab it.
“You fight dirty,” Roman wheezed.
He hadn’t seen her fight yet. If he wanted to be annoying, she’d get back at him with her own brand of obnoxious. She stood, staring down at him, latching her eyes onto his. Few people enjoyed others looking into their eyes for too long.
Roman shifted his eyes away. “It’s nice to know some of the old Cass is still in there.”
Now, it was her turn to look away. Wrestling was a normal occurrence when they were friends. They fought but were never truly mad.
“What’s going on?” Jesse walked back in and threw a bottle of water to Cassie. She snatched it out of the air.
“Just chatting, Jess.” Roman shrugged.
Jesse glanced from Cassie to Roman with a laugh. “Mhmm, I’m sure you were.” He tossed a second bottle to Roman, but Roman didn’t see it coming. It hit him upside the head.
A laugh burst out of Cassie, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. With a shake of her head, she left them to keep playing their game.
One thing was for certain, having Roman around was either the worst thing for Cassie or the very best.
“Fancy meeting you here.” Roman strolled into the bathroom connecting their rooms.
Cassie acted like she hadn’t heard him and continued brushing her teeth.
Roman stepped up to the single sink, standing too close for comfort. She didn’t move because that would have been acknowledging his presence, and she enjoyed how much it bothered him to be ignored.
It probably wasn’t something he’d ever had to face. Charlotte told her how the kids at school fawned over the handsome hockey player.
Cassie Carrigan didn’t fawn.
“I like the PJs.” His eyes scanned her outfit from cow pajama pants to one of Jesse’s oversized sweatshirts. “What? No chocolate stain?”
She leaned forward to spit into the sink and turned the water on to rinse it down. Wiping her face on a towel, she turned away from Roman.
“Cass,” he called her back. “Just tell me why.”
Why what, she wanted to ask. Instead, she only turned to him in question.
“We used to be close. Now, you won’t even talk to me.”
How could she explain the frozen words sitting in her throat, or the stress that just trying to speak to him caused. She stared at him for a moment longer, before whispering “I’m sorry,” and ran from the bathroom.
When she re-entered her room and shut the door, she found Jesse lounging on her bed.
“What do you want?” she asked.
He sat up, putting his Jesse lecture face on. Sometimes her brother forgot he wasn’t their dad. “Roman isn’t going anywhere.”
“I know that.”
“Can you try to let him in more? He’s practically family.”
Basically, he wanted her to be normal. What was normal, anyway? Falling at his feet like the girls Charlotte told her about? “He just can’t take it that someone doesn’t like him.”
“That’s not what this is and you know it.” Jesse sighed. “You do like him. He was one of your best friends for years until—”
“Don’t say it.”
“We never talk about Mom or that night.”
“Because, Jesse, you weren’t there. You don’t have scars so deep they’ll never heal. You don’t know what it’s like to hide for your life moments after seeing the person you loved most in this world die. If I were… normal after that, what would everyone think of me then? Cold? I’m messed up, Jess, and that’s okay. Maybe that’s my normal.”
“You’re not messed up.”
“Now you sound like Annie.”
“Maybe you should listen to her. Cass, have you ever thought Rome could help you?”
“How?” she scoffed.
“Because he’s Roman. You let me back in after only a few months of not speaking. Why not him?”
“You’re my brother.”
He rubbed his eyes. “That’s my point. So was he.”
Suddenly, it wasn’t so much fun making Roman uncomfortable. Suddenly, it seemed cruel.
Just tell me why. He wasn’t just acting like he cared, he really did.
She sat down on the bed next to Jesse and leaned into him. “I’m going to try harder.”
“I think you’re hurting him, Cass, and Rome isn’t easily hurt. He acts like nothing matters. His parents have abandoned him for years, but I don’t think that affected him as much as losing you.”
She’d lost him too. It may have seemed like her fault, but she couldn’t control the emotions raging inside her. For two years, anxiety controlled her every move.
