roman fic based off the new picture of him with the mask pls pls plsss
a/n: 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 im nexts let go IM NEXT LETS GO...ik its not exactly a ghostface mask but let a girl live 😒😒
(p.s. this is why ive been "gone" i lowkey yot carried away writing this...oops😓)
Orange fairy lights strung around your mirror blinking lazily against the walls, making the room feel warm despite the chilly October evening settling outside. You lean in toward the mirror, carefully tracing the last wing of your eyeliner before sitting back with a satisfied smile. Your phone buzzes against the vanity and you reach for it.
Sage: Girl where are you??? We're leaving in twenty
You laugh to herself, typing back with one hand while reaching for your lipgloss with the other. A knock sounds against your bedroom door and it opens before your could answer. Your mom peeks inside, a basket of folded laundry balanced against her hip, "There you are...you look beautiful." You grin, still looking at yourself in the mirror, "Thanks." Your mom set the basket on the edge of the bed, smoothing the blanket absentmindedly, "So you're still going to that Halloween party?" You laugh, "Mom..."
"You've asked me like...five times today."
"I know." She crosses the room, folding her arms, "It's just they still haven't figured out what happened to that college kid." You shrug, "They're saying he probably just wandered off."
"That's not what I've been hearing."
You roll your eyes affectionately, "Mom, every Halloween people make up creepy stories."
Your mother doesn't smile, "They found his car but they didn't find him." You look back at the mirror, reaching for your earrings, "I don't think some serial killer is wandering around town."
"No, but that's what you're thinking."
Your mom lets out a little breath through her nose, "I just have a bad feeling." She walks over gently brushing your arm, "I know you're a adult I'm not telling you not to go." Your mom looks at you for a long moment, "If something feels wrong beave." Your expression softens, "I'll be with like fifty people. I'll text you when I get there and when I leave."
Your mom nods, seeming a little more at ease. As she reached the doorway, she glanced back one last time, "Stay safe." She disappears down the hallway and you stand there for a second before laughing quietly to yourself, "So dramatic. You grab your phone and keys before taking one last look in the mirror then heading downstairs.
Music spilled out of the house long before you reach the front door. Orange lights draoe across the ceiling, fake cobwebs stick to the corners, and plastic skeletons hang from doorframes. You smile to yourself, "This is so cool." A familiar voice cut through the music, "There you are!" You barely have time to react before one of your friends wrap an arm around your shoulders, "Dude, your costume is adorable."
Within seconds you're pulled into conversations, complimenting costumes, and posing for blurry pictures on someone's disposable camera.
"Okay, these are definitely getting developed."
Someone gets your attention and you turn toward the living room. Hollis was waves you over from across the room. You smile and make your way through the crowd, "Hey!"
Hollis laughs before glancing beside him, "Oh, you remember Roman, right?"
Roman's eyes meet your eyes, "Hey."
"Hi." There was a awkward little smile from you.
Hollis looks between them, "You guys have met like...twice?"
"Something like that," you answer
Roman nods once, "I like your costume."
You instinctively look down at yourself before smiling, "Thanks...I like yours too." Before either of you could say anything else somebody yells Roman's name. Ryan appears out of nowhere, already backing toward the kitchen, "C'mon, they're setting up beer pong!" Roman looks back at yo, "Sorry." You smile, "No, go."
Ryan slings an arm around Roman's shoulders as they started walking away, "If we lose, it's your fault."
"Nah dude w're not gonna lose."
Their voices disappear into the crowd and you watch them go into the kitchen before a girl appears beside you, holding out a bowl of candy, "You want one?" You look over, "Oh- thanks." The girl smiles, "I'm Sirena." Recognition flashed across your face,"Oh! You're Hollis's girlfriend."
You laugh, "I've heard about you."
"...Hopefully only good things."
Sirena rolls her eyes playfully, "I was about to say, that man better be advertising me correctly."
The two of you laugh and within minutes you guys leanin against the kitchen island, talking like you'd known each other forever.
"So where'd you get your costume?" Sirena asked.
"I actually made part of it."
"You have to teach me because I literally hot-glued mine together an hour before I got here."
"I love hot glue. It's held together like...half the things I've ever made."
You dissolve into another fit of laughter. Around them, the party buzzed on. Hollis yells something unintelligible from the kitchen followed by, "THAT DIDN'T COUNT!" Sirena sighs, "They've been competitive since I got here."
"I honestly don't think they even know anymore."
You smile, absentmindedly glancing toward the kitchen for just a second you catch Roman looking in your direction. The moment your eyes met he looks away and you smile to yourself. Sirena leans closer, lowering her voice, "Okay I have a secret. I hid a bottle of Pink Whitney upstairs before everyone got here." She laughs, "Because if I hide it downstairs, Hollis and his friends will find it and finish the entire bottle in twenty minutes."
"I can't even argue with that."
Sirena gently tugs you toward the staircase, "Come on let's go!" As you climb the stairs, the music fades into a dull thump beneath you two. Sirena disappears into one of the guest rooms, "I swear I put it..." She dropped to her knees beside the closet, reaching behind a stack of board games, "Aha!" She triumphantly held up the bottle, "I knew nobody would look behind Monopoly." You laugh, "That's actually genius I would've never thought to go."
She grabs two plastic cups she had brought and pours generously, "There." She holds one out proudly. "The official girls-only drink." You accept it with a grin. For a little while, you stay tucked away upstairs, laughing over stories, comparing disastrous Halloween costumes from years past, and taking blurry mirror selfies you'll probably forget to post.
Downstairs, another roar of cheering echoed through the house. Sirena rolls her eyes, "They're probably making themselves throw up trying to outdrink each other." You giggle, shaking your head, "Should we go save them?" Sirena takes another sip, "Absolutely not." By the time you and Sirena wander back downstairs, the party had somehow gotten even louder.
The bass from the speakers practically rattle the banister beneath your hands as you descended the staircase. You hear Hollis loudly announcing something. "Okay, okay!" Hollis claps his hands together loud enough to cut through the music. "I've got a game."
