Lovers By Force

Chapter 39

"Tell me, Roman. Why did Tom beat you up again?"

"What's wrong with you? I told you he just started punching me without any reason."

"You know I thought about that. And yes, he's impulsive and pretty damn reckless. But he wouldn't just beat someone up that he knows I  care about."

"That dude is a psychopath, Luna! Why are you defending him?!"

"He's not a psychopath! Stop calling him that!"

"What's going on?!"

"Tell me why Tom punched you."

"He-"

"The truth."

"Did you make out with another girl?"

"Of course not! Why are you saying that?"

I stare at him, with unforgiving, unpitying eyes.

"Luna, no matter what this psycho told you, he's lying! He's a desperate loser who'd make up anything to ruin us."

And it clicked.

"I said, don't talk about him like that."

"But it's true! He's trying to manipulate you, Luna! Why can't you see that?!!"

"I think there were other things I couldn't see. But now it's more clear."

"You don't make any sense."

"You know what. It doesn't even matter."

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

"Maybe it's not me who's wrong. Maybe it's you." I walk away.

"What does that mean huh?" Roman shouts.

"It means, to fuck off, you dickhead."

"What about us?" He shouts in anger.

"I don't care about 'us' "

He looks at me, disgusted. "You've changed for the worst."

"I still don't care." I walk off and call an Uber back home.

-

The car ride to my house, I was thinking. How could I've been so blind? Why didn't I try to see Tom for once? I just took the easy route. Go where it's comfortable, go where it's less complicated. Roman, who I thought I knew. I was so used to being the one who's always wrong, who keeps messing up. Who still needs to learn. But I never once felt this way with Tom, nor did I with Scarlett.

Tom was something I wasn't used to. Something new and scary. Someone who made me feel safe and protected, who drove me crazy in all kind of ways. Who made my heart skip a beat and made my body all tingly. He was something I never experienced before. And that scared me. A lot. I didn't like trying new things, being so clumsy and helpless. And I didn't like not understanding.
And he was someone I didn't grasp at all.

I just knew that I felt comfortable with him. That I got excited every time we crossed paths. That I sometimes wished to feel him, be near him. I still didn't know what that meant. And I was scared to find out. I was scared to get hurt.

-

I arrived home and immediately went inside the house and call out for Tom.

"Tom!"

No response.

I don't think he's home.. I decided I'd call Bill.

"Hello?"