Change of Heart

Lily's POV

"We're here, babygirl." 

I stared, in awe, at the rundown building in front of me. "Don't worry, babygirl, I'll protect you." He winked at me, but I could tell he was still nervous from the way he gripped the steering wheel and the uncertainty in his eyes. "Listen, just stick by me and my buddy, and make no eye contact with anyone, and you'll be fine, I promise." He took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. 

He unlocked the doors and got out of the car. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. I met Romeo at the entrance. He wrapped his arm around my hips and pulled me against his side. "Just stand by me babygirl." He said, and pushed the doors open. 

A large man at the front glared at Romeo. "You're late." He growled. "I'm sorry, I got held up." Romeo apologized to the man. "Tis fine, you said you'd bring Juliet, Romeo." The man's features softened as he grinned cheekily at Romeo. "Grey, this is Lilian." Romeo pushed me out in front of him, like I was King Kong or something. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Greyson Kelly," the man bent down and kissed my hand, he greeted me with a slight British accent. 

"I'm Lilian Harrington." I smiled at him. "So I've heard." He mumbled. "So Romeo you have some important business to attend to, so me and Jamie will watch your girl for you." Grey said, deciding my decisions like I wasn't in the room. "You know I don't trust Jamie, so if you don't mind, the only person I'd even semi-trust with my girl in this entire place is Jem." Romeo argued. "Oh why because he's gay? Come on Jamie's got the hots for Lola anyways." Grey countered, even though he seemed to be enjoying this argument more than Romeo was, who looked pissed off. Amusement only twinkled in Grey's eyes. "Who doesn't? And anyways you know Jamie has slept with most of the girls in here, the ones with dignities are the only ones that haven't." Romeo said indecently.

"Yeah but except Aibileen-" "I know for a fact Aibileen has, Grey. Have you met her parents? Jamie's just fueling her teenage rebellion." Grey sighed and dropped the argument at the mention of Aibileen. I didn't know who that was but I assumed she meant something to Grey. "Fine, I'll see if Jeremy wants to watch her," he pointed a finger at me. "And then I'm going to talk to Aibileen." Grey sounded determined. 

"You know what, fuck that, I'm taking her with me." Romeo looked at me, grabbed my hand and dragged me off down a dark corridor. Grey's protests faded away as we walked into a big room, with thousands of chairs set up. Me and Romeo took seats in the middle of it. The room was loud, filled with the rowdy yells of teens and young adults. There were people from over 50 to probably a month old. People who looked so grizzly were holding infants and trying to get them to stop crying. 

"You can't leave." Romeo said to me suddenly. "You can't ever leave the gang unless you die, so most have families on the side from the gang." He explained, following my stare. "I first thought it was stupid and fruitless, to have a family when your life is this place, but," he stopped and looked at me. "Now I think maybe it's not that bad." He pecked my lips and quickly turned out to the crowd, greeting a friend of his who looked wasted. 

Grey sat next to me as Romeo was still talking to his drunk friend. "I'm surprised you can tolerate him." Grey rolled his eyes as he looked at Romeo talking aimlessly to the drunk.

"Me too, bud." Grey laughed so loud several people turned around to look at him. "Sorry." He mumbled. He looked back at me. "I'll enjoy having you around." He nudged me in the arm, smiling giddily. I smiled a small smile at him and then proceeded to notice the music blaring from the speakers. You could barely hear it over all of the people, but it was some sort of funky rock music I'd never heard before.

I brushed it off and looked towards Romeo to see him staring back at me. "Hey honey." He said sweetly as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. What, he thinks just because he confessed his undying love to me, we're dating? 

I mean, I would say yes, but still.

I pushed his arm off of me. He looked startled, staring out into space when he turned his head around to look at me. "What's wrong, honey?" He cooed, leaning closer so only I could hear him. "You're acting like I'm your girlfriend." I stated vaguely. 