"The last game you picked ended with somebody throwing up," Someone says. You laugh into your drink as more people gather in the living room, curious enough to see what Hollis had planned. He reaches into the pocket of his jacket and fans out a deck of playing cards, "We're playing murder in the dark." You look toward Sirena, "I've never played."
Sirena gasped, "What?! Girl you've been deprived it's so fub." Hollis clears his throat loudly, "Alright, listen up!" He shuffles the cards, "Everybody gets one if you get the ace of spades..." He holds the card high above his head, "Congratulations you're the killer then lights off and the killer taps one person on the shoulder and that person dies. When the lights come back one we all accuse somebody and because this is a party," He held up a bottle, "We're making it a drinking game. If everyone guesses the killer correctly the killer takes a shot and if the killer fools everybody then everybody else drinks."
Hollis spreads the deck across the kitchen island one by one, everyone reaches forward. You get your card and see you got a seven of hearts. Across the room, Roman glances down at his own card and his expression doesn't change. "Nobody show anybody!" Hollis shouted, "If you cheat, you're lame." The lights click off and the room disappeares into darkness. A girl somewhere in the room lets out a loud gasp, "I've been killed!" The lights snap back on and Hollis looks around, "Who did it?" Everyone immediately starts yelling over each other. Someone suddenly points toward Roman, "It was Roman!" Roman furrows his brows, "Why?"
"I dunno you're looking real serious. " Another person nods, "I was literally thinking the same thing." Roman looks genuinely confused, "What does that even mean?" Hollis throws an arm around his shoulders, "Yo leave my boy alone Roman's harmless he couldn't hurt anybody." You laugh quietly, watching the exchange, "I don't think it was Roman." Roman turns toward you, "Thanks." You shrug with a smile, "I don't know you just don't seem like the type."
For the briefest moment something flickers across Roman's face almost impossible to catch then it was gone. Hollis claps once, "Moment of truth!" The accused player flips over his card and shows it's not the ace. A chorus of disappointed groans fills the room. Someone passes around a bottle, "Drink up, losers!" The room laughs as everyone reaches for a shot, already arguing about who the killer would be next.
After a few rounds most people went off to the living room to dance. You laugh as someone spins you beneath a outstretched arm before disappearing back into the crowd. You weren't drunk not even close you could still think perfectly fine and know where you were. You also know that you really wanna kiss somebody. You laugh at yourself, "This is the pink whitney talking." You take another sip from the cup in your hand, "Definitely the Pink Whitney." Your eyes drift around the room almost instinctively. A guy dressed as a vampire, "No." Someone dressed as werewolf, "God no."
Without thinking, your gaze wanders across the room. Roman, he was standing near the kitchen, listening to Hollis ramble animatedly about something with his hands flying everywhere. As if sensing it Roman looks up and your eyes met. Neither of you look away and heat rushes to your face and you whip your head around. Your friend Sage suddenly appeares beside you, "Girl, what's wrong with you?"
"You've been staring at Roman for like ten seconds."
You nearly choke on your drink, "What?!"
You cover your face with both hands, "Okay yeah I think I want to kiss somebody. But not, like...Roman."
"Because if he doesn't like me back then I have to move to another country."
Sage bursts into laughter, "Okay then yeah I'd go look for someone else." After another song and another round of dancing, you finally surrender, "My feet are killing me." You slip away from the packed living room, weaving through clusters of laughing strangers until the music becomes just a little quieter. You lean against the wall, absentmindedly rubbing the back of one ankle, "These shoes were such a bad idea." You take a sip from your cup, letting your eyes lazily drift around the room.
Mostly couples and groups of friends then you noticed him standing a little apart from everyone else. A plain white mask concealed his face, the only openings cut for his eyes, nose, and mouth. His dark, wavy hair had been pulled back into a small ponytail or maybe a bun. It was hard to tell from where she stood. He didn't bave any elaborate costume, fake blood, or accessories just black clothes and that mask. For some reason he looked kind of...hot. You think to yourself "why not" and before you could overthink it, you push yourself off the wall and made your way through the crowd.
The closer you got, the more you notice something strange. He seemed unusually calm compared to everyone else. You stop in front of him with an easy smile. "Hi." The masked man looked at you and for the briefest moment he actually seemed startled. Like he'd expected people to just walk past him all night not walk up to him. "Cool mask," you offered. He gave a small nod. "That's all I get?" You laugh,"You're really committed to the mysterious thing, huh?" He lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. You look up at him, "Are you ignoring me?" He shook his head.
He taps two fingers lightly against the front of his mask before spreading his hands in a quiet, apologetic gesture.
"Oh..." You tilt your head, "You can't?"
He nodded once normally you would've smiled politely and wandered back to your friends. Because, trying to carry a conversation with someone who refuses to speak sounds exhausting. But you were pleasantly tipsy and for some reason this didn't bother you nearly as much as it probably should have. "Okay."
You lean casually against the wall beside him, "We'll improvise. If you hate my idea shake your head. If you like it put your thumbs up." The masked man slowly you her a thumbs-up. "There we go." You grin triumphantly, "See? We're already communicating." You took another sip from your drink, "So I'm gonna do most of the talking." He nods.
"I figured." He lets out what sounds suspiciously like a silent laugh, his shoulders rising just enough for her to notice.
You smile, "I knew you had a sense of humor."
"So..." you said, rocking gently on yout heels. "This is either gonna be the weirdest conversation I've ever had or the best one." The masked man tipped his head slightly.
"I'm choosing to believe it's the second."
You smile to yourself, "So, are you actually enjoying the party?"
He gives you a little so-so motion with his hand.
"Really?" You look around at the packed living room, "I feel like it's fun."
"I guess you don't really seem like the dancing type.Okay, but if you're not dancing, playing games, or talking? What exactly have you been doing all night?"
The masked man slowly gestures around the room.
He gives you another nod.
