Billie White

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

My eyes slowly opened and I squinted, in the dim lighting of the room. My vision was blurry, and I was lying on Roman’s bed underneath the comforter. My head was rested on his flat pillows and I rubbed my feet together to see they were bare.

Slowly and quietly, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. My vision was brought into focus and they fixed on Roman, who was hunched over his laptop. I rolled my eyes and saw Jessie snoozing at his feet. Roman gingerly patted Jessie’s head, but jumped back when she suddenly jerked at the touch. A short girlish yelp escaped his lips and he quickly wiped his hands on his jeans, then went back to his laptop. “Is Jessie too scary, for you?” I mumbled and cleared my throat. Roman looked up at me and smiled with his lips.

“I was trying to get used to her,” he said then shut the lid to his laptop. Darkness suddenly came upon us, and the only light coming from his room was the light flitting through his closed blinds. Sliver of sun rays crossed his room, and reflected on his eyes making them a dazzling hazel color.

“I can see you’re bonded,” I snorted and Roman shrugged.

“She took a dump out in my backyard, you know,” Roman said and I sighed heavily.

“Thanks for the incredibly blatant statement, on how my dog took a shit in your backyard,” I said my voice full of sarcasm.

“Your use of vocabulary was quite colorful, you know,” Roman joked and dodged Jessie’s head and made his way over to me.

“Well I am actress,” I said putting on a Southern accent and he chuckled lightly. “Is your dad home?” I added returning to my normal voice. Roman shook his head, passed the foot of the bed and sat by my side. His eyes had dulled and he ran a hand through his dark hair. Silence crept in one the room, and each youthful line on his face crinkled in distress.

“No, but he should be back anytime soon,” he replied and nibbled the flesh, at the corner of his bottom lip.

“Are you okay, Roman?” I asked and he nodded quickly. I swallowed hard as a tired escaped his lips. Roman looked up at me and forced out a smile, from the depths of his heart.

“Yeah,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m fine, honestly. I’m just thinking, that’s all.” He smiled again and this time, it wasn’t forced but assuring.

“Alright, let me see the sketch,” I said changing the subject completely. Roman blushed lightly and shook his head.

“It’s not finished, Billie.” 

“You were hunched over your laptop, when I woke up Roman,” I cooed. “It must be finished.” Roman shook his head and got off of the bed. He strode over to his blinds, his bare feet padding on the wooden floorboards. Rays of light burst and spilled into the room like honey. The gorgeous oranges and reds shone through the thin cracks in the shutters. Roman pulled at the beaded chain. The blind slowly elevated upwards, till all of the sunsets glory shone through the window.

“I was taking a break,” Roman said the settled back at the desk. He pushed his laptop to the edge of the chestnut colored desk, and pulled out his sketchbook. I hastily threw off the cream colored sheets, and padded over to Roman. His now blunt pencil danced in between his fingers, and the tips of his other hand stroked the soft pencilled drawing. Shades of grey etched over the white canvas. My face was clearly recognizable, but he’d made me look ten times more beautiful than I actually was. Roman’s eyes were glued on the drawing, and silence crept back into the room. But it was only to scared and broken, when Roman started speaking again. “See, not finished,” he murmured hastily and abruptly snapped the book shut. A flash of white lights shone at the window, then disappeared. The familiar sound of a car engine had been turned off, and I stepped back as Roman got up. “My dad’s here.”