I follow Roman up the staircase to the second floor. His room is at the end of the hall, and from the sheer size of it and the private bath, it must be the master bedroom. But I guess every room in this house is a master bedroom.

As soon as we enter his room, he walks to his study desk, takes a frame that is sitting on it, and quickly shoves it inside the drawer before I can look at it and then flops on the edge of his monstrous bed and leans back on his elbows.

I look around his room and notice his study desk under the window with a chair. There's an armchair in the corner of the room which looks really comfortable.

His things are incredibly neat and tidy. The total opposite of my room.

His bed is neatly made, and there's a shelf of trophies by the door organized by size.

And then it's me, I'm lucky if I can find a matching pair of socks in the morning.

My gaze goes to the two guitars that are hanging on the wall, opposite his bed. I quickly recognize the one he played when he apologized to me.

Taking a few steps towards it, I trace its body with my fingers and then strum a chord, aware of the sheer intensity of Roman's gaze on me the whole time.

"I never saw you playing guitar in school ever," I say as I turn around and meet his gaze.

His eyes are hooded and his husky voice wraps around me like a safety blanket as he replies, "Because no one knows I can play guitar."

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise and I can't help but probe further, "So you have never played guitar for someone else before?"

"Never, before you." He replies with sincerity shining in his eyes. 

I nod but keep quiet as my heart soars after hearing his honest yet sincere reply. 

I quietly walk towards the bed and sit next to him, careful enough to put some distance between us, and finally approach the one subject I've been wanting to talk about the whole night.

"So, uh, I wanted to apologize for the other day," I say, as I look down and pick up the imaginary lint from my frock.

"Which day?" I hear him ask.

"That day when we baked the cake. I know I shouldn't have pried like that. It was wrong of me." I say quietly, still not quite meeting his eyes.

"Will you look at me?" He asks in such a tender voice which automatically makes me look up as I finally meet his eyes.

"Apology accepted." He smiles and my lips twitch. 

"Thank you," I say gratefully. "I've been meaning to apologize to you this whole week, I just never got the chance."

"So that's why you kept looking at me every two minutes in school?" He asks as he raises an eyebrow, looking thoroughly amused.

"What?" I ask in a high-pitched voice. 

How did he know I looked at him all the time? I thought I was really discreet. Fuck, this is embarrassing!

"Uh, that's what Kristen said the other day. When you two had that fight in the cafeteria?" He says, not looking too sure of himself and I take a breath of relief.

He just said that because that's what that bitch told him. 

"Well, I wasn't looking at you every two minutes. But yeah I did glance at you a few times, hoping to catch you alone, so I could apologize." I smile sheepishly and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. 

"Why were you two fighting anyway?" He smirks. His eyes shining bright with laughter like he knew what the reason for the fight was and my heart immediately sinks. 

Does he know what she said and why I snapped? 

Kristen's words from that day echo in my mind. 

'You put even Goth style to shame.'

'Even Roman knows you're ugly.'

Does he think this is funny? The reason for the fight was funny? 

"I think you should ask that from your girlfriend," I say curtly and quickly stand, ready to barge out of his room. 

But in a flash, he moves forward and grabs my wrist, "Hey what happened? Where are you going?" He frowns, confusion written all over his face?

I take a moment and look at his beautiful face.

Regardless of acting all cold and unbothered, I know his heart is made of pure gold. Even though he pasted that picture on my locker as a prank, I know he seriously regrets it. Looking at how out of the way he went to apologize to me, I know he would never find something like this funny. Maybe she told him something else? 

"What did Kristen tell you?" I ask him, as I slowly sit back down. But this time he makes sure there's no distance between us as he moves forward when I sit, and touches his knee with mine, sending electric jolts throughout my body.

"She said that you kept looking at me and you were practically eye-fucking me and she was jealous. She wanted to talk to you about it, but you practically pounced on her when the conversation started heating." He replies in one go.

"That’s what she told you?" I roll my eyes and lean back on my hands. Of course, she wouldn't tell him the real reason. I don't understand what game Kristen is playing but I surely don't want to be a part of it. I would rather stay away from all the drama, but somehow I always end up in the middle of everything. 

"Well yeah. Was there any other reason?" He raises both of his eyebrows. 

I just shrug, not wanting to continue this conversation anymore, "Nothing serious."

If I tell him the real reason, he'll go all hulk on Kristen's ass and I don't want any more drama around me. 

"It must've been something serious, that's why you got so angry all of a sudden a moment before."  He frowns at me and I just shrug again. 

"Come on, tell me." He urges.

