Page 64 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
Roman
Jesse sat on the edge of the desk, staring at Roman as if trying to figure him out, and Roman was too sick to care.
He nibbled on the toast his friend brought, trying to keep his stomach from pushing it back up.
“You weren’t sick at the game.” Jesse crossed his arms.
“I’d been tired all day, but it didn’t hit me until the diner. Probably just a quick bug.”
Jesse pressed his lips together. “You never mentioned you felt ill.”
What was this? An inquisition? “Do you think I’m faking it?” He laughed. That was ridiculous. Of course, Jesse didn’t think that. He’d have no reason to.
But Jesse shifted his eyes away.
Roman pushed himself up in bed. “What’s going on?”
“Why was my sister in here this morning?”
Warning bells rang in Roman’s head. Alert. Alert. Backtrack. “We must have fallen asleep.” He wouldn’t tell his friend about the late-night honesty session or how right she’d felt in his arms, even if he was sick.
Jesse blew a breath past his teeth. “I think I messed up.”
Roman lifted an eyebrow. “What did you say to her?”
“I can’t really remember. I was so angry. There was yelling.”
“Wonderful,” Roman groaned. “You do realize she can do whatever she wants, right? I didn’t force her to take care of me last night.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you such a jerk?”
“She’s my sister.”
Roman dropped the toast onto the plate. “That’s not an excuse. Didn’t you tell me just last night you were fine with my feelings?” Jesse opened his mouth to speak, but Roman cut him off. “She’s finally starting to heal and make decisions separate from her anxieties. Yet, you yell at her for it?”
“I don’t need you talking to me about her issues. I know my sister better than you.”
“Apparently not. Did you know she asked me to kiss her?”
Jesse stopped moving, his face twisting in disgust. “Some things I don’t need to know, man.”
“It was just an experiment for her. Her therapist wanted her to speak and act with open honesty, without thinking.”
“She… talked to you about therapy?” He rubbed his jaw, his voice growing quiet. “She never tells me about it.”
Roman shrugged. He couldn’t explain why Cassie trusted him enough to talk about her fears and not her family, why she chose him. But he’d never take that away from her. “She needs me, but Jess, I need her too.”
Jesse scrubbed a hand across his face. “Are you two like… together now? I just need a warning.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know?”
Roman leveled him with a stare. “Have you ever been able to read that girl’s mind?”
“Good point. What are you going to do?”
