AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hello.”
“Baby girl. Who was that?” Roman asks.
I hold up my finger to the group, letting them know I’ll be right back. With my latte in hand, I step outside in the freezing cold to talk to my “friend.”
“That was Gabe. I’m at study group. I was getting a latte that you paid for, by the way. Thanks for that, but, Roman, you have to stop.”
“I can’t, Em. I can’t stop. I don’t know how.” He sounds pained, and I feel that hurt in the center of my chest. “Is he the one who helped you fix your flat tire?”
“Good memory.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Don’t like what?”
“That this guy is getting so close to you.”
I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. “He’s not getting close to me. He’s a classmate. We’re on the same graduation track for surgical tech. He lives in Nashville. We have geography in common as well as our major.”
“And he’s your age. I’m sure Forrest would approve,” he grumbles.
“Guess what, Rome? Neither one of you gets a say in what I do. I’m an adult. I’m single the last time I checked.” I toss that out in anger, and I hate that I do, but I can’t take the words back. “My life. My choices.”
He’s quiet on the other end. I can hear him breathing, but he’s not saying a word. Finally, he whispers, “You’re right.”
“I hate that I am, Roman. I hate that I can’t get over you.”
“Get over me? It’s been a handful of weeks.”
“It’s been a month, Rome.”
“Feels like a lifetime.”
There is so much that I could say. That he didn’t want to fight for us, for me, but that’s not exactly the truth. Roman would throw down for me. He wouldn’t hesitate. He thinks that keeping us apartisfighting for me. Not us, forme. He’s doing this for me, and I need to keep reminding myself of that. This is what he thinks is best.
Maybe once I graduate, we can figure this out, but right now, I can’t get wrapped up in should we or shouldn’t we. I have to focus on school and graduating.
Maybe we’ll find our way back to one another, and maybe we’ll both move on. Either way, there will be a huge piece of me that will always be his.
“I should get back inside. We have a big exam next week.”
“Call me when you get home?”
“I’ll text you.”
“Em—” he starts, then clears his throat. “Okay, baby girl. Be safe.”
“You too.” I end the call, take a long pull from my latte, and head back inside.
“Girl, it’s freezing out there,” Sally scolds.
“I know.” I place my phone on the table, take another long pull of my latte, and get back to work.
After two additional hours, our brains are fried. We agree to meet up again on Sunday afternoon. The exam is Monday, so that’s one final push before we meet our fates. I drive home, replaying my conversation with Roman. He’s struggling just as much as I am, but the choice has been made. He’s holding on with both hands, and I love him even more for it. He’s kept his promise to call me every day. His voice is the last I hear every night before bed, but where does that end?
We can’t just live the rest of our lives attached at the hip as best friends and nothing more. I know I made him promise me, but now that I’ve had some time to think about it, it’s not fair to him.
It’s not fair to either of us.