You smiled, "Honestly? I kinda get it." You lean against the wall beside him, "I like watching people too..not in a creepy way," you clarify quickly. "I just think people are interesting." You point discreetly across the room, "Like that guy dressed as a Vampire? I've watched him spend the last twenty minutes trying to flirt with three different girls." You lower your voice, "He's gone zero for three." The masked man's shoulders bounced ever so slightly.
He tilts his head innocently.
He slowly raises both hands as if to say, "who me?"
You laugh, "You're funny."
He looks away for a second, almost shyly.
"Can I ask you something? Why the mask I mean know it's Halloween but everyone else eventually takes theirs off you haven't though."
For the first time since you'd walked over, he didn't answer right away. He simply reaches up and adjusts the edge of the white mask. Just enough to make it clear to you that it was staying on. "Okay I won't ask again." You find yourself smiling, "You know I usually don't talk this much."
He slowly turns to look at you.
"Okay, that's a lie I do but usually people interrupt me you don't...I think I like that."
For a moment, neither of them moved. You look up at the blank white mask, "I still don't know your name."
He doesn't answer just stares at you blankly. You stare back at him for a second before smiling, "Mysterious, I can work with mysterious."
You study the blank white mask for another second before letting out a quiet sigh, "You're really pretty. I mean I can't actually tell but your vibe is. Like you're tall, you've got nice hair, nd I don't know you seem kind of hot. Which is honestly impressive considering I can't even see your face." His shoulders lifted ever so slightly and you smile, "I think that was a thank you."
"I knew it." You take one last sip from your cup before looking at him again, "You know what else?" You look around to make sure none of your friends were listening then lean in just a little, "I kinda wanna kiss somebody tonight not because I'm drunk." You correct yourqself holding up a hand, "I'm not drunk I'm...comfortably tipsy."
You sigh, "And the annoying part is the person I actually wanna kiss," A small smile tugs at the corners of your mouth, "well it's complicated. So I saw you standing over here looking all mysterious and I thought well he's cute enough. So...would you kiss me?" The masked man doesn't respond he just simply looks at you and his head tilts ever so slightly. "Oh," A nervous laugh escapes you, "Um do you...not want to kiss me?"
He shakes his head. You frown, "No?"
Then he realizes what you'd meant. Almost immediately, he shakes his head again before giving a firm nod. You look up, "Wait you do?"
He gives you another nod.
"Oh," A smile spreads across your face, Okay." You laugh softly, feeling a little embarrassed, "I thought I completely misread that." Someone bumps into you as they squeezed past only then did you look back at the mask, "Oh I just realized you'd kind of have to move your mask." You smile sheepishly before a sly little grin creeps across your face, "Do you," You lean in just enough that only he could hear you over the music, "Wanna go upstairs?" He gives one slow nod and you smile a little wider, "Okay."
You slip your empty cup onto a nearby table and motioned toward the staircase, "C'mon, Mystery Man." The masked man follows a step behind you and you reach for the first empty guest bedroom you find and slowly push the door open, "Looks like nobody's in here." You step inside after you and you quietly shut the door behind them.
You sit down on the edge of the neatly made bed, your shoes dangling just above the floor. He remains standing for a moment before sitting beside you, leaving just enough space between them. You couldn't stop smiling, "So are you gonna take it off? So we can, you know..." He was still then he slowly shakes his head. "No?" You frown, more confused than disappointed, "Well how am I supposed to kiss you?"
He gently taps two fingers against the side of your temple. You stare at him, "Me?" He nods once and furrow your brows, "You want...me to close my eyes?" He nods again and a small laugh escapes you, "I mean, I don't exactly have a blindfold." His eyes drifted toward the foot of the bed. There, folded neatly across the comforter, was a sleeping mask. You smile sweetly, "I trust you."
He waits and you give a tiny nod. Only then did he tie it over your eyes tight enough for it to not fall off but not enough for it to be uncomfortable. The world dips into instant, blackness as the fabric settles over your eyes. Your other senses sharpen at the loss of your sight you hyperfocus on the faint rustle of the comforter beneath you, the steady rhythm of your own breathing, and the warmth radiating from him sitting right beside you. He leans in and you can feel how soft his lips are and his tongue slides against yours.
His hand comes up to cup the side of your face, thumb tracing your cheekbone and the other hand rests on your thigh. Your hands find their way to his hair, fingers tugging gently as the kiss deepens. He pulls back slowly, breath mingling with yours. You're left with your lips tingling for a moment, all you can do is breathe. Then his hands move to your shoulders, gently pushing you back onto the bed. You can't see him, can't see anything and yet you're intensely aware of him. You feel the bed shift as he moves closer, his knees pressing into the mattress between your legs. His hands glide up your thighs palms warm against your skin.
He leans forward, his breath ghosting over your stomach before his lips press a soft kiss just above your navel. His hands move to your hips, as he places another kiss just below your bellybutton. You can feel him smiling against your skin, his thumbs rub soothing circles. Then he gently squeezes your thigh as if asking you to lift them up.
You lift your hips without thinking, and he catches the waistband of your pants, pulling them down slowly. His hands return to your thighs pushing your legs apart just enough. He presses a row of open-mouthed kisses along your hipbone. He pauses, his lips hovering just above your underwear line. You bite your lip, heart pounding wildly. You can feel his gaze on you, even though you can't see it. Suddenly, he hooks his fingers into the hem of your underwear, pulling it down slowly.
You lift your hips instinctively to help him, the cool air hitting your bare skin as he slides the fabric down your legs and discards it. His tongue drags a slow line from your entrance to your clit. You gasp, the muscles in your stomach slightly tightening. He hums against you, the vibration sending shivers through your entire body. His thumbs keep your thighs spread, anchoring you in place. He circles your clit once, twice, before flattening his tongue to lick a slow, heavy stripe upward.