"What?" He looked confused for a moment before it dawned on him. "Oh my fucking- Lily, honey," he stopped and pulled me closer to him, causing the metal chair to squeak loudly across the smooth concrete that was the floor. "I just spilled my heart out to you not even half an hour ago and now you're telling me I can't throw my arm around you?" He ran his hands through his hair, a smile on his face. "You're truly unbelievable, honey.  God, I love you so much." He pecked my cheek and I shooed him off, even though my cheeks were turning pink. 

"Fine. Lilian Paris Harrington, do you want to go out with me?" Romeo looked straight at me as he said it. I just kind of stared at him, my lips parted. I really did not expect him to ask. "Hey did you guys hear about the new pizza joint down 1st Ave? Maybe we could go there after this meeting." Grey butted in. I could see the fury in Romeo's eyes. But before Romeo could do anything to Grey, a tall, buff man strode up to the lectern at the front of the room. "ATTENTION ASSHOLES." Called the man in a deep, gruff voice. 

The room fell silent, the silence like a heavy blanket of fog. It just didn't sit right with me. "I called this meeting because I have some special announcements to make." The man said. "That's Jose, he's the leader." Grey whispered to me. I nodded and looked over to Romeo. His face was dead set as he stared up at Jose. 

"Um, first off, as always, we have who's still in the running for leader. Minnie Ryder, Axel Louis, Arcadia Jameson, Cleo Walker, Delilah Crawford and Romeo Florence." Jose made eye contact with Romeo as he said his name. "You're on thin ice, Romeo. THIN ICE." Jose growled. Romeo's eyes narrowed as he saluted to him. "Second, I'd like to mention that," Jose noticeably gulped and paled. "We might be getting a new heir to this throne." He said, quietly. If it wasn't for the microphone I don't believe anyone would've heard him at all. The room got even more silent, if that was possible. "Lola, my sweet, is pregnant with my child." He stated the obvious, glancing over to a girl on the sidelines, who waved numbly. He let the silence settle for a moment before the room erupted into applause, congratulations and whoops of joy. 

"ALRIGHT SHUT UP I'M SICK OF THAT." Jose boomed. "So, anyways, because of our... predicament," he started, gulping. "I think we need to make some changes around here. I know, many of you have children already and even when you told me you were having children I never bothered to make this place a little more... kid-friendly, I think it would benefit a lot of people if we got like, a kid's room or something." He shrugged. "So more on that later. Mothers and fathers if you could come talk to me after the meeting, that would be great." 

A permanent look of shock rested on Romeo's features, I noticed. "Lola... Lola..." Greyson rolled his eyes at Romeo's rambling. "I knew you had the hots for Lola." Greyson said. Romeo said nothing as his lips were parted, his chocolate eyes wide as he stared at the buff man admit his apparent weakness at the coming of his child. "Jose, a father?" Romeo finally said as Jose spoke on about god knows what. "He couldn't raise that child! Not when he's at his prime time!" 

I crossed my arms. "He could! It just takes a change of heart sometimes." Romeo rolled his eyes at me. "No one can change that quick and that much." He said confidently. "You don't know people as much as you think they do." I said, crossing my arms. "You don't know people as much as you think they do!" Romeo exclaimed at me, his eyes widened in incredulity. "Lily, all you do is sit in your room and read books about people that don't exist solving imaginary problems and believing they're falling into something nonexistent, when the real world is filled with cruelty, betrayal and heartbreak more than the fairytale crap you find yourself indulged in. I think I know more about real people than you do because at least the people I know are real."

I was shocked, stunned and above all... 

hurt.

I stood up from the metal chair, which caused a few people to look up but not many. "I think I know people better than you because you think that I would drop so low as to date you." 

I walked out of the building, my blood boiling. I called a cab and left to my house. I couldn't believe he would just say that. And we were finally doing good too! He'd just apologized and admitted his wrong and then he had to go and insult me. Insult me, and my precious book characters! 

He insulted Harry Potter!

And Ace Hernandez, and Sebastian Favero and Zeke Blakely and Ashton McClain and Carter Grayson!! 

How dare he insult those beautiful men! I was so put out I never even acknowledged my mother as I stormed in the house. What ever will I do with Romeo Florence?