Hollow

fourteen.

UNEDITED - To be fixed at a later date.

*

The truck idled as they sat in silence, looking anywhere but at each other. The sun had begun to set on the ridge behind their houses, having spent the whole day at the farmhouse.

"I guess I will see you later?" Her voice wavered.

"Yeah, see you later," Roman mumbled taking a glance at her.

He flicked the ignition off, just waiting for her eyes to meet him but they never did. She cracked her door before gracefully hopping down from the high seat. 

"Willow!" His deep voice captured her attention as she immediately looked back in surprise.

Blue against grey, the electric color of her eyes were hidden by the poorly lit truck but Roman felt comforted, nonetheless.

"Is something wrong?"

His face appeared worried as she stared in confusion. Worry was a new emotion she had yet to see expressed by Roman. It gave her a sense of trust that they were truly friends. 

 He didn't know why he felt compelled to stop her and he didn't comprehend her question until three silent minutes had passed between them. 

"Nothing... uh, have a good night." He stumbled over his words, feeling dumb and tongue-tied.

 Willow smiled back at his thoughtfulness and Roman took her smile as a good sign. 

"Thank you, Roman. For everything, truly." There was a hint of finality to her tone but it didn't register with him, caught up in the sweetness of her smile.

"No need." A hint of a smile graced his own lips, an honor Willow cherished.

"Okay. Well, night." She nervously mumbled before turning away.

His fixation was broken with the slam of the passenger door as he watched her walk away. He had no idea what came over him, an unwavering connection overtaking him like metal to a magnet. Shaking his head of all the conflicting things running through his mind,  he slams his truck door hard in frustration. 

What the hell am I doing?

Willow had a boyfriend. He had Kennedy for Christ sake. Nothing could ever happen, no matter how much he told himself otherwise. He opened the front door of his house,  just as his phone began to vibrate. Speak of the devil, he frowned as he accepted her call.

"Hi, babe." He hated calling her such a generic name but Kennedy liked that type of thing. Said it made her feel official.

"Where were you today?" She sounded mad. "I stopped in earlier when you didn't show up and Donna said she had no idea. She thought you left to pick me up. I find it kind of funny you lie to your mother like that." Her tone suggested this was anything but funny.

"A friend needed me. Sorry, I should have called and..."

"You think? Am I not important enough to get a call when you blow me off? At the very least, I think I deserve a text, Roman." 

 She'd have probably hit him and stormed off if they were in person. That would have been a welcomed alternative instead of dealing with this issue. This wasn't going to have a pleasant resolve at their current pace.

"I know, Ken. I can't apologize enough for..." She cut him off again.

"What friend? Who was so important that you couldn't pick me up for our anniversary dinner? Fuck! I'm so pissed at you!" The pitch of her deep voice raised to a shrill, angry sound.