He sucks your clit into his mouth, his tongue flicking rapidly against the sensitive bundle of nerves. His hands slide under your ass, tilting you up to give him better access. The room fills with the wet sounds of his mouth working between your legs. Your thighs tremble around his head as he doesn't let up, his tongue never stops its movements. He slides one hand between your bodies, two fingers press slowly into you. He curls them up, finding that perfect spot inside you a choked sob tears from your throat. The combination of his fingers curling ruthlessly against that spongy inner spot and his mouth sucking on your clit is overwhelming.
The blindfold makes you feel every sensation tenfold, your entire world narrows down to the drag of his tongue and the pump of his fingers. He adds a third finger, stretching you deliciously, his mouth never leaving your clit. You're babbling now, incoherent pleas spilling from your lips. Your orgasm is building but suddenly, he stops. All at once, his mouth and fingers are gone. Your hips rock up instinctively, seeking friction, but there's nothing there, "Where'd you go?" you murmur, the word barely a whisper.
The mattress dips as he moves between your legs again, but this time something presses against your entrance instead of his mouth. Your breath hitches in your throat as you feel the tip of his dick pressing against your folds. He doesn't push inside yet, just rocks his hips slowly, dragging his dick through your wetness and coating himself.
The friction makes your toes curl, the anticipation nearly painful. He leans down, his chest brushing yours, and presses a kiss to your jaw. Your head falls back blindly, impatiently. You feel the tip catching against your entrance, sliding perfectly through your dripping folds. With one gentle, deliberate push, he begins to sink inside. Your mouth pops open in a silent, shocked O as he inches into you slowly.
You wrap your legs high around his waist, pulling him deeper. You whimper, your hands reaching up to grab onto his arms. He bottoms out again with a slow roll of his hips, hitting so deep. You moan softly, your entire body trembling as he fucks you. He captures your hands, interwining your fingers through his. He keeps pace, his free hand finds your clit, thumb pressing right where he knows you need it.
The dual stimulation is overwhelming in the best way, "Fuck 'm so close it's so good!" you moan desperately, your thighs tightening around his waist. The stimulation becomes overwhelming and your back arches sharply as the orgasm crashes into you. Your whole body convulses around him, your inner walls clenching and fluttering violently as you come apart beneath him. You breath heavily, your legs feeling like jelly.
Your fingers go up to the sleeping mask covering her eyes but he gently pulls them away silently leavingn the mask on. With your eyes still masked, you only feel him shift, his heavy weight lifting from between your thighs. You hear the rustle of fabric, then the sound of him sitting back on his heels. Though you can't see him you try to look towards where all the shuffling is going. "Kiss me goodbye? I'm kind of tired I might take a nap here."
The mattress shifts as he moves up your body, his weight settling over you again. You feel his lips, soft and warm, pressing against yours in a lingering kiss. He pulls back slowly, his fingers gently brushing your face before he stands up from the bed. You hear his footsteps retreat, the door clicking shut softly behind him as he leaves the room, leaving you alone.
You take the sleeping mask off and you blink against the soft light, letting your eyes adjust. It’s almost surreal you just had the most mind-blowing sex of your life, and you don't even know what he looks like or even sounds like. You lie there staring at the ceiling, heart still racing slightly.
You yawn softly stretching as you snuggle into the pillow. The sheets smell comfy and you bury your face deeper into the pillow, letting your body go completely limp. Your muscles feel like jelly and a soft, content sigh slips past your lips as your eyelids grow heavy drifting off.
You weren't sure how long you'd been asleep. Five minutes, thirty, or maybe an hour. All you knew was that you were warm comfortably curled beneath the guest room comforter.
"Wake up!" A hand shakes your shoulder, "Girl c'mon." You groan, pulling the blanket over your face, "Mmm go away."
"No," The voice cracks, "you need to wake up!" Your eyes flutteres open, "Huh?" As your vision slowly focuses, two faces came into view Sage and Sirena both of them looked...wrong. Sirena's mascara had run down her cheeks and Sage looked pale like she'd seen a ghost.
You push yourself onto your elbows, blinking sleep from her eyes, "W-What's..." You rub one eye, "what's going on?" Neither of them answered immediately they look at each other almost like neither one want o be the one to say it. Sirena finally manages to choke out, "Someone's dead."
The words barely registered and you give a sleepy little laugh, "Very funny."
"No," Sage grabs both of your shoulders "I'm serious." You stare at her, "What do you mean?"
"There was," Sage swallows hard, "There was blood." The smile slowly disappeares from your face, "No."
Sirena was crying now, "They found him downstairs They think...they think somebody stabbed him." You just stare at them, "Stop this isn't funny anymore."
"No," You threw the blanket off yourself so quickly it tangled around yout legs. "No, no, no what happened?" Sage drags a shaky hand through her hair, still trying to catch her breath, "I-I don't even know. We were downstairs and everybody was just...hanging out. Then somebody screamed a real scream from the garage. We thought somebody was messing around. Because it's halloween but then," her voice cracks, "there was blood."
You stare between themz "No..." Sage nods frantically, "There was so much we tried to help. We were putting pressure on the wound I-I was holding his hand. We kept asking him "who did this" and "tell us who did this." I could barely hear him he was choking on blood." Sirena turns away, wiping furiously at her face, "But I think he said a mask." Your heart skips, "What?"
"He kept saying something a white mask. Just plain no design or blood justa white mask." You feel as if every muscle in yout body lock. "And he said the guy was tall." The bedroom disappears Sirena is still talking and Sage is still explaining what happened. But you couldn't hear any of it. There had to be another guy it was halloween half the people at the party were wearing masks. People were tall and wore black there had to be another explanation there had to be.
"Hey?" Sage's voice finally cut through the ringing in youd ears, "You okay?"
You look up at her, "Yeah." The lie comes automatically, "I just...I think I'm still waking up."
The flashing red and blue lights paint the front lawn in uneven bursts. Police officers move in and out of the house, yellow tape stretched across the porch while small groups of partygoers stood wrapped in blankets, giving statements through tears.
You sit on the curb, your hands wrapped tightly around a paper cup of water someone had given you. An officer approaches, notepad in hand, "Miss?" He offers a small, reassuring smile, "I just need to ask you a few questions, alright?"
