“Hi.”
“Hi.” I flatly reply.
“Why are you mad at me?”
“Why would you think I’m mad?”
He quickly folds his arms across his chest and stiffens his nose to the ceiling, pretending to pout.
“That’s not what I look like.” I force my face to stay flat, but I think my lips are smiling against my will.
“Well…” He turns his head to me again, hair flopping around as he does.
“You’re seriously going to act like I’m in the wrong?”
“So you are mad at me.”
“I didn’t say—”
“You did. You did say. What did I do? I just made you feel good when you were clearly upset.”
“Normal people talk. They don’t fuck each other.”
“Well, we didn’t get to me yet, but—”
“Romeo.”
“Okay. Sorry I didn’t talk to you more.” I bite my upper lip and look back out at the sky. He does the same, and for a few moments, we’re completely silent.
“Why were you upset back there?” he finally asks. I sigh quietly, thinking about my answer because I don’t really know why. It could have to do with crowds reminding me of the Magdalin and how I never get space, not even when I’m alone. But regardless of what company I’m in, I always feel alone. Since Koa's been gone, I’ve gotten used to that empty feeling. However, when he and I were together today, it was like everyone else had disappeared. And for the first time in a while, I felt--whole.
“I lost my brother,” I say without thinking because Romeo also has that effect on me— jumbles my thoughts so much that I can’t speak straight.
“He—”
“Died.” I swallow. Knowing that even though I just fucked up by divulging this, maybe my vulnerability will cause him to do the same. And though it’s painful, I’m willing to rehash the wound if it means I get what I want from it.
“I’m sorry,” is all he says, looking at me intently, though I still have turned my head. I think he’s about to say something else, open up to me like I did to him, or at least provide some sort of solace besides a weak apology, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sits up straight and holds out his hand for me to take.
“We should get started on those lines,” he says, and I look at his hand for a second in disbelief. Instead of making a big deal about it, I help myself up and cross the room to grab the script laid on my nightstand. He says nothing as he grabs his, and we sit on the end of my bed to run lines. We do this for a few hours, back and forth, until we are off-script for half of the lines.
“I’m so fucking hungry.” Romeo remarks when we’re halfway through the script.
“That’s not your line— oh.” I drop the booklet to my lap and look across the room at the grandfather clock in the corner.
“It’s 5:30,” he remarks as I continue to squint at the clock. “You need glasses.” He pokes my arm, and I roll my eyes.
“We can head down to get dinner now if you'd like?”
“Or…”
“Or?” His hand grazes my thigh, and I grab it just before it touches the hem of my dress. I justly shake my head, looking deeply into his piercing green eyes, thirsty with longing.
“No.” I stand to my feet and drop my script on the bed. “Come on.” I wave, not looking back at his face, which I’m sure is riddled with disappointment. His feet trail after me, and I open the door just as his hand grazes my lower back. I tilt my head to him as we step out into the hallway, and he’s smirking because he knows that I’m doing this to avoid what I want. We can’t do this again, though. I can’t let myself fuck this up.
We remain silent as we head down the steps to where I saw the dining room on my way up to my room earlier. When we finally reach the dining room, I nearly topple over because it’s so gorgeous. Tall canopies of silk drapes float through the air, slightly glowing under the light of the candle-lit chandeliers hanging across the center of the ceiling. I think there are four in total. Gold, crystal, and extravagance cover the entirety of the orangey ambiance throughout the room.
The long dining table is a deep red wood with a table runner of silk and elaborate woven designs. Fresh fruits and flowers cover the entire center, perfectly laid over the table runner. There are small breaks to allow for fresh bread and vases filled to the brim with different wines. Olive trees take up every corner of the room, with a couple serving bars dispersed and covered with refreshments.