by Ana Huang
“Wh-what happened?” She struggled to sit up, water dripping down her face.
“You were chasing a puppy and fell in the water,” Zack explained.
Beside me, Rico snorted at the ridiculousness of that statement.
“Are you ok?” I asked, concerned.
Venice nodded, brushing a limp red curl from her face. “Uh, I think so.” She looked around, her face turning the color of her hair when she saw everyone staring at her. “Oh my god, this is so embarrassing,” she squeaked.
“It’s ok.” I turned to the onlookers. “There’s nothing to see here anymore. Go back to your dinners.” Everyone actually did what I said. I guess hanging out with Scions gave me a bit more confidence than I used to have. “And have a good night,” I added. I couldn’t be quite as imperious as Roman and the others were. Not that I wanted to be.
“Can you explain to me what you two are doing here?” Rico asked.
I stifled a grin. We knew exactly what they were doing here. We had set it up, telling Adriana to tell Zack she was afraid I might be leaving Roman for Rico and to urge him to “keep tabs on us.” She’d told me about how Zack and Venice had trailed James—I shuddered a bit at the thought of his name—and I at the amusement park, and figured he would bring her along this time too, since he apparently “couldn’t do anything by himself.”
I guess she was right, as always.
“Well, we, uh—“ Venice stammered, looking guilty.
“We’re on a date,” Zack blurted.
She turned so fast I was afraid she might’ve gotten whiplash.
“Really?” I grinned. “Aw. I should have guessed. You know, he’s the one who gave you CPR, V,” I added casually.
Just like that, she flushed red all over again, only this time, she was joined by Zack.
“Yeah, you should give him a thank you kiss,” Rico added, playing along.
But they were no longer paying attention. Instead, they were staring at something over my shoulder with frightened expressions.
A moment later, my hand was ripped out of Rico’s. I’d completely forgotten I was still holding onto it.
My stomach dropped when I turned to see Roman standing there, his face like thunder. “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded, a vein pulsing angrily in his forehead. “Why are you holding his hand?” His voice grew louder and louder with each word.
“Calm down, Rome, I was just nervous,” I said soothingly. “It didn’t mean anything.”
“I can’t believe you left me to go on a date with—with--” The vein was throbbing even harder now as he glared at Rico, who just looked amused. “—with a criminal!”
“A criminal who helped save me,” I pointed out, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I helped save you!” Roman roared. “I was the one who got stabbed!”
“Are you really going to use that as your trump card now? Come on, Rome.” Rico rolled his eyes. “Besides, it’s not like you’re traumatized. You definitely recovered enough to joke around with her at the hospital.” He slung an arm over my shoulders. Roman’s eye twitched dangerously. “I hate to break this to you, but Maya told me that she’s beginning to have feelings for me.” He sighed. “It’s been a long time coming, really. Ever since we first saw each other that night at my house…we knew. And her near death experience only confirmed it.” He gazed pityingly at Roman, even though I could tell he was struggling not to laugh. “She didn’t want you to find out like this, since you just got de-hospitalized and all, but…she doesn’t want to be with you anymore.” Rico squeezed my shoulder. “She wants to be with me.”
I couldn’t help but giggle a bit at his horrible acting skills. No wonder he’d been in a gang. He sure as hell wouldn’t have made it in Hollywood.
However, my smile fell away when I saw Roman’s face. His cheeks were drained of color, and his eyes were wide with…hurt?
Wait. He didn’t actually believe what Rico said, did he?
“Is that true?” he whispered, staring at me with a pleading look that broke my heart. As insufferable as an angry, possessive Roman was, I would’ve much preferred that version than this one.
“What? No!” I blurted, trying to wriggle out of Rico’s grasp, but he was too strong. I glared at him, and he just gazed back with a mischievous look in his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just joking.”
“It’s ok, baby, there’s no need to keep acting anymore. Tell him the real reason why you haven’t kissed him since he left the hospital.”
If looks could kill, Rico would be six feet under right now. I cannot believe he just said that. I stomped on his foot, and he let out a sharp yelp. I took the opportunity to escape his grasp and moved over to Roman, who hadn’t moved an inch.
“So that’s why you haven’t kissed me.” He crossed his arms defensively over his chest, which rose and fell heavily, like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. “When did this really happen, Maya? When did you decide you didn’t want to be with me anymore?”
My face felt hot and splotchy. Was he serious? How stupid could he be? How could he really think I would leave him, especially since he knew I’d said the L word to him in the hospital!
“I do want to be with you—“ I began.
“Since the first time she saw me, probably,” Rico cut in blithely. “Honestly, Rome, it’s much better this way—“
“Shut up.” Roman’s voice was tight.
“—and hey, now you’ll be free to go date those models you like so much, while Maya and I get it on—“
The sound of a fist connecting with a face ripped through the air, causing more than a few people to scream, including myself. All I saw was a red-faced Roman throwing Rico onto the ground, but even in my shock, I was stunned to see Rico wasn’t really hitting him back. I flashed back to the carnival in Hawaii. Talk about déjà vu.
