Chapter 84: Chapter 84

~ IVY ~

I drummed my fingers against the surface of my dresser, glancing over my shoulder at my phone. I had tossed it onto the bed after sending a text to Romeo. I was relieved that it had not landed on the floor.

The message itself was not risky, but it was an emotional risk for me to send it. I was anxious for his response, and my heart was beating rapidly.

I could not stop my mind from racing. What if everything he had written in the letter had been a prank? Why did I always feel so anxious when it came to Romeo? I hated that he had such control over my emotions. At the same time, part of me liked how he could make me feel things I had never felt before. He made me do things I never would have otherwise, like inviting him over at night.

I was grateful my mother was out of town in an emergency, and would not be back until the next day. I didn't want to have to explain Romeo's presence to her.

I was shaking my leg, still filled with nervous energy. Why hadn't he responded? Was he ignoring me?

I had just said "Can you come over? I want us to talk." It was just a simple text.

The sound of the doorbell pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked over at the clock on the wall. 11:30 PM.

My mom had said she would not be back until the morning, so it could not be her. Or, did she cancel her plans?

Who else could it be? Had Romeo actually gotten my message and decided to show up? I must have been crazy to think that. I still didn't have a response from him.

The doorbell rang again, more insistently this time. I forced myself to stand up from the dressing table to answer the door.

I realized I was still wearing my transparent pink nightgown. I could not answer the door like this, even if it was just my mom who had come home. I reached for the first jacket I could find in my closet and pulled it on over my nightgown.

I went down the stairs to answer the door. I opened the door, and my eyes met a pair of dark green eyes that always made me feel weak in the knees. The first thought that came to my mind was to run into his arms, but I got a hold of myself. It was not the right time for that.

I looked him up and down. This time, he was not dressed in all black. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white hoodie, and as always, his cologne was surrounding him.

"Can I come in?" Romeo asked softly, his deep voice soothing my nerves.

I stepped aside to let him enter, and then locked the door behind him.

"Why didn't you reply to my message? I had no idea it was you at the door," I blurted out.

"I saw it, and I decided to come over here. I didn't think it was necessary to reply, since I was already on my way," He replied, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"You should have replied. I would have known that you had seen my message," I snapped.

"I hear you," He uttered, his eyes avoiding mine. "I will be sure to reply next time."

"I can't believe we can't go a minute without getting into an argument," I mumbled.

Romeo said nothing. He kept his eyes away from mine, and I noticed what he was doing. He was staring, but not at my face. His gaze was fixed on my chest.

I took a deep breath. It was the same old Romeo. He was checking me out.

"Romeo?" I said, making his name sound like a question.

His eyes flicked up from where they had been, and his smirk disappeared. "What did you say?" He inquired.

He knew what he had been doing, and the smirk told me that he knew I had noticed it, too.

I could not understand why I liked that he was checking me out. If it had been anyone else, I would have been furious.

"Have you had dinner?" I asked, unsure why I was changing the subject.

"You didn't bring me all the way over here just to ask if I have eaten, did you?" Romeo uttered, a frown crossing his brow.

"No, of course not," I replied. "There's no law against asking if someone's had dinner, is there?"

"No law that I know of," He muttered under my breath. "I have eaten."

"We have to talk," I said, picking my words one after the other.

"That is why I'm here," He blurted out.

I toyed with a strand of hair that had fallen in front of my face, tucking it behind my ear. "Should we go to my room or stay here?" I asked.

Romeo took a step closer to me, his eyes taking in my facial features. He looked at my eyes, then my lips, and then back to my eyes. Did he want to kiss me? I hated how fast my heart was beating. I could swear he could hear it.

I watched as he reached out and brushed the strand of hair back to where it had fallen, right in front of my face.

"Perfect," He murmured, stepping back an inch.

What did he think he was up to? All that just to brush a strand of hair out of my face? I knew I had to stay focused, but I couldn't help myself from wondering if I should do what I was thinking. Maybe, it was time to leave my self respect behind.

I didn't try to talk myself out of it anymore. I gave in to the intrusive thoughts swirling in my head, following them as they ran through my mind.

I reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards me. His eyes widened in surprise, but before he could say anything, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. I slid my arms around his neck, allowing him to relax into the kiss.

For a moment, Romeo was frozen in surprise. Then, he let himself get swept up in the moment, returning the kiss and wrapping his arms around my waist. My body pressed against his chest, savoring the way he took control of the kiss. His hands roamed over me, sending a shiver through me. I felt like we should stay like this forever, lost in the world of just the two of us.

Romeo ended the kiss, his eyes boring into mine.

"I've missed you," He muttered, his voice low and soft. His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer.

I pressed my head against his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I've missed you too," I whispered back.