Page 21 of Romeo vs Romeo

What did Bradley mean? Come down from where?

But before I could ask him, I saw fast movement on the other side of the bar and realized that Roman had emerged from somewhere in the back. He crossed the bar, almost pushing everyone in his way, and stared at Bradley. His gaze darted for only a second, landing on me before returning to Bradley. A heartbeat later, his eyebrows rose, and he returned his gaze to me with surprising softness. “Everett,” he said as he neared me. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

I didn’t want to tell him I had narrowly avoided a panic attack because I’d been so desperate to see him again. “I was bored at home.”

“Ah, it’s good to see you,” Roman said. He set his glass on the bar, and Bradley refilled it without asking questions.

“Are you alright? I heard you had bad news,” I said, trying to be louder than the ’70s hits.

The way Roman downed his shot was revealing enough. He took my upper arm and pulled me after him. If he was taking me to some dark room in the back of the bar to vent his frustration, I wasn’t against the idea. Tightness roped itself around my chest as I considered that thought more closely.

It was a defeating relief when Roman led me to the terrace instead. “Listen, I really wanted to just have fun with you,” Roman said. “I thought you’d come tomorrow night, and we would just dance, you know?”

“Hey, if it’s not a good time, I don’t need babysitting,” I said, trying to be casual. Even so, I was getting flustered just thinking about him turning down the fact that I had come.You’re not the center of the world, I reminded myself, yet this small feeling of wanting him to drop everything for me wasn’t going away.

We moved down the terrace until we were a few paces away from the nearest occupied table. Roman rubbed his face with both hands, some sort of fatigue making his eyes murky. “I know, I know,” he said. “But I wanted us to get to know each other, and this just sucks. Fuck, man. You’re just another reminder.” He lifted his head toward the distant square between the buildings that was filled with a starry sky. He wasn’t making any sense. My heartbeat spiked with worry. “So many people who can only find some freedomhere,” he whispered.

“What happened?” I asked, no longer able to hold back my curiosity and my anxiety.

Roman shook his head. “What happens when you’re a good, honest person? Mama Viv got fucked over. Neon Nights, uh, and her apartment upstairs…fuck, man, I can’t keep my thoughts straight.” He rubbed his eyes. “The building was declared, erm, an eminent domain. Basically, the government is forcing Mama Viv to sell it for the good of the public.”

“What?” I whispered in shock. “How can they do that?”

“I don’t know,” Roman said, almost swaying on his feet. He was truly exhausted. “Apparently, they can. It’s all done now. This place is needed for the public good, and Mama Viv can either sell willingly or be forced to sell. If she resists, it’ll just be sold for less.” He choked up, looking at his trembling hands.

If something had been holding me back a moment ago, it snapped. I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around him. This didn’t bother me. This was innocent. It was safe. I hugged him like I would have hugged a grieving brother, and Roman hugged me back, shuddering as he exhaled against my shirt.

“So many people…people like you…” He spoke harshly in short bursts. “And Mama Viv’s whole life…”

“Hush,” I said, hoping it soothed him a little. “You’re barely standing.”

“I’m drunk,” he croaked.

“You’re tired,” I said. His hands pressed my shoulder blades harder, and shivers ran down my arms. “Rome, why don’t you go to bed?”

He whimpered, pressing his face harder against my chest and shoulder.

“You can’t do anything now,” I said. “You can just burn yourself out.”

“But she lost everything,” Roman whispered.

“I know,” I said. “But you won’t help her by passing out on the floor.”

He let out a frustrated growl, then sighed. “I guess you’re right. But…”

“No buts,” I said. “Let me take you to your place.”

Roman didn’t agree, but he didn’t protest, either. Slowly, I led the way to the bar and out on the other side, across the street, and into his building once he handed me the key. We went upstairs. I led, and Roman followed like a zombie from horrorfilms. He was hollow, like a shell that retained its perfect outer shape but was eaten away on the inside.

There was nobody inside when I walked across the common space with Roman to his bedroom. He walked ahead of me and opened the door of his room, but I stood in the hallway instead of following him in.

“Get some sleep,” I said. “You’ll be able to think more clearly tomorrow.”

“Think…” He shook his head after saying that one word with full contempt. He turned to me on the other side of the open door. “There’s nothing to think about, Everett. These people are way more powerful than you and me and Mama Viv. Someone saw her as easy prey, and she’s getting kicked out of a place she spent her life building.” Roman walked backward and then swayed a little, crash-sitting on his bed. “Come in.”

I did, leaving the door open. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. I didn’t want myself to get the wrong idea, either. He was beautiful, his eyes rimmed red and puffy from what could only be crying and his head shaped so perfectly that I was glad he cut his hair so short.

I pulled a desk chair to the edge of his bed and sat down without leaning back. My heart thumped faster because tossed over the back of the chair were a T-shirt, a pair of dark green pants, and a pair of bright yellow briefs. Had he worn them? Were they sweaty? Did they carry his musk?Stop that, I snapped at myself, putting his briefs out of my mind for good and focusing on the wounded young man in front of me. “Why do you think you can’t fight it?”

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