Forgetting Roman

{forty-two}

{forty-two}

                There was so much more that needed to be discussed but I didn’t have the energy in me to continue listening nor talking. After he told me the reason why he asked me to be his girlfriend, and the reason why he cheated on me with Noelle, I simply got into my car and drove away.

                I knew that one day we would meet again and we would have to finish this discussion, but today wasn’t that day.

                I drove home in complete silence and it wasn’t until I parked my car in the empty driveway that I realized that I was crying. I whipped the tears away from under my eyes and looked in the rearview mirror to make sure my make-up hadn’t completely gone to shit.

                I shut the engine off and stepped out of the car, my bag and phone in hand as I walked up the drive towards the front door. Just as I was about to step up the stairs, a light from my right flashed and I quickly turned around.

                Parker was sitting on the white porch swing a beer in his hand, a flashlight in the other.

                “Where were you?” he asked, his voice gruff.

                “Huh?”

                “Where were you?” he repeated, “It’s three in the morning, Aspen. Where the hell were you?”

                It was three in the morning? I was out there with Roman for three hours?

                Running a hand through my pale hair, I walked over to where he sat and took the seat beside him. “I was just driving around.”

                “Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked after he took a long sip from his beer. “I would have gone with you.”

                “You need rest,” I told him.

                Next to me Parker remained silent, “Where’d you go?”

                “Trenton Peak,”

                “Didn’t you use to go up there with that guy…”

                I nodded, “Yes.”

                “Did something happen tonight, Aspen?” Parker asked.

                I closed my eyes and shook my head. For the first time, I felt the need to keep what happened tonight with Roman a secret.

                “No,” I replied as I took the beer from his grip and brought it to my lips just before I finished my reply, “Nothing happened.”