It's Just Business (COMPLETED)

Chapter 31

WARNING: Crying, feeling like you're not good enough, blood

"Roman?" Virgil asked. "What's wrong?"

Roman looked up, quickly wiping his eyes. "Hey Virge. A-Am I late?"

"Woah, Princey, have you been crying?" Virgil asked, worried. He walked over to Roman and, yeah, Roman had been crying. "Oh God, are you okay?"

"Yeah I-..." Roman's protest died in his mouth. "Obviously no-not."

Virgil hesitated before reaching up to wipe away some of the many tears that peppered Roman's face. Roman flinched away.

"Roman, what's wrong? You're not..." Virgil didn't have an end to his sentence. What wasn't Roman usually? Crying was one thing, obviously. Insecure was another.

Roman rubbed the back of his hand, looking away from Virgil.

"Roman, you're bleeding."

"Yeah, I-I know."

"Roman, what happened? You're bleeding, your dressing room's a mess and you're crying on top of all that."

"No-Nothing happened, Virgil." Roman insisted, fresh tears spilling over onto his cheeks as he spoke.

"Something happened, Roman." Virgil reached up again to wipe away some of the tears on Roman's cheeks and this time, Roman didn't flinch away. "What was it?"

Roman looked at Virgil, his eyes covered in a film of tears, before looking down at the ground and stepping away from him. He stumbled over something on the floor and nearly fell over.

"Princey, careful." Virgil said, grabbing Roman's arm. "Really, what happened here."

"I... I knocked something over, that's all."

"Yeah, that I can see. But what happened here." Virgil asked, pointing at Roman's face.

Roman looked down, a small, painful smile on his face. "I'm utterly useless, aren't I? Got one of the biggest parts in a play and I can't even memorise all my lines two weeks before the show."

"Princey, what are you talking about? You're not... useless..." Those were Virgil's words. Virgil had said to Roman that he was useless. "Roman, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean... you're not... I never meant to-"

"But it doesn't matter, does it? It's already been said." Roman sat down heavily on the floor, putting his head on his knees and wrapping his arms around his knees. "Besides, apologies don't meant anything to you, do they?" His voice was slightly muffled now but Virgil could still hear every word.

"Roman..." He said quietly. "Roman, I didn't mean it, I swear." He sat down next to Roman. "I'm really sorry. If I'd've known that you... I'm really sorry, you've got to believe me."

"Yeah but you're an actor, aren't you? And don't actors lie for a living?" Again, those were Virgil's words.

"How horrid have I been to Roman?" Virgil wondered.

"Roman, I am so, so sorry. I've been so horrid to you for so long and I didn't even realise it. I know you're probably not going to believe me but I really am so, so sorry."

"You're right, though." Roman muttered. "I-I am utt-utterly useless."

"No, you're not. You're really not." Virgil insisted. "So what if you can't memorise a few stupid lines-"

"It's not just about that, Virgil." Roman said, looking up and wiping his eyes. He didn't look at Virgil. "It's about everything I've ever said, ever done that's made people's lives worse."

"You have not made anyone's life worse, Roman."

"That's a bla-blatant lie, Vi-Virgil." Roman said, sniffing. "I mean, look at you. You've had trust issues ever since, haven't you?"

Again, Virgil's words.

"Roman..."

"Know what, just save it." Roman wiped his eyes and stood up. "I-If you came up here looking for me, tell the cast I'll be down i-in a few seconds. Just... need some time to get myself together."

Hi...
I'm really sorry.
Bye,
Blaize