I sigh and finally give in. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you won't say anything to her, okay?." 

He purses his lips and nods. 

"Promise me." I glare at him.

He rolls his eyes but promises anyway.

"She said something along the lines of how you think I'm ugly and how I put Goth's style to shame," I speak quietly and look down. I swallow the lump in my throat, wishing like hell we were talking about something else. 

I don't want to come off as a girl who cannot stand up for herself. I would rather deal with my shit on my own than try to gain sympathy.

When he doesn't say anything for a few moments, I frown and look up at him.

My heart speeds up a fraction when I lock eyes with his. He is observing me with great intensity. 

He then lets out a shaky breath, slowly cupping my cheeks with both of his hands, and speaks slowly, "I call you Angel for a reason. I don't know about anyone else, but I find you really beautiful and it's not just about your face, I know you're just as beautiful inside as you are on the outside."

He looks at me so tenderly, showing all the affection he holds for me and I just can’t look away. 

I stop breathing when he gently runs a knuckle down my cheek, making my eyes flutter close and sending my heart into an unholy rhythm. I slowly open my eyes and look into his. 

I am ready to sink my soul in his deep-set blue eyes and forever be a shipwreck. 

He leisurely moves his head closer to mine, stopping mere inches away, quietly seeking my consent. I gulp, and move forward, closing the distance between us, ready to have my very first kiss in four years, just when a knock on the window above his study desk startles us both.

Our eyes snap open at the same time and we both turn towards the noise, just as the window behind him opens, revealing a beautiful blond, in a skimpy outfit. 

My eyes widen and I quickly pull back almost falling on the floor in the process. 

It takes Roman a few seconds to snap out of the daze, but his eyes widen comically when he sees the blond beauty standing in his room. 

"Bianca! What the fuck are you doing here?" He asks her in a harsh whisper. 

My mouth goes dry when I notice her outfit again. A bra and a short skirt that does nothing to hide her ass. Her intentions are clear. Anyone who would look at her will know what she is doing here. 

"Uh, actually I called you a few times, but you weren't picking up. So I left a text saying to leave your window open, so I could sneak into your room. I didn't know you already had company." She speaks in one go, without taking a breath. "We had plans for today, Rome." She looks at him innocently and I mentally gag when I hear that nickname. 

My shock gaze meets Roman's and my heart feels like it is going to beat right out of my chest.

I should not feel betrayed, but that is the only thing I can feel. All I see is red, everywhere. 

I take a few steps back and stand near the trophy shelf by the door. 

When I am certain that I wouldn't burst into tears, I lick my lips and speak directly looking into the eyes of the blonde beauty, "That's okay. He's yours for the night. I was going anyway." And just to be clear, I add, "Nothing happened by the way. We were just counting each other's nasal hair, by sitting that close." I mentally facepalm myself as the blonde beauty curls her nose in disgust.

"Uh, bye," I speak without looking at him, ready to barge out of the room

I take a few steps backward and stumble into his dirty laundry hamper, which I didn't notice first when I came into his room. 

Knocking it over and spilling all his dirty clothes on the floor. 

The sound startles all the three of us. 

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" I cry out, as if this much humiliation is not enough, I have to go and stumble into his dirty laundry.

I look up and both Roman and blond beauty is looking at me with wide eyes.

"I'll clean this up," I say in a hurry, and bend down to pick up all of his clothes. 

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Roman rushes at my side, while the blonde beauty stands in front of me.

I pick up the first thing that comes in my hand. I look down and see that I'm holding his dirty underwear. 

"Fuck! Sorry!"

But instead of putting it back in the hamper like a normal person, I panic and throw them at the blonde beauty's head who just crouched to help us. They hit her square in the face. 

My face flushes in embarrassment and I cover my mouth with my hand. 

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" 

But instead of keeping them back in the hamper, the blond beauty sniffs them, actually sniffs them.

I don't know whose face is redder, Roman's or mine. 

But my mom saves me from any further embarrassment by calling me down. 

I look at Roman and I apologize again, "I'm really sorry for everything." 

He nods, but his eyes drop to my lips and his gaze intensifies even more than before. 

But this time, I am not going to let him hypnotize me, so I quickly dart out of his room before I can embarrass myself more in front of him. 

He can have his lovely friend, while I'll indulge in self-pity. 

Helloooo, you cutiesssss! How are y'all?
Hope you are having a good day.
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Teaser ~ Man-bashing session with girls!
Thank you for reading, and have a great day.
Until the next chapter.
Happy reading ;)
Kiara.🦋