“Say something.” I said starting to get freaked out.
“You looking amazing, pumpkin. You are going to be attached to me at this party. I don’t want anyone looking at you. You’re mine.” He said as he pulled me into his side and let his hands slip down my backside.
“Madeline Thomas, my angel, bring your fine self out here right now!” West yelled in the direction of her room.
Maddie’s door slowly opened and I swear West’s eyes were the size of silver dollars.
“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen him speechless.” I whipered to Roman.
“I’ve seen him speechless before but not in a good way.” He told me as he rubbed my lower back.
“Do I look fine?” Maddie asked starting to get nervous.
“You look beautiful. I’ll meet you guys by the car.” West said as he got up from his seat on the black couch.
Maddie grabbed her white clutch from the coffee table and followed him out the door.
“Do we even need to go to this party? This looks good on you but I think it would look even better on the floor.” Roman whispered as kissed my neck.
“We have to go but who knows, I might let you cross the finish line tonight.” I told him as I pulled away.
Chapter 24
We went to grab a bite to eat before hitting the party. And by the time it falls dark we are pulling up. I notice a huge crowd already there. As I scanned the crowd, I saw Luca talking to a group of girls in costumes. And my mind went back to earlier. I had this eerie feeling that something wasn’t right. I knew I was probably being paranoid.
“Are you okay? You’re being really quiet.” Roman asked as he helped me out of the back seat of his car.
“I’m fine.” I told him trying to reassure him.
I reached for his hand as we walked toward the crowd. Feeling Luca’s gaze on me, I looked at him over my shoulder. He nodded his head toward me. I hated when people did that. It just made him creepier then before.
“Ems, can you walk with to the bathroom with me?” Maddie asked.
“Sure.” I told her as slipped my hand from Roman’s.
I kissed Roman’s lips and then I followed Maddie.
She looked back to see if we were far enough away from the Roman and West.
“Do you think we should tell them about Luca this morning?”
“Maybe we should. He’s giving me a bad vibe.” I told her.
“Does he ever give you anything other than that kind of vibe? I think that’s the only one he has.”
“You’re right but I think telling them would probably be the best move.”
“Let’s get them drinks first. They may take it better with a buzz.”
“Good idea.” I told her.
We walked over to the kegs and filled up two red solo cups. The smell of the beer made my stomach do this weird flips.
“Ems, I think you need to go to the doctor. You must have a virus or something.”
“Yea, I think you’re right. I’ll make an appointment.”
We walked back up to the guys and handed them the drinks.
“Did you girls put roofies in these? Because you know if you want us all you have to do is ask.” West said shooting us a seductive look.
“Such an idiot.” Maddie mumbled under her breath. But I saw the smile she was trying to fight.
“Let’s get serious for a second. We have to tell you guys something.” I told them.
“Is everything okay? Did somebody do something to you?” Roman asked as he looked me over, making sure I was okay.
“I’m fine. Today when we got back to the apartment, we were starting to get ready and someone made a surprise visit.” I told them as I kicked dirt on the ground.
“Who was it?” West asked looking at Maddie.
She turned her head to me, silently telling me to tell them.
“Luca.” I said as low as I could.
Roman stood there with his jaw locked in anger.
“What in the hell was he doing there?” West asked looking at Maddie.
“He wasn’t there for me. We don’t really know why he was there.” She answered.
“What do you mean?” Roman asked her.
“It was weird. He wanted to know if we were going to the party. It was like he was making sure we were going to be here. Almost as if he didn’t want us to miss something.” She told them.
“He really freaked us out but we didn’t know if we should tell you guys.”
“Well you should have.” Roman said as he moved away from me.
I tried to hold his hand but he rejected me. That was the worst feeling in the world. He’s right we should have told them. Luca is dangerous. I knew that.
“Emma, not now. West let’s go see what his problem is.”
“Let’s do it.” West said.
We walked behind them as they cornered Luca.
“Enjoying the party?” Luca asked as he sipped on his beer.
“Not really.” Roman answered him.
“That’s a shame.”
“Did you enjoy visitng Emma and Maddie today?”
“More then you know.” He answered as he let his eyes take us in.
I covered myself with my arms best I could. It didn’t work very well.
“You need a jacket?” Ethan asked walking up behind me.
“That would be great.” I told him as I slipped the black jacket on.
He walked up between Maddie and I and put his arms around our shoulders.
“West, give Mad-dog your jacket. That creep can’t keep his eyes to his self.” Ethan said.
West slipped his jacket off and held it up for Maddie to slip it on. She took her place by Ethan after she was covered up.
“Why did you go by their apartment today?”
“I wanted to make sure they were coming tonight.”
“Why? Why did that matter to you?” Roman asked.
“Because I wanted sweet Emma to be here to watch you go back to jail.”
I let a sob escape my throat. This had to be a joke. Feeling Ethan rub my shoulder, I put my head on his shoulder.
“What do you mean?” Roman asked.