“Roman! Stop!” I grasped the back of his shirt and desperately tried to yank him off to no avail. He didn’t even budge. “Zack! Help!” I gazed pleadingly at the blond, who didn’t seem to hear me as he gaped at the scene on the ground.
“Why do you even care so much?” Rico asked tauntingly. “You can find another girl in a second. Just leave Maya to me.” He smirked, even though blood was smeared on his face. I suppose it’d take more than a little bleeding to faze an ex-gang member. “I’ll take good care of her.”
“I said, shut up!” Roman roared, pulling back his fist to punch him again.
At the last minute, Rico threw Roman off of him, and I squeaked as he stumbled back into me.
“Why are you getting so worked up?” Rico’s voice hardened. “You’re probably going to dump Maya soon, aren’t you? Right after you get what you want.”
Roman’s face was drawn in the most terrifying scowl I’d seen yet. “You’re delusional,” he spat.
“Am I? You just want one thing from her. You don’t really want to be with her.”
Roman’s hands clenched into fists. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then enlighten me.”
That seemed to make Roman snap. “Of course I want to be with her! I’m in love with her!”
The entire deck fell silent. Rico smirked, giving me a smug, you-owe-me-yet-again look Venice squealed happily. Zack’s jaw grazed the ground. But all I could focus on was Roman, who suddenly looked like he wanted to disappear.
Was—what—did he just say he loved me? No. Not even that. Did he just say he was in love with me?
And then, as if the night couldn’t get any more dramatic, I pulled a Venice and fainted.
CHAPTER 31
Well, this was awkward.
Zack hovered uncertainly on the deck, clutching his shirt in one hand as he watched Roman disappear through the doors into the dining room, carrying a still-passed-out Maya in his arms princess-style.
Meanwhile, everyone else was completely silent. All the other diners were gaping, open-mouthed, at what had just transpired, while the waiters wrung th
eir hands, probably wondering what do. While this wasn’t a five-star restaurant, it wasn’t exactly McDonald’s either, and if half the people involved in the drama didn’t own this town, the manager surely would’ve already called the police by now.
“That was interesting,” Rico drawled, seemingly unfazed by the situation. He pulled out a cigarette and quickly lit it, blowing a smoke ring straight into Zack’s face.
Zack coughed lightly, scrunching up his face. He hated cigarettes.
“You’re a terrible person,” he scolded, giving Rico a very disapproving look. “You made My-My faint!”
Rico rolled his eyes. “My-My? Jesus, what is this, Sesame Street?”
“I think it’s a cute nickname,” Zack defended himself, feeling slightly hurt.
“You would.” The other boy sighed. “My brother’s friends…” he muttered under his breath. Then, in a normal voice, he added, “Besides, I didn’t make her faint. That’s all your precious Roman’s doing. It’s not my fault he’s a stubborn, jealous asshole.”
Zack’s jaw dropped. “You—you—“
“Um. Sorry to interrupt, but can someone help me up?”
The blond stopped glaring at Rico long enough to see Venice still sprawled on the wooden floor, looking not unlike a drowned, redheaded rat.
“Oh, of course,” he exclaimed, his attitude doing a one-eighty as he held out his hand and hauled Venice to her feet. Her palm felt soft and tiny in his. And wet.
Well, duh, she just fell into the pond.
Unfortunately, Zack pulled her up with slightly more force than necessary, causing Venice to stumble straight into his chest.
“Sorry!” they cried simultaneously, as they both turned scarlet. Zack quickly stepped back and pulled his shirt back over his head.
Rico rolled his eyes in disgust. “My job here is done,” he declared. “I didn’t sign up to watch this puppy love shit. Literally. You kiddies have fun.” He blew one last smoke ring into their faces, then turned and sauntered away.
“What does he mean, his job here is done?” Venice’s brow furrowed adorably as she held her soaked T-shirt away from her skin. At least she was wearing black, so it wasn’t see through.
“Who knows? It’s Rico. He’s kind of weird.” Zack gazed at her in concern. “We should leave though. You might catch a cold if you don’t change out of those clothes.”
He placed a hand on the small of her back to lead her out of the restaurant, and was secretly pleased to see Venice turn even redder at his touch.
They climbed into his Porsche and Zack was halfway to her house when she decided to turn on the radio. Guess who was on?
Yep. Taylor Swift.
Venice brightened. “Oh my god! I love this song!” she cried, her bubbliness coming back in full force as she sang along to “Love Story.”
Zack flinched at her caterwauling. “I guess you didn’t start taking singing lessons sometime between the amusement park and now,” he commented, a shudder rippling through him as Venice completely destroyed the song beyond all recognition. She sounded like a dying cat trying to sing opera.
