Romeo and Juliet

47 -Y-

                                                                                               Love

The ride home is awkward. At some point, I want to pull over on the side of the road, open the passenger door, and push him out. But when I look at him from my peripheral view, I suddenly can't do it. Romeo needs me now, and any personal matters have to be left aside.

But my mouth doesn't seem to understand that. "You didn't have to be a jackass back there."

He catches on fast, even though I'm pretty sure the only thing he can think about is Karina. Maybe he is already programmed to be a jerk.

"That is my middle name, Love."

"Can't you be nice for once? At least pretend that you like me, and I don't mean it in a romantic way."

"Who says I don't like you? You are fun. More fun than the boys. All they think about is sex, alcohol..." he pauses and looks out the window in deep thought, "... and sex."

I groan and try my best to stay focused on the road, but the words keep slipping out of my mouth.

"Well, it doesn't look like it. I confessed to you, and the least you could have done was to say 'No, thanks,' but you just dismissed everything and pretended nothing happened. I honestly just want to push you out of my car this very moment, but for the sake of this adventure, I won't."

He smirks and looks at me, paralyzing my driving skills. I mentally slap myself and sit straight in my seat. "But you love me and won't do it. I am flattered to know that you have a heart. At least one of us does," he says.

I bite my tongue for the rest of the ride. He knows my weakness, but I refuse to let him notice how much he can affect me. As we approach the entrance, Romeo tenses, and suddenly the air feels sucked out of the space. I know how much he is trying to keep his walls up, but I can see he is both disappointed and angry. Even before I stop the car, he jumps out and runs towards the door. Jude meets him there. Her face is stoic while she pats Papito on his head.

"...is there?" I hear him ask as they walk in. Their voices become a rush as they proceed to the stairs and to Karina's room. 

He pockets the letter my mom gives him and adds, "I am sorry you got involved in this mess. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. It is our problem, and now you have to worry about a runaway child who isn't yours. I am pretty sure you have a lot on your plate with Helena already."

I look up and catch him smiling a little as he gives my mom his back. He is such a pain in the ass, even in the most inappropriate moments.

"Yes, and she will have to bail me out after I knock you out this very moment," I spit back.

My mom pushes me out of the room and closes the door behind us. I can see that she is holding back the type of laughter you can hear two blocks away.

My mom is a great mom but with no filter. However, she understands what personal space means.

We walk down the stairs and head to the kitchen.

"I cannot believe I fell for this idiot."

"Language!" she looks at me with a stern face. "How was the wedding?"

I shrug. "Grandma got properly wasted. And I confessed to the jerk upstairs."

She spits her water and takes a seat quickly. She makes a face that screams 'tell me more,' but I keep silent.

"Nothing? He didn't say anything?" she concludes.

I shake my head and smile at her when he appears in the kitchen. He slips the phone from his ear to his pocket and says, "I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I cannot get in contact with her, but I assume she might be with Michael. Thank you for everything. Both of you."

Why does this feel like a goodbye? I cannot let him just walk away. The way things seem, it feels as if he is going to go back to ignoring my existence, and I don't think I can fathom that.

"Wait. Where are you going?" I ask.

"To find him."

"Do you know where he is?"

"I heard he got a job. Gonna go fish him there."

Like a fish.

My mom elbows me when he looks at his phone for the third time since he walked into the kitchen.

"I will go with you," I blurt out.

"No," he quickly says, and my heart shatters.

Jude intervenes for my sake. "Of course she will. While the situation is hot, I don't think you seeing Michael alone is a good idea. You won't do much behind bars if you jump him."

Jude knows a lot more than she shows. I've made sure to fill her in with as much detail as I can. Karina did the other part, and she made sure to let us know that Michael and Romeo are not to see each other alone.