All I've Never Wanted(99)
Maya. His chest squeezed painfully as he thought about that giant purple-and-black bruise on her jaw, the one he was responsible for. He barely remembered anything that happened after he accidentally hit her yesterday. He just remembered screams, and Oliver yelling at him, and then everyone had rushed over to her while he just stood there, still in shock.
His friends had ripped him a new one, that he did remember. Even Zack. Hell, even if they hadn’t, he would’ve done it himself. Roman had done a lot of things in his life, but he would never purposely hit a girl. But he’d just been so angry last night, watching that stupid British pretty boy kiss her, and he hadn’t been thinking straight.
Actually, he never seemed to think straight whenever he was around her.
“So, are you going to say anything or did you call me out here to watch me eat?” Adriana asked, setting down her fork and leaning back in her seat to stare at him questioningly.
“I don’t know.” Roman ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He had no idea what he was feeling, but it wasn’t good. It was just a tight, nauseous feeling that seemed to have taken over his entire body, and nothing he did or said could make it go away. “I’m just confused.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know!” He slammed his fist down on the railing, barely noticing the pain that radiated up his arm as a result. “I can’t believe I hit her.” He was speaking more to himself than Adriana. “She probably hates me now.”
“Probably.”
He whipped his head around. “You’re not helping.”
Adriana threw her hands up in the air. “What the hell do you want me to do, Roman? I don’t have superpowers, you know. I tried so hard to help you guys, I really did, but you’re both too stubborn for your own good. Especially you. I thought it was working for a while, but you and your stupid jealous male pride had to go and ruin it all.”
Roman just stared at her, the nauseous feeling growing. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Adriana’s lips thinned. “You know what? Forget I said anything. I don’t think you really deserve her. She should be with someone who actually has two brain cells to rub together. Someone like Carlo.”
Roman’s hands clenched into fists. The mere sound of Carlo’s name right now put him on edge. Why was everyone so obsessed with him?
“You should stop talking right now,” he said through gritted teeth. “They’re just friends.”
“Friends can turn into more.” Adriana crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you so upset? Does the idea of Maya and Carlo together upset you? Maybe it won’t be Carlo. Maybe it’ll be someone else, like Oliver.” She shrugged. “They’d make a cute couple. She probably enjoyed that kiss.”
“Shut up!” Roman snapped, the nausea mixing with rage as the memory of Maya and Oliver kissing came flooding back.
“Why should I?” Adriana snapped back. “Seriously, you need to get over yourself and open your eyes before it’s too late. If it isn’t already,” she added rather acidly. With that, she pushed back her chair and stormed inside, closing the sliding door with a bang behind her.
Roman barely heard it. A lump seemed to have formed in his throat as her words echoed in his head. If it isn’t already, if it isn’t already, if it isn’t already. The words got louder each time until they were all he could hear.
The image of Maya and Oliver kissing faded, only to be replaced with the memories from that morning. The way she’d instantly backed away when he reached out to her, and the way she turned her back to him before asking him to leave, politely, like he was just some stranger she couldn’t care less about.
Whenever they’d argued in the past, Maya had always been hot-tempered and emotional, but that morning, her attitude had been cold, almost detached. It was like she just didn’t care anymore.
Roman’s stomach dropped as realization swept over him. The thought that she didn’t care enough anymore to even hate him terrified him more than anything else in the world, because somehow, against all odds, he’d fallen in love with Maya Lindberg.
He swallowed hard as he leaned heavily against the railing, the epiphany shocking him so much he barely had enough energy to stand. He couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to figure it out. All the signs had been there; he’d just been too stubborn to acknowledge them.
But did Maya even like him back? Roman had no idea. He had to give it a shot though.
He just hoped Adriana was wrong for once and that it wasn’t already too late.
* * *
I sank back into the sofa of the Tevasco guesthouse’s living room, absentmindedly shoving handfuls of caramel popcorn in my mouth as I watched a Gilmore Girls rerun on TV.
It was the only thing I’d done all day. When I got home from school, I showered, changed, then plunked myself in front of the TV with a year’s worth of cavity-creating, waistline-expanding, sugar-coma-inducing snacks.
Yes, I know. I’m in a funk, and a pretty terrible one at that.
The Perrys’ birthday weekend had started off great, but ended with a spectacular crash. After Roman left the room, I’d just stayed in bed until it was time for us to return to Valesca, ordering room service and writing down every single thing I disliked about him on the hotel napkins.