“You broke your probation by racing me. I let our good old sheriff know. He will be here any minute now.” Luca told him as he checked his shiny silver watch.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would and I did.”
As if on cue, I heard the familiar sound of the sirens. And saw the the bright blue and red lights flashing. All of the emotions from two years ago came flooding back.
Roman quickly threw his keys to West. He gave him a silent request and West nodded his head.
Running to Roman’s side, I grabbed his hand. I knew that I couldn’t stop them but I needed to be around him. The police car pulled up and Sherriff Moore got out. It was like déjà vu.
“Roman Charles, turn around and put your hands behind your back. You are under arrest.” Sheriff Moore said in his thick southern drawl.
Roman did as he said and I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. They were taking him away again.
“No! Please, you can’t take him.” I screamed as I tried to make my way to him but West held me back.
“Pumpkin, calm down. Everything will be fine.” Roman told me as the sheriff put him in the back of the car.
“I love you.” I told him through the tears running down my face.
“I love you, more.” He told me right before Sheriff Moore slammed the door in his face.
I watched the car drive out until it had completely disappeared from my sight. How could this happen again? I barely made it the first time. Sobbing into my hands, I felt someone’s arm around my shoulder. As I looked up I saw it was Ethan.
“It’s gonna be okay. I promise.” He told me.
“I hope your right.” I managed to get out through the tears.
“West! Let’s go to my house. We need to tell my mom.” Ethan yelled.
“Okay! G
ive me a sec I’m trying to find Maddie.” He shouted back.
Looking around the crowd I saw her talking to Luca, I nudged Ethan. He looked over and seen her.
“Yo, West! I found her.” He said as he pointed their way.
“Great! Now she’ll get herself arrested.” He said as he ran her way.
I watched as he drug her away from Luca. She was still screaming profanities at him. Luca blew he a kiss and she flicked him off. How could anyone do this? How could anyone have so much hate in their heart? I didn’t know the answer. I would never understand it.
“Come on, Em.” Ethan told me as he walked me toward Roman’s mustang.
The car just made me worse. That car was more than just a car to me, it held so many memories. I lost my virginity in the back seat. I had my first kiss on the front seat. I fell in love in that black mustang.
“Ems, it’s going to be okay.” Maddie told me.
“NO! It’s not. You don’t understand what it’s like to lose somebody you love. And you certainly don’t know if it’s going to be okay.” I snapped at her.
“I know more than you think.” She replied quietly as she played with her necklace.
I heard a loud noise come from the driver’s side. Looking at West, I saw that he punched the steering wheel. What was his problem?
“Everybody just shut up!” he screamed.
The ride to Roman’s house was silent. My sniffles was the only noise. Pulling up the driveway, West put the car in park. As we got out, I took a deep breath and said silent prayer for strength.
I watched as Ethan opened the door. Following him inside, I saw Ava and Lucy watching TV on the couch. They were laughing and eating Halloween candy. Ava looked up and saw us. She jumped up off the couch.
“Where is Roman?” she said with a shaky voice.
“He broke his probation, mom. It’s all my fault, he only did it to help me.” Ethan said as he started to cry.
“They arrested him?” she asked West.
He nodded his head and then looked back down at the shiny floor.
She put her face her hands and dropped to her knees. And in that moment I felt guilt rush over me. I hadn’t stopped to think about his mother, only myself. So, I did the only thing I could think of, I dropped to my knees and cried with her. I had a feeling we were going to need each other.
Chapter 25
A few days later, I was sitting at the table eating breakfast. Well, trying to eat, I hadn’t been able to keep anything down since that night. Maddie had convinced me to take a few days off from work. She was already gone because she had gotten a job at the local bakery, Sweetie Pies.
Getting up to clean my bowl, I heard a knock on the door. I had come to know a knock on the door was never good. And I was right, I was standing face to face with my dad.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
“That is no way to talk to your father.”
I took a few deep breaths, trying to keep myself from ripping into him.
“Is there a reason for you visit?” I asked him.
I knew exactly why he was here. He wanted to personally deliver his I told you so. But he could keep it. I wasn’t in the least bit interested.
“Yes, I heard about Roman.”
“And…?”
“I tried to warn you about him. He’s scum. He doesn’t have any part in your life.”
I couldn’t believe he was standing in my apartment trying to tell me what I needed. He didn’t have to tell me, I knew what I needed. I needed Roman. End of story.
“You don’t understand what I feel for him.”
“You don’t know what you’re feeling.”
“Yes, I do. Dad, I feel constant butterflies when he’s around. I feel free. He makes me feel alive. And most of all, I feel happy because I’m so deliriously happy.”
“I wish you hear how pathetic you sound.” He spat.
“You’re the one that’s pathetic. What makes you think you can tell me who to love?”
“Because I’m your father. Pack your bags, you’re going back to Brown.”
“I worked hard to get in, I’ll go back when I want to.”
“You really think you got in because of how hard you worked?” he said as laughed.
What was he talking about? I worked really hard to get in. I put all of my focus on Brown. It was my dream and I achieved it. All on my own. Didn’t I?