"Were you here for the party?"
"Did you know the victim?"
You shook your head, "Not really."
The officer scribbled something down. "Can you tell me where you were between," He glanced at his notes, "approximately ten-thirty and eleven-thirty?"
You knew exactly where you'd been upstairs.
In the guest bedroom with the man in the white mask.
"I wasn't feeling very well. So I went upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms. I was tired so," you force yourself to meet his eyes, "I took a nap."
The officer wrote it down, "You were alone?"
You hesitate for the smallest fraction of a second before nodding, "Yes."
The officer closes his notebook, "Thank you if you remember anything else no matter how small it could be important."
You nod numbly, "I will." He walks away to speak with another group of people.
You sat on the curb with the untouched paper cup of water cradled between both hands. You couldn't stop shaking and you kept replaying Sage's words. You feel somebody's presence next to you and you look up to see Roman. He sat beside you without saying anything at first.
His forearms rest on his knees, his eyes fixed on the flashing lights across the street. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "You okay?" Your bottom lip trembles, "I don't know I've never seen..." Roman quietly reaches over and takes the cup from your trembling hands before it spills, "You were squeezing it." You look down, "Sorry."
"You don't have to apologize."
You let out a shaky breath, "I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up." You wipe quickly beneath your eye, "This can't actually be happening it doesn't feel real."
"No," his voice is low and calm, "it doesn't."
You pulled your knees closer to your chest, "My mom almost didn't want me to come tonight. She kept talking about those rumors around town. I told her she was being dramatic."
He didn't tell you not to cry or that everything would be okay. He simply just sat there silent and that weirdly comforted you. After another minute, he spoke again, "The police talk to you?"
You stare out at the ambulance, "I hated it I felt like every answer I gave was wrong. They ask a lot of questions."
"I know...they asked where I was."
Roman's expression doesn't change, "And?"
"I told them," You hesitate, "I wasn't feeling good so I went upstairs and fell asleep."
Roman holds your gaze for a second then nods once, "Makes sense."
You look over at him, "Can I tell you something?"
You lower your voice, "I'm scared."
He reaches over and gently rests his hand over yours, "I know." You look down at your hands without thinking you held on a little tighter.
You stare down before another thought crosses your mind, "Can I ask you something?"
Roman glances over, "Mhm."
You hesitate, "Where were you?" You shake your head, "I don't mean- I mean I'm not accusing you. I just...I've been wondering where everybody was when everything happened."
Roman's expression remains calm, "Hollis wanted more drinks he was gonna go but I told him I'd do it."
"Mhm there was a liquor store about ten minutes away I figured it'd be faster if I just went."
You nod slowly, "And then?"
"I came back," His eyes drifted toward the house wrapped in yellow tape, "There were police cars outside people crying I didn't even know what happened."
"So you completely missed al of this?"
Roman gives a small nod, "I guess I did."
You look down at the pavement, "I'm glad."
You wake up and groan, pulling the blanket over your face before blindly reaching for your phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up and saw you had 127 notifications, "Jesus." Your thumb hovers over the power button, "I am absolutely not dealing with this." Just as you were about to lock your phone again Roman’s name catches your eye.
At Hollis and Sirena's place the tv was on, but neither of them was watching it. Every news station seemed to be covering the same story about the person killed the night before at the party. Sirena pokes absentmindedly at the piece of toast on her plate she hasn't taken a bite. Across the table, Hollis stares into his coffee, " don't think I slept."
Sirena looks up, "I know me neither. "
"I kept," He rubs a hand over his face, "every time I closed my eyes I kept seeing it." Hollis sighs, "I don't think any of us should be alone today."
Sirena nods, "Yeah I was thinking the same thing."
Hollis reaches for his phone, "I'm gonna call Roman." The phone rang twice before it connected, "Yo."
"Matcha, you want anything?"
Hollis looks over at Sirena, confused, "Uh no thanks I mean I don't even think I can eat right now."
"No worries I'll head over after I'm almost done."
"The apartment was unusually quiet.
The television was on, but neither of them was watching it. Every news station seemed to be covering the same story. Sirena pokes absentmindedly at the piece of toast on her plate she hasn't taken a singlebbite. Across the table, Hollis stares into his coffee, "I don't think I slept." Sirena looks up, "I know."
He rubs a hand over his face, "Every time I closed my eyes I kept seeing it." Neither of them spoke for a while frnally Hollis sighs, "I don't think any of us should be alone today." Sirena nods, "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." He reaches for his phone, "I'm gonna call Roman. The phone rings twice before it connects, "Yo.
Hollis looks over at Sirena, confused, "I don't even think I can eat right now."
"No worries I'll head over after I'm almost done."
"Alright drive safe." Hollis sets his phone back on the table, "He's coming over." Sirena doesn't answer she just keeps staring at the black screen of Hollis's phone. "What?" Hollis notices her expression. She shakes her head, "Nothing."
"I just think it's...weird."
She nods slowly, "I don't know we all watched someone die yesterday. My stomach's been in knots since I woke up. Ican't even finish a piece of toast. She looks down at her untouched plate. "Sage texted me saying she keeps throwing up, Y/n told me she feels nauseous, you haven't touched your coffee yet Roman's out getting matcha."
Hollis frowns, "Babe people deal with stuff differently."
"No, seriously he could just be trying to get out of the house. He probably couldn't sleep either."
"I know and I know this sounds stupid. I'm m not saying there's something wrong with him. It's just feels strange." Hollis reaches across the table and squeezes her hand, "I think we're all gonna seem a little strange for a while." She gives him a small smile, "Yeah probably."
A knock echoes through the apartment and Hollis stands up to get the door. Roman steps inside, a clear plastic cup of green matcha still in one hand. He looks tired with dark circles beneath his eyes and his hoodie wrinkled as if he'd thrown it on without thinking. Hollis doesn't even say hello he pulls Roman into a quick hug, "You good?" Roman lets out a quiet breath, "I don't know."