Jesse hugged her to his side as her door burst open and the twins ran in. Will jumped onto the bed, talking a mile a minute, while Eli hung back.
“Calm down, kiddo.” Cassie laughed as she pulled Will onto her lap. The boys always put a smile on her face. She rested her cheek against his curls. “What are you two so excited about?”
Eli climbed up. “We get to sleep over at our friend’s all weekend.”
“All weekend?” Cassie looked to Jesse in question.
Will nodded. “Dad is going on a plane.”
As if on cue, their dad appeared in the doorway and gave them a small smile. “Hey, kids.”
“You’re going out of town, Dad?” Cassie met his tired gaze.
“Last minute client emergency.” He sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to go. Pittsburgh is not what I’d call a vacation. Will and Eli are staying at the Jensen’s. Mary arranged it. Will you three be okay here alone for a few nights?”
Jesse and Cassie shared a look before nodding.
“Rome,” Jesse hollered. “Get in here.”
Roman stepped around their dad on his way in. “What’s going on?”
“Dad’s leaving for the weekend. Think you can behave while he’s away?”
Roman’s lips twitched as he nodded. “Oh yes. Don’t you worry, Mr. C. I’ll keep them all in line.”
Their dad shook his head and turned to the door, muttering something about mistakes.
Without being invited, Roman plopped down on the bed next to Cassie, sandwiching her between him and Jesse. Will shifted from her lap to Roman’s, which wasn’t a surprise. The little monster was obsessed with the big monster.
Remembering her conversation with Jesse, Cassie didn’t kick him out like instinct told her to. Instead, she leaned forward, hugging Eli.
“I’ll miss you this weekend,” he whispered. He’d always been the sweetest of her brothers. “Who will read to us at night?”
Cassie smiled. “We’ll read extra chapters when you get home.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah.” She kissed the side of his head. “I promise.”
When she sat back up, she found Roman watching her. Giving him a smile as a peace offering, she looked sideways where Jesse eyed Roman.
“All right.” She clapped her hands. “As much as I like stinky boys curled up on my bed—” she poked Eli with her toe. “I want to get some sleep, so it’s time to do our reading.”
Will hopped off the bed, running from the room. He returned a moment later with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets clutched in his hands. Every night she read a few chapters with the twins, but neither Jesse nor Roman seemed inclined to leave.
With a hidden smile, she opened the book to the place they’d left off the night before. She could do this, she told herself. She wasn’t speaking to Roman, only near him.
Swallowing back the nerves, she began reading, doing the voices just as the twins always demanded.
Before long, Will and Eli were asleep. She didn’t notice at first and kept reading to Jesse and Roman, neither of them stopping her.
When Will started snoring, she shut the book.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a long moment before Roman got up and scooped Will into his arms. Jesse did the same with Eli, leaving her alone with only her thoughts to keep her company.
6
Roman
Roman slid into his seat in chemistry class and started jotting down notes from the board. The seat beside him remained empty as it had the week before. Jesse hadn’t told him where he was taking Cassie, but they’d left soon after Mary took the twins to school.
Someone cleared their throat, and Roman lifted his eyes to Hadley. “Morning, beautiful.”
Her face flushed. “Hey, Rome. Boyfriendless today?”
Roman feigned affront. “Just because Jesse is the love of my life does not mean we have to be attached at the hip.”
She laughed. “You two are kind of ridiculous. I hear you’re even shacking up now.”
Charlotte walked into the room. No, not walked, the girl practically glided. “Rome, where’s your boyfriend?”
Hadley hid a laugh behind her hand.
“Would you two stop? He broke my heart when he chose you, Charlie. You don’t need to rub it in.”
Charlotte ruffled his hair before sliding into her seat.
The lights flipped off as their teacher walked in, already talking about their newest chemical equation. Roman scribbled furiously, not wanting to miss a thing. Despite his I-don’t-care personality, he cared. A lot. And he had to keep his grades up if he wanted to go to USF with Jesse next year.
