Chapter 85: Chapter 85

"Are you and Samantha in a relationship?" I blurted, unable to stop the question from tumbling out of my mouth.

I had not meant to ask it so bluntly, but the question had always been on my mind. I could not get it out of my head.

We were in my bedroom now, sitting across from each other. Romeo was leaning against the headboard of my bed, while I was on a chair by the bedside table.

His brows drew together, his gaze averting from mine. "I told you I am not dating her. If I was, I would not be here with you, and I would not have told you that I wanted you back," He replied.

I chewed on my bottom lip, remembering the way I had felt when I saw them kissing in the cafeteria. I could still picture the way his eyes had met mine.

"Why did she kiss you in the cafeteria?"I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "And, you also kissed back."

"I'm sorry," He uttered. "It was wrong, I know. I could not just push her away when she kissed me, not with all those people watching. I know that is not really an excuse. I'm sorry. I was not thinking straight."

"So, you only kiss other girls when you are not thinking straight?" I probed, crossing my arms over my chest.

Romeo raked his fingers through his jet black hair. "God, no! To be honest with you, that was the only time I kissed another girl while we were apart. And, it is the only time she ever kissed me on the lips. After that day, I never let her kiss me again." He rambled.

My eyebrows rose. "I don't think I can trust you on not hooking with other girls. It is you, Romeo," I said.

His eyelids dropped. He tried to smile, but it looked forced. I swallowed hard. It was clear that my words had gotten to him.

"You don't even trust me anymore," He mumbled. "I had so much going on in my life. There is no way I could possibly have time for messing around with random girls. Even when I had other things on my mind, I still found myself thinking about you, even on days I tried not to."

"If you wanted me that much, why did you end things between us?" I blurted out, my tone a mix of anger and hurt.

I got up from the chair, and walked over to the window, staring out at the street.

I knew I was about to say whatever was on my mind. I could feel my emotions spilling out of me, and I knew I was about to blurt out everything that was on my mind.

"Things were going on between us, but you ended it. Do you even know what the breakup did to me? I was shattered. I was completely broken. I never wanted to feel that way again. I cried for days. It was like you were just playing around with me. I thought that getting into a new relationship would help me get over you, but it was a mistake. I ended up hurting another person too," I ranted, sniffling back the tears that were threatening to fall.

I felt a shiver down my spine when I felt his hand on my shoulder. I had not heard him walk up behind me. My jacket was off, and the nightgown I was wearing was sleeveless.

"I'm so sorry," Romeo whispered into my ear. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was trying to protect you from the tangled mess of my life. I hurt you when I was hurting."

I whirled around to face him, feeling his arms wrap around my waist. I cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes.

"You said the same thing in your letter," I uttered. "What's going on? You can tell me anything. Is it about your dad?"

Romeo took a deep breath and his hands dropped from my waist. He pulled away slightly.

"I'm trying to get a divorce for my mom," He said slowly. "The truth is... my dad is a monster. I hate him, even though my mom keeps telling me not to. I was afraid I was turning into my father. I didn't want to be like him, to hurt the people I cared about like he did my mother. I thought breaking up with you was the best thing for me."

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him, resting my head against his chest. "You could never become like him. The fact that he is your father doesn't mean you would end up like him," I told him.

"But, I did hurt you. I ended up doing the exact thing I was afraid of. I guess my mom is upset too. She doesn't like that I don't want a relationship with my dad," Romeo rambled, hugging me back.

"You hurt me, but it was not intentional. You were not thinking clearly. There's no need to blame yourself."

I let go of him and took a step back. "What are you doing to help your mom get the divorce?" I asked.

He hesitated for a moment before answering."My mom changed her mind. At first, she wanted a divorce, but now that my dad is living with her again, she doesn't want one. Even though he cheated on her and hit her once, she is not asking for a divorce anymore. She even needs to get her property from him. I don't know what to do anymore. My mom won't listen to me. I know that man will never change."

He added. "Samantha's mom is a lawyer, and Samantha helped me ask her about helping my mom with the divorce. Her mom agreed to help as long as I would escort her to prom. This is what has been going on between me and Samantha."

I swallowed hard, trying to absorb everything he was saying. "You can get a different lawyer for your mom, but before that, you need to have a serious talk with her. Have you ever had a long conversation with her about getting a divorce?" I questioned him.

"No," He answered bluntly. "I have been so angry with her. She is just letting my dad get away with everything. I can't even stand living with her."

"Please talk to her. I know it's hard, but she loves you, and she'll listen to you," I stated. "I think if you can get through to her, she will realize that she deserves a better life and get a lawyer herself. You shouldn't have to make a deal with someone like Samantha to help your mom."

Romeo's face lit up, and he grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer. "God, you're perfect," He muttered, giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

I felt my face grow warm. "You should start opening up to people more. It is healthy,"

"I guess I can start with you. You're now my go-to person."

I chuckled softly, and my gaze drifted over to my desk where my books lay.

Suddenly, something popped into my head. His diary.

"There is something I want to tell you," I blurted out. I should have stopped myself, but it was too late.

His expression turned serious. "What's that?" He asked.

"The other day, when I was in your room, I saw your diary. I'm so sorry, but I looked inside it," I paused, studying his gaze.

His face was blank, but he didn't look upset. I continued. "I read a page that said you got into a dare. What's that about? Jason also said something similar to that."

"Promise you won't interrupt until I'm done,"

"I promise,"

"It was after that dare that I kissed you. Xander kept bragging that he could sleep with you. He has always been in competition with me, and it really bothered him that I kissed you first. So, we made a bet on who could sleep with you first. At first, I was serious about it. But then, I fell in love with you. I don't care about that dare anymore. If you don't believe me, you can ask Jason. After we broke up, I called off the dare. I would never hurt you like that," Romeo explained.

A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, but I could not speak. I didn't know how to feel. Part of me was angry, but a larger part of me knew I could not be mad at him.

I nibbled on my bottom lip."So, are you with me now to prove a point to your friends?"

"God, no. I love you so much, and I know hurting you would break me too." He replied, threading his fingers through his hair.

"I love you," I muttered, staring into his deep green eyes. "Please, don't hurt me again. If you are going to hurt me, please leave now."

"The past days have been hard. But, with each day that passed, I've realized how much I wanted to be with you. You make me feel things I have never felt before. You make me happy. You make me feel like I can be myself," He uttered. "I love you, Ivy."