"Yeah," Hollis nods, "me neither." Hollis motions toward the kitchen, "C'mon I made coffee." Roman holds up his drink, "I think I'm covered." A tiny smile tugs at Hollis's mouth, "Of course you'd show up with a matcha." Roman looks down at the cup, "I needed to get out of the house couldn't just sit there."
Sirena stays where she is, watching the two of them settle into their usual rhythm. Hollis leans against the counter. "I barely slept." Roman nods once, "Me neither I keep replaying everything."
"Same," Hollis rubs both hands over his face. "Dude I keep thinking what if we'd gotten to him sooner?" Roman answers quickly, "You wouldn't have." Hollis looks up and Roman continues, his voice calm, "There wasn't anything any of us could've done." Hollis slowly nods, "Yeah I guess you're right."
Sirena looks down at her mug Roman’s responded was weirdly fast...in her opinion. Hollis laughs bitterly, "Think I'm ever gonna wanna go to another Halloween party again?" Roman gives a small shake of his head, "Probably not." Sirena speaks up, "Did the police ask you a lot of questions?" Roman looks over at her, "A few."
"The usual where I was, when I got back, and what I saw."
"I told them the truth I wasn't there. They took my statement that was it."
Sirena nods and notices how Roman taking another sip of his matcha. Half the cup was already gone how can he drink that. She hadn't been able to finish half a piece of toast yet Roman was calmly drinking matcha. People grieved differently she reminded herself. Hollis breaks the silence, "I think everybody should come over." He glances between Roman and Sirena before speaking again, "I'm serious I don't think any of us should be by ourselves today."
Sirena nods, "I'll text them." Less than an hour later, a soft knock sounds at the apartment door. Hollis hurries over to answer it and Sage stands on the other side, hoodie pulled over her head despite the warm afternoon. "You look like shit," Hollis said quietly.
"I know," She steps inside, "I feel like shit."
He wrapps her in a quick hug before shutting the door behind her. Another knock comes only a few minutes later. You come in and offer everyone a small smile that didn't quite reach your eyes, "Hi."
"Hey," Hollis replies gently. You step inside and Roman looks up from where he sat on the couch, "You made it. You nod, "Yeah." His eyes drift to yout face for a second. "You eat?"
Roman raises an eyebrow. "Kind of?" You look down at the floor, "I had, like a granola bar." Roman stands up and Hollis turns, "Where are you going?"
Roman returns carrying a small plate with toasted bagel cut in half, some fruit, and a bottle of water. He hands it to you, "Eat." You look down at the plate, "You didn't have to."
"Thanks," You accept it, smiling softly. Everyone settled into the living room and Hollis breaks the silence, "I keep thinking somebody's gonna wake me up." Sage nods, "I know I've convinced myself like six times already that yesterday didn't actually happen."
You pick quietly at the strawberries on your plate, "I wish." Sirena hugs one of the throw pillows against her chest, "My mom called me four times this morning."
"Mine too," Sage sighs, "She wanted me to come home." She stays quiet for a bit before continuing, "The police called me they wanted another statement. They asked if I remembered anything else."
"Do you?" Hollis askes. Sage slowly shakes her head, "I keep trying but everything happened so fast." The television, on low volume in the corner, switches to another news segment. Footage of flashing police lights fills the screen.Hollis grabs the remote and mutes the TV, "I can't watch this anymore."
"No kidding," Sirena murmurs. "They're saying the killer could've been anybody there," Sage whispers. Hollis frowns, "That's the part messing with me it could've been somebody standing next to us all night."
"Or somebody we knew," Sirena says quietly. Roman speaks up, "We shouldn't start accusing people not without evidence." Hollis nods, "No yeah you're right we're all freaked out our brains are gonna make connections that probably aren't even real." Sirena looks at Roman then nods once, "Yeah."
You stare down at your plate, "Can I tell you guys something?" Four pairs of eyes turned toward you. You swallow, "I..." The words caught in your throat ans you deicde against saying what happened that night. "Actually...never mind." Roman's eyes rest on you then he leans forward and picked up the remote, "Hollis."
"You still have that zombie movie you were talking about?"
"You think that'll help?" Roman shrugs, "Maybe it'll give us something else to think about." Hollis nods, "Yeah, maybe." The zombie movie has been playing for almost twenty minutes.
Nobody was really watching it. The television fills the apartment with flickering blue lights while the group sits scattered around the living room. Hollis wasthrowing popcorn into his mouth, Sage was curled up beneath one of the blankets, and you sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the screen. Sirena breaks he silence, Can I say something?"
Hollis looks over, "Go for it." She hesitates, "I don't know this might sound stupid." Roman glances away from the television, "What?"
Sirena pulls her knees closer to her chest, "I just everybody keeps talking like it's over. I mean unless it was something really specific like I dont know a crime of passion like a jealous ex or some personal revenge thing." She shrugs, "Why would somebody just kill one person? I'm just trying to put myself in that person's head. If they were willing to do something like that once what's stopping them from doing it again?" Sage hugs the blanket a little tighter and you feel your stomach twist because you'd wondered the exact same thing. Roman shakes his head, "Why would you say that?"
Sirena blinks, "What?" Roman shrugs, "We're all barely holding it together everybody's scared and exhausted. Now you're talking like there's definitely gonna be another victim. I just don't think that's helping anybody." Hollis nods, "He's kinda got a point I mean I've been trying not to think about it."
"Me too," Sage admits softly. Sirena looks down at her hands, "Yeah maybe I'm sorry I wasn't trying to freak anybody out." Roman gives a small nod, "I know." By the time the credits rolled, one by one, everyone begins gathering their things. "I think my brother's outside," Sage says, glancing down at her phone. Hollis stands up stretching, "I'll walk you down." Sirena hugs you tightly before letting go, "Text me the second you get home."
The apartment slowly empties until Roman notices you still standing by the front door, phone in hand you hadn't moved. "You okay?" You look up, "Oh yeah. Well actually not really my ride fell through. My cousin texted me that her car won't start." Roman frowns slightly, "So..." You laugh nervously, "I guess I'm walking." His expression changes, "Walking?"
