Page 4 of Breakaway

Biting my bottom lip, I try to hide my smile but fail. With a big toothy grin, I let my shoulders drop, and the tension I felt disappears. Lightness fills my every pore as I wave to catch the bartender’s attention. The guy beside me is not who I thought he was, and maybe that was the reason I was so weird around him. That must be it.

“Do you want to hang out for a bit, or do you need to get home?” I ask, realizing that my heartbeat is calmer now. The lighting dynamically illuminates the place, an ever-changingspectrum that dances to the rhythm. The music reverberates through my skin as I wait for his answer.

Roman runs his fingers through his sandy blond hair, his eyes trained on me. “There’s no one waiting for me at home,” he tells me as the bartender joins us. “I can stay for a few more hours, if you’re in.”

I smile. “I’m in.”

“Are you always such a gentleman?”I glance at Roman as we make our way to the exit. His hand is on my lower back, guiding me forward and keeping me from swaying.

“I’m not a gentleman,” he bites out.

Stopping abruptly in the middle of the crowd, I make him halt in his tracks too. I turn toward him, letting my eyes sweep over his body. The pulsating vein in his neck makes my breath hitch, and I force myself to look up. The second my gaze meets his, I smile, and the heat rekindles in my lower abdomen. “You are. You’ve been watching out for me all night, making sure I always had a drink, waiting for me outside the bathroom.”

Roman dips his head, pinning me with his stare. His turquoise eyes burn into mine. My chest rises and falls, and the rhythmic bass has nothing to do with how my body trembles.

“A real man always keeps his word,” he says and steps back, hiding his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go.”

Without sparing me a glance, he turns on his heel and easily makes his way through the crowd. I gawk at his back as he moves further and further away from me.Good job, Nevaeh. Was it really necessary to flirt with him again?The last two hours I spent in Roman’s company were completely different than the moment I met him. All my awkwardness disappeared, and I wasjust myself. Flirty and easygoing. It looked like he was in need of company, and my babbling provided that. Until ten minutes ago, when he finally had enough of me. I lightly slap my cheeks with my palms and follow him.

Outside, I lean my back against the wall and take a deep breath. A cool breeze envelops my body, and I shiver when I notice Roman moving toward me.

“Okay, I need your address.” He stops in front of me, his phone in hand. “Nevaeh?”

I focus my blurry vision on him. The alcohol in my system is making my legs wobbly. “I’m not going home.”

He sighs and purses his lips in annoyance. “Just give me an address, so I can call an Uber.”

I click my tongue and tell him Travis’s address, adding, “I’m going to my boyfriend’s.”

Roman’s blues find mine for a moment, and then he looks away. “Okay. I just want to make sure you get wherever you’re going safely.” He pockets his phone. “We’re lucky; we don’t need to wait long. The car will be here in five.”

I push some strands of hair off my face, tucking them behind my ears. “Why did you stay after Drake and Angie left?”

“Because. It’s nice to get a change of scenery from time to time,” he replies, folding his arms over his chest. The tattoos on his left arm draw my attention.

His tattoos aren’t a sleeve; they’re scattered all over his arm. They’re chaotic and kinda senseless: numbers, some words, a dreamcatcher, a heart on fire. The second my gaze falls on one colorful tattoo, I reach out and touch his skin.

“SpongeBob,” I mumble under my breath, leaning forward to get a closer look. There’s a word written beneath it, but before I have a chance to figure it out, he steps back, his arms dangling at his sides. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he states, holding my gaze, and yet the deep scowl on his face screams otherwise. Even though I know I should keep my mouth shut, curiosity gets the best of me.

“Do you love SpongeBob so much that you got a tattoo?—”

“It’s just a tattoo.” Roman glances over his shoulder, and I swear I hear him sigh in relief. “Our Uber is here.” He trains his eyes on me, and literal chills run down my spine. The corners of his mouth drop—there’s not even the tiniest shadow of a smile. The heaviness of his stare makes my knees give out, and I tumble forward, barely stopping myself from face-planting.

“You okay?” he asks, and I nod, beelining toward the car in silence. All I want is to get as far away from him as possible. His mood swings give me whiplash.

After thirty agonizing minutes in the car with the guy, who spent the whole ride texting with someone and ignoring my presence, I feel way more sober. The guilt of having flirted with Roman gnaws at me, making me feel terrible about myself. Travis has always been good to me, and he doesn’t deserve his girlfriend hitting on another man while he was busy at work. It was disrespectful and stupid. I should know better.

The Uber stops in front of Travis’s building, and I climb out of the car. I’m tempted to just slam the door and walk away, but hearing him say my name stops me in my tracks.

“Nevaeh?”

I bend down, my eyes meeting his. “What?”

“Thank you for hanging out with me. You saved me from another night getting lost in my head.”

“You’re welcome.” I shrug and take a step back. “Bye.”

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