Distract and Sedate | Hemlock Grove |

Chapter 20 | The Tower |

Roman wakes in the middle of the night drenched with sweat. It's not unusual anymore. He's become used to cold showers in the dead of night and fans turned on high. It's still not enough.

He hasn't pinpointed the exact reason for the disturbance but has a feeling it has to do with his new diet. He'd thought he would have gotten used to it by now but he was wrong. Pryce has barely changed the texture. The thought of it makes his stomach turn. The only distraction from the sweat and heat is the pounding in his head. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. On and on it goes like a siren alerting him of danger.

Roman's relationship with Miranda had been strange, to say the least. It had been strange from the beginning, but he could feel her pulling away from him now. He couldn't figure out what had caused it. Had he been too distant? Had he done something wrong?

If these are the emotions that run through the mind's normal people he pities them. Things were so much easier before he felt whatever these feelings were. He can't describe it. If someone asked him what he found in her he wouldn't have an answer. She's gone the night he goes to the bar with Peter. He doesn't know where she goes most of the time. It's on his mind, but he tries to not let it ruin his night with Peter.

Roman picks him up from Destiny's house and drives him to a dive bar. They're silent for the most part. What do you say to the person who abandoned you? Then slowly, very slowly, Peter begins making jokes. In time, they're both laughing like old times.

The conversation takes a dip when Peter begins telling him about his latest dream.

"Let's go get Em and head out there!"

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"It's late as fuck.

"So?" He finishes his beer. "Let's head out."

"Why does she need to come?"

"Because," Roman pauses to find some reason. "She's impartial! We both are suspecting something to be up. She'll be skeptical." Peter seems to buy this.

The moment Roman takes a seat on her couch he knows he's not going anywhere. The drive there had been a blurry haze, and now he was so comfortable. The scratchy feeling of the couch beneath his skin and the familiar smell radiating through his nostrils rock him to sleep. He curls up to the closest boy he can reach.

For the first time in weeks, he sleeps peacefully. There is no pounding in his head, no waking up in a sweat. He dreams of being a child again and the times he had spent on this couch. He remembers them moving in here. It had been after a few months after her dad left. They didn't have a couch for the first couple of days. Since Emma's father had left, she had been sleeping in her mother's bed. That was no exception to when he came over. The three of them would pile into the bed that always seemed a little too empty and stay up late watching old reruns of shows they were too young to understand. He falls asleep to the memory of the buzz of the television.

Boy the way Glen Miller played

Songs that made the hit parade

Guys like us we had it made

Those were the days

Waking up alone leaves a hollow feeling in him. He doesn't know why he's surprised when he sees Peter asleep in Emma's room. He doesn't think much until the memories from their past lives cross his mind. Peter still claimed that Letha was the love of his life and yet here he was in bed with her.

As platonic as it might seem, Roman is skeptical. He remembers her little crush on him. Her eyes always lingered on Letha with a tinge of jealousy. He remembers other things too. They may act like it didn't happen, but Roman remembers damn well that she had blown him when he was dating Letha. How could Peter move on so quickly while Roman is still mourning?