You give a helpless little shrug, "I live kind of far from everybody. I don't really want to ask anyone to go out of their way. They've all had such a horrible day already and I just want everybody to get home safe."
"Oh, no," you shake your head, "I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You're not asking I'm offering."
You still look unsure, "It's out of your way."
"I'd rather drive an extra twenty minutes than have you walking home tonight." You searched Roman's face for any evidence of annoyance, "You really don't mind?" A small shake of his head, "Not at all." A relieved smile spreads across yout face, "Thank you, I was honestly trying not to panic." "He grabs his keys from the kitchen counter, "C'mon." As you head oward the door, Hollis looks down the hallway, "You got a ride?"
Roman answers before you could, "I've got her." The drive to your home has almost completely silent a comfortable one though. You let out a shaky breath, "Roman?"
"Can I tell you something?"
He glances at you briefly before looking back at the road, "You can tell me anything." You swallow, "It's jus I've been carrying something around since that night and I'm freaking out. I don't even know how to say it."
You laugh once under your breath, but there wasn't any humor in it. "I feel like no matter how I explain it it's gonna make me sound like a terrible person." Roman's hands remains steady on the steering wheel, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"I know but I think I need to. This is gonna sound really bad but I promise it isn't the way it sounds." You take another breath, "I wasn't drunk I was tipsy like I knew where I was and I knew what I was doing I was just braver than I normally am. I guess I wandered away from everybody because my feet were hurting. I was just kind of looking around and then I saw this guy he was standing off by himself. Nobody was talking to him he had this...plain white mask."
Your chest tightens just saying the words, "I know how that sounds just let me finish. He never talked nt once he'd just nod or shrug.. normally I would've walked away after like thirty seconds. I would've been like, 'Okay, this is weird,' and gone back downstairs. But I don't know I stayed and I did almost all the talking. He just listened but it didn't feel awkward. We ended up going upstairs and well you know. After that I fell asleep in the guest room. I never saw his face or even heard his voice I don't even know his name."
You close your eyes, "And then Sage and Sirena woke me up and they kept saying "someone's dead" and then Sage said he was wearing a plain white mask." The words barely came out of you above a whisper, "I swear I felt like my whole body went cold. I kept thinking no there has to be more than one person wearing a white mask."
You look over at Roman for the first time since you started talking with glossy eyes, "I didn't tell the police I couldn't. What was I supposed to say? Hey I spent part of the night with someone matching the only description they have. They would've thought I was hiding something or thought I helped him. And now I feel guilty so guilty because what if the last person to see him before..." The rest gets caught in you throat and you look back out the windshield, "I don't know what to do anymore."
Roman didn't answer right away but when he did speak, his voice was as calm as ever, "Thanks for telling me." You look over at him, "I was honestly scared you were gonna think I was an idiot or something." Roman shakes his head, "I don't."
"I feel guilty." His eyes stay on the road, "You're putting a lot of responsibility on yourself." You look down, "I just..."
"I know," He continues gently, "But from everything you just told me you didn't know. You met someone at a Halloween party he was wearing a costume and he didn't threaten you or make you feel unsafe. You had no reason to believe he was capable of something like that."
"No," He interrupts softly, "You didn't know."
"I keep thinking what if I accidentally helped him somehow?"
"You didn't you aren't responsible for another person's choices."
A few tears slip down your cheeks, "I haven't told anybody I couldn't I felt so guilty "
"Feeling guilty doesn't mean you are."
You let out a shaky laugh, "You always know what to say."
"How do you know it was the same person?"
"The man upstairs and the person Sage described. I mean how do you know they're the same?" You open your mouth then stop. Roman continueds in the same calm voice, "You've been carrying a lot of guilt. You've replayed that night a hundred times. It's possible your brain is connecting things because you're trying to make sense of something that doesn't make sense."
For a second Roman thinks maybe you accepted it then you shook your head, "No I've thought about that I really have. I kept telling myself that all yesterday but it was just so plain. Nobody would've worn that to Hollis's party. You know what his Halloween parties are like everybody goes completely over the top. So just a plain white mask with no costume or nothing. I dont know its like he wasn't trying to stand out. So when Sage said a plain white mask I just knew. I wanted to believe it was somebody else i still do but I can't stop thinking about how plain that mask was."
"Memory can be strange," Roman says gently.
Finally you arrive outside your house and Roman shifts into park. You look out the window noticing the porch light was still on, "My mom always leaves it on if I'm out late." You smile faintly. "Says she wants me to know somebody's waiting for me." Roman looks toward the house, "That's nice." You unbuckle your seatbelt, then pause, "Thank you."
"For what?" You laugh softly, "Everything the ride, listening, and not making me feel crazy Roman lookes at you for a long moment, "You don't have anything to feel crazy for." You reach for the door handle then stop, "Can I ask one more favor?"
He nods. "Would you walk me to the door? I know it's stupid I just don't really want to walk up there by myself." Roman answers without hesitation, "Of course." He gets out first, walking around to your side before you even had the chance to open your own door. You smile, "You know that's very gentlemanly of you."
He shrugs, "I try." The two of you walk up the short path together. When you reach the porch, you turn towards him, "I think today would've been a lot harder without you." Roman's expression softens, "I'm glad I could help." You looked at him for another second before laughing quietly, "This is probably weird to say but I feel really safe around you."
"I'm glad." You step toward the front door, then hesitate, "Text me when you get home?"
"I will." You smile, "Good."
With one hand already on the doorknob, you look back over your shoulder, "Goodnight, Roman."
The knock came a little after sunset and you're already halfway to the front door before your mom could even ask who it was. You pull it open and Roman stands on the porch with a small overnight bag slung over one shoulder, "Hi." The second you saw him, your shoulders visibly relax, "Oh my God you actually came."
"I know I'm just really glad you did."
