Page 59 of The Love Simulation

“Yeah, and I bombed on purpose. I hoped it would get him off my back about it, but he wants me to interview again.”

“I never realized you two had a tumultuous relationship. I always thought you wanted my job.”

I mull over everything. It’s a relief to know Roman doesn’t actually want to be the vice principal. But that only makes Principal Major’s actions with the library and the football field that much more ridiculous. The man needs to stop trying to control everything.

“I—” Roman starts, then takes a deep breath. “I want to tell you something.”

A yawn escapes me. “Hold that thought. Before you say anything else, can you take your shirt off?” The sleepier I get, the harder it is to keep my mind from veering to all the naughty things I want to do with and to Roman.

He chuckles but sits up and obliges.

“Mmm,” I say as he lies down, and I snuggle back into his chest. His bare, warm chest. “It feels so good being here with you.”

Roman’s arms tighten against my back, and I don’t mind the nonverbal response. His body language lets me know I’m safe expressing my feelings to him. I don’t know if he feels the same or if I’m moving too fast, but Roman makes me feel like I’m moving at the right speed. I’m safe to say whatever it is I want and safe to feel whatever it is I feel. I can only hope he feels that same sense of openness and acceptance from me.

“Was there something you wanted to tell me?” I ask, barely able to keep my eyes open and not sure if my words came out clearly.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow,” he says with a sigh. “Let’s go to sleep. There’s no telling what they’ve got in store for us next.”

Roman turns the light off above us, and I’m sleeping within seconds.

Chapter Twenty

Roman and I are playing a game.

It started while we were cleaning the kitchen. We haven’t turned the music on since Simone was eliminated, so Roman suggested we take turns picking songs. He went first, putting on a song by Usher, followed by Ne-Yo, then he took it way back with “Adore” by Prince.

“This must be more of that romantic side of yours showing out,” I said quietly when we passed each other at the stove. Roman smirked on his way to pick another song, “I Like Me Better” by Lauv. He looked at me meaningfully, tilting his head as if to say,Do you get it yet?And I swooned right there once I realized he was directing the songs at me. Who knows what I would have done if the cameras weren’t on.

Now that I understand, before his song is over, I put one in the queue to play next. When “Hello” by Beyoncé comes on, I see Roman smile as he goes on to dust around our tiny lab. And so we go, back and forth, flirting through song choice.

“Really?” I choke out when “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent comes on. I can’t believe they even loaded the song into the system.

“What?” Roman asks. “He’s talking about candy, right?”

When his song is over, I’m tempted to play “My Neck, My Back” but chicken out at the last second. What if students are watching us right now and the explicit version of the song plays? That would be an interesting conversation during the school year.Miss Rogers, why was that one song telling players to get on their knees?Yeah, I think not. I keep it safe and go with Brandy.

Roman and I finally meet at the living room area of the Hab after making our way around and begin dusting together. He starts bobbing his head to the beat as Brandy sings about full moons. Then he’s behind me.

“Let’s dance,” he whispers.

His nearness sends goose bumps down my arms, but I shake my head. “The cameras.” Did he forget? Or…

“So what? It’s just dancing, like what you did with Simone and Angie.”

It’s not the same and he knows it. For one, Simone and Angie never made my blood sing with their mere presence, and two, I never made out with them.

I shake my headnoagain, wishing we were somewhere I could dance out in the open with him.

Roman backs up, but I see his reflection in the TV screen. He’s moving his head to the beat and I end up stopping what I’m doing to stare. He meets my gaze through the screen and that familiar glint is in his eyes, daring me to live a little.It’s just dancing.

It starts like it did with Simone and Angie. Me easing in by swaying my hips to the beat. I see Roman is nonchalantly making his way back to me, giving me plenty of time to put a stop to this dance session. But I don’t. I turn around, he comes up to me, and we’re mirroring each other’s movements.

“I think Angie’s got some competition on her hands,” I say, slightly breathless. “I didn’t know you had all that rhythm.”

“I’m not at her level yet, but give me time.”

I know my smile is way too big, but I can’t help it around him, and it hits me how doing this with Roman feels like home. I can see us fitting right in with my family as one of our get-togethers ends with the inevitable slow dance. It always starts with Dad playing his and Mom’s song, “Always.” After a minute Camille and Lance join in, then Vincent and Amerie. I’m always on the outside looking in, but how amazing would it be if I didn’t have to be? If Roman was there with me? If our relationship wasn’t temporary?

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