“Are you making fun of my singing skills?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Zack snorted, turning into her driveway. “What singing skills?”
Venice stuck out her tongue. “Well, sorry, not everyone can be a musical genius.”
He immediately perked up. “You think I’m a musical genius?”
Having realized her mistake, Venice slunk down in her seat and stared at her shoes. “Come on, everyone knows you are,” she mumbled, sounding embarrassed.
Zack beamed. He wasn’t exactly arrogant, but he knew he was good at music. It always made him happy to hear other people say it though.
“We’re here.” He stared at the house in front of him. It was pretty big, though not as vast as his own family’s 45,000 square foot abode. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“Ok,” she squeaked.
Zack went around to open the car door for her, and the two of them climbed up the brick steps in silence. When they reached the front door, they stood there a bit awkwardly, neither knowing what to say.
“So, uh, I just want to thank you. For saving me tonight,” Venice clarified shyly, not looking him in the eyes. “That was really, um, brave of you.”
Now it was Zack’s turn to blush. “Don’t mention it. It’s not a big deal. It was just a pond, not an ocean full of sharks or anything. Although you should stop chasing puppies,” he added sternly. “It always seems to get you, and by extension me, into trouble.”
She laughed. “I’ll try. But they’re just so darn cute! Puppies…” A dreamy look took over her eyes.
“No!” Zack grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Stay with me! Don’t think about the P word! Think about…Humpty Dumpty!”
Venice cracked up. “Humpty Dumpty? Why?”
“Because he’s cool,” Zack declared. “Even if he did fall off a wall.” He paused. “He did fall off a wall, didn’t he?”
She giggled. “You are so cute.” Her eyes grew wide and she immediately slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.
“You think I’m cute?” Zack asked giddily.
“Uh. N-no,” she stuttered. “I-I mean…I think a lot of people are cute. You know. Uh, Maya’s cute. Mickey’s cute. Um, Rico’s cute—well, actually, he’s a little scary, but if he shaved a little and cut his hair and—“
“Venice.”
She stopped. “Yes?”
“Can you stop talking please?”
Venice flushed, looking like she was going to start crying. “Oh, o-ok. I’ll—I’ll just go then. Sorry.”
She turned to open the door, but in that moment, Zack made a quick decision and grabbed her arm, pulling her around to face him again.
Confusion filled her features. “What—“
And then Zack stopped her from talking again. Only this time, it was with one long, deep kiss on the lips.
After a few seconds, when Venice got over her shock and started kissing him back, he smiled against her mouth. She tasted like strawberries and maybe marshmallows, just like he remembered.
This was even better than getting a puppy.
* * *
I was sleeping on a cloud. At least, I think it’s a cloud, because honestly, whatever I was lying on was too soft and fluffy to not be a cloud. I sighed dreamily and nuzzled deeper into the fluffiness. This was awesome.
Just as I started dreaming about Roman and I floating through a rainbow-colored sky in pink heart-shaped bubbles, my body started vibrating. Wait, no. Not vibrating. Shaking. That’s it. I was shaking back and forth like a rag doll, and let me tell you, it was not a comfortable feeling.
“Stop,” I whined, batting at the air. “Please stop. That’s annoying.”
“Maya? Maya, wake up!”
Huh. That voice was awfully familiar…
“Maya, can you hear me?”
After a few more seconds, I finally, reluctantly blinked open my eyes, glad that the room we were in wasn’t all that bright. It took me an extra five seconds to orient myself, and when I did, I found myself staring straight up into a very handsome, very concerned face.
“Oh, thank God.” Roman sighed. “I thought you got a concussion from hitting that wood floor.”
“What happened?” I croaked, struggling to sit up. Roman helped prop me against a mountain of goosedown pillows, covered in fifteen-hundred-thread-count cases (no wonder I thought I was on a cloud). “My head hurts.”
“Of course it hurts.” He looked both annoyed and relieved. “You fainted. Actually, that seems to be a habit of yours.”
“I what?” I exclaimed, now wide awake. I ran through the night’s events in my mind, trying to piece together what happened.
Slowly, it all came back to me. Mine and Rico’s dinner at the restaurant. Venice falling into the pond. Zack diving in to save her. Roman storming in. Rico goading him. And then…
My eyes grew to the size
of saucers as I remembered what happened right before I fainted. Holy crap. Did Roman really say that? Or was had I become delusional from my fall?
Trying to quell the backflips my heart was now doing in an apparent attempt to qualify for the US Olympic gymnastics team, I stared at Roman, taking in every inch of his face. The high, chiseled cheekbones. The strong jaw. The full lips. The deep, mesmerizing violet eyes fringed by long black lashes that could make any girl jealous.
And I’m not sure what made me ask what I asked next, but in a small, timid voice, I posed what could end up to be one of the most important questions in my life thus far. “Roman. Did you, uh, did you say you were in love with me?”