Forgetting Roman

{fifteen}

{fifteen}

                I sat in one of the booths in the back of a bar that Livvy had dragged me into. Her usual crowd sat with us, excluding Kevin since he was rumored to be with another girl already.

                Tonight Jessica was drinking water.

                Opposite of me, my dorm-mate laughed at something Jesse had said while he argued with Jessica, his twin sister. Beside me, Declan listened to his friends as his arm was slung over my shoulder.

                Something had changed between the two of us since the night he and I had a run in with my past. That night, he had kissed me goodnight- on the cheek- and promised to give me a call the next day. He texted me an hour later telling me he had fun and hoped we would do it again sometime soon.

                I agreed and since then we had hung out pretty much every single day.

                Livvy still gave me that creepy grin she gave me the first night I hung out with Declan, every time I told her I was going out. A friendship between the two of us has also blossomed. She knew some details of my past. Details such as my brother and my parents, but I never told her about Roman or my suicide attempt.

                It was the beginning of a new friendship and I didn’t want to chase her away with such horrid details of my past. It was the same with Declan, however he knew bits and pieces about Roman since he had been with me the night Roman slowly walked the border of my life again.

                I felt normal though.

I had a friend and a possible boyfriend if Declan ever officially asked me to be his girlfriend. I was also speaking with my father a lot more. At least twice a week he would send me a text asking how I was doing. My mother and I even got through an entire lunch without a minute or two of silence, and my brother was scheduled to come home for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Things were starting to get better.

                However things always seemed to get better before they got worse.

++

                It seemed life wasn’t my biggest fan when it came to my sanity. It enjoyed throwing whatever obstacle it came up with my way, even if it was as small as starting my period during one of my lectures. I was positive I had done something in one of my past lives to piss off some powerful forces if it seemed life was out to get me.

                That’s why when Roman Knight walked into the bar, I wasn’t all that surprised. Angry- yes. Surprised- no. I had a feeling I was going to run into him again.

                Roman walked into the bar in all of his glory, the usual confidant aura that surrounded him catching the attention of a few females as he and his friends walked through the bar doors. Behind him, Dylan and two other guys I wasn’t familiar with scanned the bar for open booths.

                I hoped Jesse’s looming figure covered enough of me so that Dylan wouldn’t recognize me, yet Jesse chose the perfect moment to lean to the left- towards Livvy- and completely leave me exposed.

                Dylan’s gaze froze as his eyes landed on me. Even with the distance between us, I saw his eyes narrow as if trying to make sure it really was me. A few seconds later he smacked Roman’s arm and nodded towards me, not caring if I saw him or not.

                With narrowed eyes I looked away from Dylan and briefly met Roman’s gaze with emotionless eyes before I turned to Declan and leaned into his side. “Let’s get out of here,” I whispered into his ear hoping he heard me over the loud music and chatter of everyone else in the bar.

                Leaning back, Declan turned his head to the side and nodded once his gaze met mine.

                Quickly saying goodbye to the others, Declan and I slid out of the booth and started in the direction of the pub exit. Not bothering to look around the pub for Roman and his friends, I held onto Declan’s hand tighter each step closer we neared the exit.

                I couldn’t be in the same place as he was. I knew Roman well enough to know he would more than likely begin something that didn’t need to be started. I had dodged him the first night we ran into each other, and if I stayed in the bar, I wouldn’t be able to dodge him a second time.

                If Roman wanted to speak with me, he would do close to anything to get me alone.

                The neon red EXIT sign above the bar door caught my attention as we pushed through the crowd on the dance floor. I felt Declan’s grip on my hand tighten this time as the crowd thickened and threatened to split us. We were just about to near the crowd boundaries when I felt a hand cup my right butt cheek.

                Quickly glancing over my shoulder, my gaze connected with a pair of dark eyes. Roman stood in the crowd with his hands stuffed into his front jean pockets. A cocky grin spread across his lips before he winked and disappeared into the crowd just as Declan and I exited the crowd.

                It wasn’t until we were consumed by the bitter fall winds of mid October that I snapped out of my trance. As Declan let go of my hand so he could hail a cab, I took a step back and slipped my hand into my back jean pocket- the same one Roman had seconds ago grabbed.

                At first I felt nothing except for the smooth fabric of my jeans but when I felt something thin and paper like, and my heartbeat increased. Taking a quick glance at Declan, I noted he was still standing at the corner or the sidewalk searching for a taxi that would take us back to campus, and opened my palm.

                What looked like a piece of paper torn from a sheet of paper looked back at me, Roman’s messy handwriting engraved into the white sheet with black ink.

                You look good. See you around. –Rome.