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“Nothing’s on my perfectly normal mind,” I huffed.
“Do I need to break out the Katy Perry?”
I hid my laugh. “No.”
“Go on, then. Tell me what you really think of me. Or, I’ll–”
“Like some venereal disease, all right? You just show up where you’re not wanted like some venereal disease.” My cheeks burned as I shoved them in my knees.
Plus, it wasn’t at all true; if Roman was at a party, it was considered a success. Because for some reason Roman’s apparent approval by appearance was the bar for considering a party cool. And everyone wanted their party to be cool.
He only laughed, which went to prove how badarse Ireallywas. “Well, I feel honoured to be torn down by the girl who’s chosen to sit on the shore of a lake by herself instead of being seen at tonight’sitparty.”
“So, now it’s a bad thing I don’t go to all the raging bonfires and get drunk every night?” I wasn’t really sure what I was actually saying, but it was out now.
He slid a cocked eyebrow at me, as though telling me we both knew I’d made no real sense, and shook his head. “On the contrary, I have a new-found respect for you now.”
I wanted to take that as some kind of insult. But, there was nothing but sincerity in his tone, which only served to confuse me about him more. Roman didn’t respect anyone. Let alone me.
“Right, because that makes sense,” was all my stupid brain could come up with.
He chuckled and skimmed another stone. I watched it skip five times across the water as though it were terribly important, because then I could almost pretend he wasn’t there.
“It’s just refreshing to know you’re not a complete popular dick,” he said.
I looked at him, flabbergasted. “This from the guy voted most likely to nail and bail.”
He grinned and I told myself I was unaffected by it. I mean, a hot guy can smile at you and you’re allowed to appreciate it. It doesn’t mean you’re attracted to him.
“That title was aptly awarded, true.” He nodded.
I scoffed. “I’m surprised you even know the word ‘apt’.”
He laughed. “I’m not as stupid as I look, Barlow.”
“No, I imagine not. Very few people could actually be as stupid as you look.” It was delivered seamlessly, but my cheeks heated.
“Ouch,” he chuckled. “Kudos on the insult. But, I’d be more offended if I didn’t see the way you look at me.”
Why did he have to be quite so…relaxed? Roman was a guy who didn’t care about anything. He didn’t care what people thought of him; he was him and he was perfectly comfortable as people judged him or looked down on him. He went through life with his lazy indifference on his face and everything bounced off him, leaving him completely unaffected.
“I don’t look at you like anything,” I said, pulling my mind away from where his smirk led it and telling myself I wasn’t lying.
“Sure you don’t.”
“I don’t.”
“Barlow, you don’t need to be embarrassed that you like the way I look.”
“I might be if I did.”
He only chuckled and juggled the stone in his hand.
“Why are you here anyway? Don’t you have other people to do on a Saturday night than come down to the lake by your lonesome?”
He skimmed the stone damned perfectly. “I suddenly found myself in need of some peace and quiet. My house isveryloud all of a sudden. And you know, sometimes a meaningless fuck just doesn’t do it for you.”
I blinked and hid a smile. “No. I wouldn’t know.”
