Fragments

5.4

            5.4

            When I turn to leave, Roman shoves Reesa aside and grabs my arm. He spins me to face him and looks down at me with confused eyes.

            “Are you okay?” he asks, his grip remaining tight. Without a response, I look away. “You shouldn’t be back yet. What happened?” Looking past him at Reesa, she leans against the doorframe, watching with curious, innocent eyes. Roman follows my gaze and turns to look over his shoulder, shooting her a look. “God, Reesa, can you just give me a minute?”

            Reesa rolls her eyes, dropping her long arm from the door and walking inside. She shuts the door quietly, and then Roman and I are alone in the hall.

            “What’s going on?”

            I narrow my eyes and let my arm go limp in Roman’s grasp. “Why don’t you tell me,” I say, nodding towards the closed door to his apartment.

            He looks confused for a minute and then a look of realization washes across his face. “Reesa?” I shoot him a look and he laughs lightly. “Oh god, I can only imagine what you think and it makes me cringe. She’s my cousin, Piper. More like a sister though since her mom died and mine raised her alongside me. I offered to let her stay here for a while since she broke up with the guy she was living with.”

            I feel stupid. Insanely, profoundly stupid. Heat rushes to my cheeks and I have to look away from the humor in Roman’s eyes. He grabs my chin as soon as I do so and raises my face to look at him.

            “Now tell me what’s going on with you, Piper.” He moves me from side to side, inspecting my face. “Is everything okay?”

            “I don’t really want to talk about it here,” I admit quietly.

            Roman nods. “Let me grab my coat.”