Page 48 of Ski You Later
“What time is it?” I shoulder past him as I ask in a panic, knowing full well the van will leave without us if we’re late.
“Don’t know?” He responds casually and I hear his footsteps right behind me.
“Are we super late?” I question in a panic and double-check that everything’s ready to go. We still have to load all our bags into their car and actually get to the van lot. As if sensing that I’m really panicking over here and not joking, I feel a weight leave my shoulder. He starts taking bags off my person without even answering my question.
“Come on, let’s go.” With that, he turns on his heel and walks to the door.
I don’t think I could look crazier if I tried. He is, without a doubt, the most infuriating man I’ve ever met. Why can’t anything be easy with him! “Roman!” I yell as I storm after him in a huff.
As I fully prepare to throw a shoe at his head, I’m met with a completely empty space as we approach the front door. Taking in the house for the first time, I notice the lights are all off, and it’s completely silent.
“Aurora!” I yell just to have my voice echo through the empty space.
“She’s gone; she went with Landon and Xander. It’s just you and me, Langley.”
Turning back around to face him, he’s casually leaning on my entryway wall. I can’t stop the scowl that forms on my face, and I mirror his stance on the wall across. I’m pretty sure my stance holds more power since he has three pink overnight bags hanging off his body.
As neither of us moves, I can’t help but notice that he’s acting like he was a couple of weeks ago. Unhelpful and blunt.
“What is with you today?” The question blurts out before I can really think it through, but I don’t take it back as I watch him.
He’s obviously taken aback by this, his face changing from surprised to suspicious. “What’re you talking about? Everything is fine.”
“It obviously isn’t. You are acting all weird.”
“I’m not acting weird. I’m just trying to get to the van on time!” His voice is monotone, but I can hear the tinge of anxiety behind it.
“Something’s wrong; tell me what it is.” I take a step forward as he leans farther against the wall. Even with almost a foot on me, he seems to fear my question as I continue to push.
“We really need to get going, Rhodes.”
“AH HA! You called me Rhodes! Tell me what’s wrong right now.” I whip my pointer finger in his direction and then promptly poke him a couple of times in the chest.
“I always call you Rhodes!”
“You never call me Rhodes!” I counter immediately. Taking a step back, I square my shoulders and put on the deepest voice I can muster. “Hey, Langley, I’m going to act really weird today and just expect you not to notice. Let me just cross my arms now and pretend I am too cool for everyone.”Lifting my arms in the air, I cross them in the air and push farther into Roman.
His blank face looks back at me, not impressed in the slightest. “I don’t do that,” he deadpans.
I can’t help but laugh at him as I keep my crossed arms in the air. “You literally do this all the time! Cross your arms and glower.”
Sending a mix between a glower and a smoulder his way, I finally see how much he is fighting down a smile. He’s trying quite hard, so I make sure to purse my lips a lot and waggle my eyebrows in his direction.
Before I can even process this action, a full-bellied laugh bursts out of him, and he sends me the most wonderful smile I have ever seen. It takes over his whole face as he laughs at my ridiculousness, and tears seem to build in his eyes.
I drop my arms and step away from him now, a small giggle coming out of me as I watch him. His sleep-deprived brain probably finds this way funnier than it is, but I’ll take what I can get.
“Will you tell me what is going on with you now?” I add in a pleading voice as he recovers from his fit of laughter.
“I don’t really want to go into it. I’m just having a bad day, that’s all.” His words are gentle, as if he feels bad that he can’t give me more.
But I’m never going to push if someone’s not ready to talk about something. A case in point is the entirety of Aurora’s love life.
I start to slip on my booties and face Roman as he opens the front door for me. “You can always talk to me, you know. I’m your fake girlfriend, after all.”His face seems to fall even more after that statement, and he ushers me out the door.
As I make my way down the front steps, I catch the words he tries to hide under his breath. “That’s the whole problem, now isn’t it.”
CHAPTER 17