“Yes, I do. Nobody worked as hard as me.” I said as I swallowed the huge lump forming my throat.
“You only got in because I pulled some strings. I know the dean. It had nothing to do with how hard you worked. You wouldn’t have gotten in if it wasn’t for me.”
He had to be lying. I worked my fingers to the bone to get in that school. Why was everything falling apart?
I tried to talk but couldn’t. Trying to hold back the stream of tears, I failed. And they ran down my face.
“Emma, quit crying. You’re not three. Pack your stuff and let’s go. Now.” He told me with not a hint of sympathy in his voice.
“I’m not going.” I told him.
“You can kiss Brown goodbye. I’m not paying your tuition any longer.” He said as he walked out and slammed the door.
Running to the bathroom, I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet. There was nothing to come out but that didn’t make this sick feeling go away. Forcing myself up, I walked in my room and got in bed.
I buried myself up to my eyes in blankets. Why couldn’t one little thing go right? Did Wanda’s hex’s really work? I mean because come on that was the only logical explanation for all of my bad luck.
Inhale. Exhale. I made myself stop crying and steadied my breathing. Lying there, I tried not to think about everything. I needed a mind break. I could lay here and pretend to myself that my life wasn’t falling apart. Couldn’t I?
Just as i started to drift off, I heard the front door open and close. Peeling the down comforter off my body, I put my feet on the cold hardwood floor. As I walked into the living room, I saw Maddie placing a box of cupcakes on the coffee table.
“Hey,Mads.”
She jumped at the sound of my voice.
“Oh, you scared me. I thought you were sleeping so I didn’t want to wake you.”
“My dad came by today.” I told her as I took a seat on the closest chair.
“What? What did he say?” she asked as she kneeled on the floor beside my chair.
“He wanted me to leave and go back to Brown.”
“What did you tell him?” she asked as she rubbed my knee.
“I told him that I worked hard to get in there and that I would go back when I wanted to.”
“I’m proud of you.” She told as she got up and walked in the kitchen.
“He told me I didn’t get in because I worked hard.” I told her as I started into space.
“What?” she said sitting two small plates beside the box of cupcakes.
“Yep.” I told her biting my lip “ He said he pulled strings to get me in and that if I didn’t leave with him, he would quit paying my tuition.”
“Ems, I’m so sorry. I know everything seems bad now but you will get through this. You’ll see.”
“I hope your right.”
She handed me a plate with a red velvet cupcake on it. Red velvet was always my favorite but one whiff of the cream cheese icing and I ran like I was running from Michael Meyers. The toilet was becoming one of my best friends.
“Ems, I think you have the flu or something. You need to have that checked out. I’m starting to get worried.”
I didn’t have the strength to answer her. Watching her run out of the room, I curled up in a ball on the ground.
She ran back in the room with ice in hand. She sat on the floor beside me and placed it on my head.
“I miss him.” I whispered.
“I know.” She whispered back.
We sat there for only God knows how long, in complete silence. At this point, I didn’t care abou
t Brown. I just wanted Roman back. Breathing in and out, I tried not to think about him. But I failed miserably; he was all I could think about.
I heard someone pounding on the door. Looking over at Maddie, she was already half way to the living room.
Forcing myself up from the tiled floor, I slowly followed her. Seeing that it was West and Ethan, I took a seat on the chair.
“You have frosting in your hair, that’s not a good look for you.” West told her as she let him inside.
“Bite me.” She told dryly.
I heard Ethan chuckle. But I noticed that other than that he stayed quiet. He blamed himself for this.
“How are you holding up?” West asked as he sat on the couch.
How was I supposed to answer that? Should I lie to them and tell them I’m fine? Or should I tell the truth because they are the closest thing I’ve got to family right now?
“How do I look?” I said giving him my best try at forming a smile.
“Um….well, you look.” West started but Maddie slapped his hat off of head. “Ow, what’s your problem? Like I was going to say, you look great, Em. But I can tell your hurting.”
What I felt was more than hurt. It sounded so dramatic but I felt like my world was ending. Like everything I loved was being taken away from me. And there was no light at the end of the tunnel as far as I could see.
Chapter 26
I went back to work the next morning, I had to get out. The distraction was much needed. I pulled up to the daycare center and got out of my car. Walking slowly, I took in the surroundings. I loved the cobblestone walk way and the colorful flowerers planted all around the building.
I was trying with everything in me to keep him off my mind. Because at just the thought of him I would completely unravel. I had to be strong for his brother who was blaming himself, his mother who was missing her son, and his little sister who was missing the closest thing she had to a father. But also for myself who was missing the love of my life. They needed me to be strong. I needed me to be strong.
Pulling open the glass door, I made my way to the daycare room. Seeing all of the children brought the first real smile to my mouth since Roman got arrested. I couldn’t go there, not right now. It would have to wait till I got home. I could break down then but not at my job. And certainly not in front of these kids.
Tempted (Tempted #1) Page 11