Page 44 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
“And now?”
“What?”
“Is it still platonic?”
He rubbed his eyes, tearing them away from Cassie to look down at Hadley. “On her end it is.”
“I knew it!” A grin stretched across her face. “This is so juicy. Ex-best friend moves into the bedroom next door. Sparks fly. Butterfly wings flutter. And boom!”
“Boom what?”
She sighed and started singing. “Love is in the air.”
“Hadley.” He clapped a hand over her mouth. “Stop.”
She pushed him away and grinned. “Maybe you shouldn’t be over here with me. Go talk to her.”
“I can’t.”
She crossed her arms. “Roman Sullivan, are you a coward?”
“I kissed her,” he blurted.
She raised an eyebrow, a grin playing on her lips.
“It didn’t mean anything to her, just a first kiss type of thing. And now she won’t look at me or talk to me. I can live with her never wanting to kiss me again, but after the last couple days, I can’t go back to the silence.”
Hadley’s grin dropped. “Then don’t give up on her.” She turned and sprinted to where Charlie and Jesse had set up beach chairs, her long hair flying out behind her.
“Roman Sullivan, are you a coward?”
No, he wasn’t. He walked to where Cassie bent over at the edge of the water. She lifted her round sunglasses to peer at a translucent crab in the sand.
A gust of wind blew the hair from Roman’s forehead and caught in Cassie’s brown hat, lifting it from her head. She reached for it, but it flew down the beach, bouncing along the sand.
Roman took off running, finally snatching it off the ground. Cassie panted as she caught up to him. “Thanks.” She set the sunglasses back on her face.
He held the hat out, watching her push long, chocolate hair out of the way as it swished around her shoulders.
She wore a simple pair of old jean shorts and a black sweatshirt, much different from what most of the girls at school would choose. Even in the chilly February air, they’d want to show off their bikinis.
Cassie offered him a shy smile, her hands clenching the rim of the hat as she put it back on her head.
Without thinking, he reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She stilled. “You can’t do that.”
He pulled his hand away. “Don’t say that.”
“I’m just being honest.”
“Right, like your therapist told you to be.”
She nodded, her eyes drifting to the vast sea. Waves crashed on the shore, providing the backdrop to a perfect Sunday afternoon.
“Is it working?” he asked.
“I think so. I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”
He smiled. “Yeah… I’m glad.”
