All I've Never Wanted(79)

“James,” he repeated.

“Yes, James! Now let me through!”

“And do I know this James? What were you doing? Were you on a date? Why were you out so late?”

I groaned. Seriously? “Well, gee, I don’t know if you know him, Roman, why don’t you ask yourself? And no, it wasn’t a date, we just went to an amusement park!” I neglected to tell him James was the same guy he almost fought at Stan’s party all those weeks ago.

“You went all the way to La Terra?” Roman stared at me accusingly. “With some guy you don’t even know that well? Don’t you know how dangerous that is? You could’ve been raped, or killed!”

“But I wasn’t,” I snapped. “And for your information, James is a very nice guy.”

“Yeah, sure,” he sneered. “I bet he is, when he’s trying to get in your pants.”

What the—of all the—“What are you talking about? He doesn’t!”

“Did he try to kiss you?”

I opened my mouth to respond, then snapped it shut, remembering the way James had looked at me during lunch. Telltale pink tinged my cheeks.

Roman’s eyes turned fiery as he gripped the banister. “He did, didn’t he?”

“That’s none of your business!” I attempted to shoulder my way past him, but he grabbed my arm and spun me round so I was pressed up against his chest.

“To hell it’s none of my business!”

We just stood there on the staircase, glaring at each other, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a bit dizzy from the heat that emanated from his body. I swallowed hard, the warmth of his grip burning my skin, but it wasn’t a painful burn. Far from it, actually.

My breath hitched as I stared up into Roman’s eyes, which had darkened to an almost purplish-black color, making the gold flecks stand out even more. I focused in on those mesmerizing golden dots, my entire body tingling. The only thing to be heard was the sounds of our labored breathing and the frantic beat my heart was drumming against my chest. That woodsy scent of his snuck through my nostrils, making me feel woozy.


Sensory overload! Sensory overload! my brain screamed, urging me to turn and flee before I fainted. Or worse, before I…

“So are you two going to homecoming together now?” Roman’s voice was gruff, and he didn’t loosen his hold on me.

“No.” I answered without thinking, my voice coming out smaller than I would’ve liked. Homecoming.

“Really?”

Was it just me, or did he sound slightly hopeful?

A random, inane image of Roman and I attending the dance together flashed through my mind. I would be in the dress from Barneys, he would be in a tux. We would walk in and everyone would turn and stare, marveling at how good we looked together…

And just as suddenly, the image was replaced by one of Roman with some beautiful, bitchy ice queen by his side, and my stomach clenched a little. Oh right. He already had a date.

I yanked my arm away, effectively breaking the moment. Roman blinked and stumbled a little, as if dazed, while I tried to ignore the sudden chill that enveloped me.

“Actually, I forgot. I do have a date. I’m going with Carlo,” I blurted, taking satisfaction at the stunned look on his face.

I sincerely hoped Carlo’s offer was still open. Roman wasn’t the only one who could get a date! And I’d be damned if I was going to stand there all night like some wallflower while the guys waltzed around with their dates.

“I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun with your date too,” I added coolly, backing away. “Good night.”

With that, I turned and nearly ran to my room, not stopping until I’d locked the door behind me. I slid down the wall and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

For some reason, the image of Roman and the theoretical ice queen remained in my mind, which wasn’t the problem. The problem was why I felt like crying every time I thought about it.

My eyes widened as I thought back on the past few weeks. The way he'd looked so vulnerable the night of the blackout, how my heart broke for him when he told me about his parents, how I kept unconsciously comparing James to him at the park today. The way I blushed around him and the way my skin felt like it was on fire every time he touched me.

But no. I hated him. After everything he did, I should hate him. I definitely did. But that didn't explain why I'd been slightly relieved when Parker told me we didn't have to pretend anymore, nor did it explain why a part of me had foolishly hoped Roman would've asked me to homecoming while we were on the staircase.

There was no way. It defied logic and everything sane. I mean, I didn't—I couldn't possibly have a crush on Roman Fiori, could I?

I gulped. Oh crap.

CHAPTER 19

“So they didn’t kiss?”

“Nope.” Zack shook his head, popping a Hershey’s Kiss in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. “I made sure of that.” He looked extremely pleased with himself.

Adriana couldn’t help but laugh as she pictured her brother yelling “fire” in the amusement park. “I can’t believe you got hauled into police headquarters.”

Zack made a face. “Security headquarters,” he corrected her. “And it wasn’t a big deal. They let me go once they found out who I was.”