wander

18|why

I shrugged away from the hand grasping my arm and skipped going forward. The same person had stopped me, standing still in front of my chest. It was Romeo. He scooped me up and muttered to himself.

I kicked and screamed at him to put me down.
"Chiara. What the fuck. You're so drunk." He placed me into a car and wrestled with me to click in my seatbelt. He finally had clicked it together and I gave up with my great escape since he had locked the door. My high was wearing off and I started feeling sick.

"I'm going to be sick!" I mumbled through a gag. Romeo sighed and unlocked the car. He has pulled over to a side road and held my hair back as I let my guts out. After a finished throwing up, I rubbed my arms as I had goosebumps all over me. I realised I had lost my jacket.

Romeo rolled his eyes at me and gave me his jacket. It was sweet but I refused to take it. Instead of accepting my decline, he threw the jacket over my shoulders and zipped it all the way up. I didn't bother taking it off because It warmed me up right away.

I walked up to the front passenger seat of the door and stood next to it, waiting for Romeo to unlock it. I wasn't going to run away. I did just want to go home.

He unlocked the door and I stepped in without hesitation. As he walked over to his side, I gazed out into the darkness surrounding me. Only streetlights flickered every minute or so. Romeo got into the drivers seat and I closed my eyes. I did not want to talk to him right now.

He didn't even bother talking either. It was a silent night home. I aimlessly reached for some music but when I did finally get the right button, Romeo had turned it off straight away. So he wanted the silence?

**

We finally arrived home and I went straight to my bedroom. I couldn't deal with the confrontation. With him. Rose. Shit! My dad!
I went to my bathroom, locked the door and cried. Sprawled out on the floor, the tears became colder as flashbacks of my mom came to thought. The time I was on the floor, upset and she made it worse. Saying it was my fault.

My head began to hurt. Wether from crying or from the hangover. I don't know? I didn't want to face everything outside of this door behind me. I closed my eyes and made a makeshift bed from the bath mat and a pillow from towels.

Suddenly my world became blank and I fell asleep quickly.

**
I woke up to a pounding on my door.
"Chiara I swear to God if you don't answer me soon I'm going to knock this door down!" a familiar voice boomed.
"What? I just woke up. You woke me up." I replied in a thick morning voice.
"Just open the door!" The voice spoke back.

I opened the door and took a step back. I did everything to not make eye contact. But when I did look up, those hazel eyes went right to my 'bed'.

"You slept...there?" He pointed out to my towels and bath mat.
"Uh- I... I guess so?" I replied as a question.
"Oh my god. Why didn't you sleep I'm your bed. It's right there!" He picked up everything from the floor and threw it in a pile outside my bedroom door. I still hadn't made eye contact and was walking over to where my robe hung and threw it over my shoulders. I wrapped it neatly across my body and stared at myself in the mirror.

His frame stood in the doorframe with his piercing eyes hovering over me. I wrapped my hair in a messy bun and his eyes wondered back around the room. I turned around and walked straight past him.

I hobbled down the stairs still feeling hungover. I wanted water. My throat felt a little dry.

"So we're not going to talk about it?"
"No."

I felt embarrassed by the situation. He just took me from that guy. I wonder what happened to him. He probably got scared off by Romeo before I could see. I gulped the water and went for a refill. He took the glass from my hand and shook his head.

"No water until you speak."
"I did speak. I said I didn't want to talk about it."

He was really trying to get this out of me. Instead of following his orders I reached for a whole new glass but he stood in front of the cupboard which they were kept.

"Come on! I just need to make sure you're okay. You've been different since the other night."
"Later."
"Huh?"
"Later," I reiterate, "I'll tell you later. Can I have my water now my head is killing me!"

He passes me my glass and stands out of my way but not out of sight. I refill my glass and chug it down quickly. I place the glass in the dishwasher and wrap myself in blankets on the sofa. I turn on Netflix and put a random film on. I didn't care what it was I just needed to get distracted.

Or course, Romeo sat on the other side of the sofa. I still didn't make eye contact with him. I didn't bother getting any snacks because I was going to plan to go out for lunch. Maybe even call Rose and ask her if she wants to come too.

The movie ends and I get up to get ready. I feel Romeo's eyes on me as I walk away. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his mouth open as if he's going to say something. I walk away faster, avoiding all conversation.

I pull a cute summer dress over my head and grab a white cardigan to go over my shoulders. I take my purse on the way out of my bedroom door. On the way out I make small talk to Romeo.

"Going out for lunch. Don't wait on me." With that I walk straight out the front door. Finally, some freedom.