Page 23 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
Roman
The house was too quiet.
There was no sound save for the thunder rumbling outside. Roman should have been used to silence since his parents were so rarely home when he lived with them. But the Carrigan house was always different—or, it was supposed to be. He loved it because the twins caused trouble and Jesse talked constantly.
Their dad was a looming presence, keeping himself distant from his kids. But, at least he was around, unlike Roman’s father.
And Cass… well, no that wasn’t any different on this night. She hid in her room like always, afraid of letting herself feel anything. Joy. Grief. Anger. None of it penetrated the shell around her.
The only people who seemed to make her smile were the twins. She’d always loved them, but now she held onto them even tighter.
The lights flickered as Roman puttered around the kitchen, looking for something to eat. He’d begged off grabbing pizza and going to the party. He just wasn’t in the mood. The headache was a lie and not a very good one. Jesse saw right through him.
But what he didn’t seem to notice was Cassie’s expression when she heard they were all leaving her for the evening. It was almost like she was… afraid to be alone.
As another crack of thunder ripped through the air, he was glad he stayed. He pictured Cassie huddled under her blankets, trying not to shake. Even as a kid, she’d never feared much. When they climbed trees, she went higher than anyone. When they wanted to cause trouble, it was usually her idea.
But storms, well, they were her kryptonite.
He found some of the twin’s canned lunches in the pantry and searched for the can opener. He couldn’t cook like Jesse, but he made a mean SpaghettiOs. Dumping the can into a bowl, he put it in the microwave and went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.
If Cassie was the same girl she’d always been, she wouldn’t be in her room for long, especially if the storm grew more vicious. He took his dinner from the microwave and scooped half of it into a second bowl, carrying both into the living room with his water tucked under his arm.
Setting them on the coffee table, he turned the TV to the NHL Network to see who was playing. A few minutes later, her footsteps on the stairs made him smile.
Yep, she was still his Cassie.
No, not his. He had to remind himself constantly they weren’t friends anymore. But he missed her.
Cassie stepped into the living room and bit her lip, nervousness flitting across her face.
Roman lifted his spoon. “I cooked dinner. Gourmet, fresh from the can.”
Cassie opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She walked toward the couch as a jolt of thunder made her jump. A yelp left her mouth, making Roman smile.
“Still scared of storms, Cassie-girl?”
“And everything else.” She jerked back as if surprised to hear her own voice.
Roman’s smile widened. “Come on.” He nudged the bowl he’d prepared for her. “Eat up so you grow big and strong. Then maybe all those massive clothes will fit you.”
She scowled and pulled her legs up under her. Her annoyance only lasted a moment before hunger won out and she reached for the bowl, settling it in her lap. “SpaghettiOs.” She mouthed the word, one eyebrow raised.
“Like I said.” Roman shot her a wink. “Gourmet. Now, don’t go getting jealous of my mad cooking skills. I’m sure there are things you’re good at too. Like scowling. A+ for that.”
Her scowl lessened, and she looked away, but he suspected it was to hide a smile. Cassie had never been able to help her smiles, especially when it came to his stupid jokes.
“Look at us.” He couldn’t stop talking if he tried, needing to fill the silence between them and see her smile again. “Eating together like two normal people. Almost like you don’t hate me.”
Any hint of a smile fell from her face. “I don’t hate you.” She didn’t elaborate, but it was the best dang thing Roman had heard in a long time.
“Careful, Cass-Cass. I might start thinking there’s hope for us.”
She didn’t lift her eyes from her dinner to acknowledge the statement, but it didn’t make Roman feel it any less. Days ago, he thought he was leaving Gulf City for good, that he wouldn’t see people like Cass and Jesse again.
But now… he was there living in her house, and he’d do anything to bring her back to him.
The lights flickered as the storm raged outside. Cassie jerked her head up as something hit the glass sliders. Pushing the bowl from her lap, she jumped up and ran for the doors.
