Page 49 of Quietly Falling
“Then what happened? Why did he leave?”Why didn’t he find me?
Roman doesn’t answer, his phone screen lighting up with a text from an unknown number.
UNKNOWN: At the cabin.
“Look—”he says in a way that’s more pleading than placating.
“I need to go. I’ll see everyone tomorrow, but right now I need to go.”
“Ella, he just needs some space.”
“Space?” I screech, drawing the attention of the patrons on either side of us. “Space, Roman? You think he needs space? You let himwalkmiles in the dark in a place he doesn’t know.”
“It’s like two and a half tops and I’ve done it?—”
“He doesn’tlive here,” I seethe, wanting to shake him as I spot my coat one stool over and shove my arms through the sleeves. “I love you but if something happened to him...” I trail off, unable to complete the sentence with the emotion now lodged in my throat.
“Hey,” Roman says, grabbing my wrist and holding me in front of him until I meet his gaze, “he’s okay. Y’all have some stuff to figure out, and he didn’t think now was the time.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah, come on, I’ll take you back.”
“What? Haven’t you been drinking?”
“I had one shot with him and half a beer.”
“Why?”
Roman smiles as he stands from his stool and takes my hand. “Because I can get drunk when I’m hundreds of miles away, but when I’m home, I just want to enjoy bein’ home.”
“And you still didn’t drive him,” I huff as he waves toward Eden and pulls me through the crowd and into the parking lot.
“I would’ve if he asked, Ells. He knew what he was doing—what he needed.”
And it wasn’t me.
But we’re gonna fix that.
Right now.
“Just take me back.”
“Aw…go easy on him. We’re a lot to handle.”
“I make no promises.”
He snorts as the car rumbles to life, but he doesn’t say anything else as we leave the bar in the rear view.
24
ELLA
The cabin is dark except for the front porch lights when the car pulls to a stop. Thanking Roman, I hustle to the front door and shove the door open, ignoring his words of encouragement as I go.
What the…
I can make out the outline of a person on the couch. My blood pressure spikes, and it’s bullshit if he thinks he can fake sleeping right now.