They took notes for the whole period, but Roman didn’t mind. It let his mind clear of all things Cassie. When the bell rang, he walked into the hall.
Hadley bounced at his side and slipped her arm through his. “I’m having a party tonight. You’re coming right? My mom and grandfather went to visit my aunt, so it’s perfect.”
A party? That sounded like just the distraction he needed. At the very least, it would get him out of the house and away from Cassie’s gaze. “Sounds great, Hads. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Do you mean that?”
He stopped to look at her, surprised by the earnestness in her voice. “Hadley…” He rubbed the back of his neck. He’d done this a million times, but it never got easier. “You know all this flirting is innocent, right? That we’re not going to end up dating?”
He sounded like such a tool. It wasn’t until Charlotte and Jesse started dating that Hadley latched onto Roman. She’s said they weren’t going to date at the diner, but her actions and her flirting said something else.
Tears pooled in her eyes and her lips quivered. “But… but… you mean you don’t like me?”
“Hadley, I—”
“You’re trying to say you don’t see wedding bells in our future? That our babies I’ve dreamed about will never exist? I’ve planned everything, Roman. Hadley Sullivan… it had such a nice ring to it.” She crossed her arms, a single tear rolling down her face. “What about the children, Roman?” She got louder. “What about the children?”
People looked at them as they passed. A few girls shot Roman scathing looks when they saw Hadley crying.
He took a step back, his eyes wide. He didn’t know what to do or say.
A wail left Hadley’s lips. “What about the children?”
“Hadley, come on. Be quiet. Let’s talk about this.” Suddenly, he missed Cassie’s silence. At least she never made a scene. “I’m sorry, I—”
“You listen here, Roman Sullivan.” She closed the distance between them and reached up to grip his chin. He stood frozen, unable to escape. “I… am totally messing with you.” She wiped the tear—the fake tear—from her face and patted his cheek. “Catch ya later, Romeo. My party. Don’t forget.”
She skipped away, her blond hair flying out behind her.
&nb
sp; Roman still couldn’t move. What just happened? Shaking his head, he pulled his phone from his pocket to text Jesse.
Roman: Your girl’s friend is maniacal.
Jesse’s response came right away.
Jesse: Could have told you that bro.
He didn’t see Jesse until lunch where he sat with Charlotte and Hadley. Both girls laughed when he walked up as if they’d been talking about him.
As he listened to their chatter, he flipped through his phone settling on a phone number he hadn’t texted in two years. Was it even still the same?
Only one way to find out.
Roman: I wish others guarded their words as much as you.
He hit send before thinking about it. It was the wrong thing to say, he knew that. She wasn’t shy or just quiet. She’d been through a trauma, and this was how she dealt with it. Still, he was starting to appreciate how sweet and rare the sound of Cassie’s voice was. The night before, he could have listened to her read Harry Potter for hours.
Three dots appeared, telling him someone was typing. He only hoped it was still her number. They disappeared before showing up again.
He watched his phone, ignoring everything else happening around him.
“Rome.” Jesse kicked him under the table. “We’re going to practice today, yeah?” He said it like they were a packaged deal. Roman had skipped every practice this week.
“My dad will have a fit if you aren’t there.” Charlotte’s dad was their coach. Most people thought that gave her an advantage, but instead it meant she had to fight harder to even be on the team.
Roman stared back at his phone.
“Rome,” Jesse snapped. “What’s so interesting?” He reached for his phone, but Roman shoved it into his pocket and stood. “Yeah, I’ll be at practice.” He carried his tray to the trashcan and dumped it before booking it from the lunchroom, ignoring the classmates trying to get his attention.
He got to his next class early and couldn’t bring himself to look at his phone. It sat like a weight in his pocket for the entire afternoon. After the final bell, he didn’t even bother going to his locker before heading to the student parking lot.
Roman and the Hopeless Romantic (Gulf City High Book 2) Page 4
