all american | lance tucker

ch. 16 • returning habits and old songs

I stood there in shock and listened to his footsteps echo down the hallway until I couldn't hear them any more, and then I slowly walked to the couch, collapsing onto it. I put my face in my hands, and started to cry. Like, really cry. Harder than I had cried in a long time.

After a while, I felt an arm around my shoulders as someone pulled me against them, and then the smell of Lance's Ralph Lauren cologne. He held me as my sobs wracked my body, sitting with me as I broke down completely.

"Go home, Lance." I heaved, pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes. He held my head against his chest, and I felt him shake his head.

"No, Cara. You can't just go through everything alone." He sighed, rubbing my back with his free hand. I sighed, crawling into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I can't do this, Lance. Not today." I whimpered, burying my face in his neck. He ran his fingers through my hair, comforting me as much as he could.

Roman's P.O.V

As soon as the door slammed, guilt hit me like a truck. I shouldn't have done that. I saw the way she was looking at me. I knew I should go back in there and fix things, but then the thought of Lance being there with her made me want to punch something. So I kept going, all the way outside, until I was in my car. And then I did yell. Beat on the steering wheel, kicked the door, the whole nine yards. We were over. I had just lost the thing I loved most, and it was all my fault. I had left her alone and crying, alone with Lance.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." I groaned, leaning my head on the wheel. I had to get the fuck out of there. So I stepped on it, tore out of there, and went the fuck home. How had that even fucking happened? We had just been drinking coffee and enjoying each other's company fifteen minutes before that. Then Lance had to come and fuck it all up. I knew Cara didn't deserve how I'd acted, but I was getting tired of it. I knew I'd call her at some point, but I really needed a fucking break at that moment. It was just too much for me to watch them converse like that.
Like a married couple.

Rock music was booming through the speakers, so I smacked the radio's power button. I needed silence. God, I had fucked up. Badly. But I hadn't changed my mind. Yet.

She was no doubt with him right now, and that made me angry. I tried to control my temper, but that shit was too much. I grabbed my phone off the passenger seat, opening it and calling Blake. He'd know what to do.

"Yo, home slice." What an idiot.

"Blake, I just broke up with Cara." I said, wincing as I said it out loud. He paused for a second.

"You-why?"
"Because I was so fucking sick of her ex. They have kids together, so he acts like he can control her life. She follows along, too. So I ended it, left her there crying." I sighed, clenching the wheel even tighter.

"You broke up with her over that?" His voice was skeptical. I clenched my teeth.

"Yeah, Blake, I did. You wouldn't understand." I shook my head. Maybe he wouldn't know what to do.

"Well, how bout we all go get super drunk and then you can go hook up with some random girl?" He suggested.

"You can't think of anything better? Just rebounding? Jesus, Blake, what are you? Sixteen?"

"I'm twenty six, asshole. You're the one who's still twenty five." He snapped. "Now are you in, or not?" I sighed, pondering. Maybe not hooking up, but getting super drunk sounded nice.

"Fine, but remember that I don't plan on throwing myself at anybody, Blake."

"Read and understood. But seriously, are you sure you wanted to break up with Cara? You get super jealous, and she really seemed like she was the one for you." His voice was sympathetic, and a tad bit sad. Weird.