Your mom appeares from the hallway, offering Roman a warm smile, "You must be Roman." He nods politely, "Nice to meet you."
"He'll be in the guest room," your mom says, "make yourself at home."
After a few more polite words, your mom disappeared back toward the kitchen, leaving the two of them standing awkwardly in the living room.
You smile sheepishly, "I was so anxious all day and now you walked through the front door and I feel like I can finally breathe again." You continue before you can overthink it, "I know this is going to sound stupid. But I think part of why I feel safe with you is I don't know you're so tall." You smile, almost embarrassed, "I just feel like if something happened you'd keep me safe."
You step a little closer, "You're staying in my room." You lean in just enough to murmur the last two words near his ear before pulling back with a quiet giggle. You lightly tug on the strap of his overnight bag, "C'mon I'll show you where you'll be...even though," she smiled sheepishly, "you kind of already know now." You push your bedroom door open, "Welcome."
Roman steps inside, taking a quiet look around the room feels unmistakably yours. You laugh nervously, "I feel like I'm giving a house tour on youtube or something." You walked farther into the room, "Okay, these are my books, "I've actually read most of them but some of them are just decoration." You walk over to a shelf near your dresser, "And these are just little things I've collected." Roman looks at the shelf, "Theres's a lot."
"I know I get emotionally attached to objects." You hold up a seashell, "I found this on vacation." Roman listenes quietly as you bounce from object to object, every item somehow turning into a story. You stop talking and look over stories him, "I'm talking too much sorry."
He nods, "I like listening." You two sat against the headboard in comfortable as you watched TV and Roman scrolled aimlessly through his phone. You look over at him, "Can I ask you something?"
"You've been asking me questions all night."
You smile sheepishly, "Yeah, well I have one more."
You frown, trying to word it carefully, "Did something happen between you and Sirena?" Roman looks at you, "What do you mean?"
You shrug, "Maybe I'm imagining it but it's been happening since that night. Like today she kept looking at you not in a mean way it was just different. I feel like every time you talked she was watching you and then when you offered to drive me home she got really quiet." You look at Roman apologetically, "I'm probably reading too much into it. I just hate when people I like don't get along."
Roman's expression softens slightly, "We're okay."
He nods, "I think everybody's just tired and scared. People notice strange things after something like this." You think about that for a second, "Yeah you're probably right. I just hope she doesn't think you did something." The words slip out before you could stop them, "Oh my God I didn't mean...that sounded awful." Roman lets out a quiet breath that almost sounds like a laugh, "I know what you meant. I really like you as a person too."
"What?" Roman asks quietly.
You look down at the blanket spread across the bed, "I don't know I feel like I should just tell you. I've been trying really hard not to say anything."
You smile sheepishly, "Because I didn't want to make things weird." You get all quiet then you look up, "I like you. I wasn't planning on telling you. Especially not like this. But after everything that's happened I kind of realized life is weird and scary. And I don't really want to keep pretending I don't. I know we haven't known each other for that long but my favorite part of the last few days has kind of been you."
"I really like you I like being around you."
You stare at him for a second before a smile slowly spreads across your face, "Seriously?"
A tiny, disbelieving laugh escapes you, "I thought this was going to be the most embarrassing conversation of my life."
Roman smiles, "I don't think it turned out too badly."
Hollis had fallen asleep on the couch hours ago, one arm hanging off the edge while some late-night infomercial played quietly on the television. Sirena couldn't sleep she'd brushed her teeth, washed her face, canged into pajamas, climbed into bed then climbed right back out. "Come on," She whispers to herself, "you're tired so go to sleep." Instead she finds herself back at the kitchen table. A notebook sat in front of her and she stares at the blank page, "This is ridiculous."
She uncaps a pen anyway and at the top she writes "hallowen party." Below it she starts writing everything she could remember. Everybody arriving, beer pong, pink whitney upstairs, playing murder in the dark. Then she remembers Roman she taps the pen against the paper, "When did he leave?" She frowns she couldn't remember so she scribbles another note "Roman leaves to buy alcohol?" She stares at it, "Did I actually see him leave?" She sighs shaking her head, "I've officially lost it."
Closing the notebook seems like the reasonable thing to do. Instead she picks up her phone to check instagram. The Halloween party had been everywhere the night before people had tagged Hollis and her a bunch. She checks the tags to try and place herself back inside the house. "Hollis there you are." He appears in one story wearing fake blood and laughing at the camera.
She skips and notices that she only sees Roman once in a photo with Hollis not paying much attention to the camera. She frowns, "Weird." She scrolls farther and there he was again except this story was much later. She rubs her temple, "This doesn't prove anything it proves absolutely nothing."
She closes Instagram then opens her messages. Her thumb hovers over one of the party guests a girl named Sofi she'd only met twice.
Sirena: hey random question
Sirena: do you remember when roman left to get alcohol?
Sofi: I just remember him coming back with it
Sirena thanks her then messages someone else.
Sirena: weird question but do you remember seeing roman leave the party?
II: i remember hollis saying roman went to get more drinks tho
Sirena then decides to ask one more person
Sirena: do you remember what time roman left?
III: no clue I thought he was outside smoking the whole time tbh
Three different memories and one of them actually remembered seeing him leave. Only that he was gone then he came back. She presses the heels of her palms against her eyes, "This is exactly what Roman said. We're making connections because we're scared."
Despite this something in her gut tells her to go to the liquor store to ask just ask if anything to ease her mind. The little bell above the liquor store door chimes as Sirena steps inside. Behind the register sat an older man reading a newspaper. He looks up over the tops of his glasses, "Mornin'."
"Hi," Sirena offers a polite smile. The man folds his newspaper, "Can I help you find something?"
"I was wondering if I could ask you something. It has to do with Halloween night Im assuming you've heard about what happened." He sighs, "Hard not to terrible thing."
She nods quietly, "It really was." She reaches for her phone, "I'm trying to remember part of that night. Did you happen to see someone who looked like this come in?" She turns the screen toward him and shows a group picture from a few weeks earlier.
Her finger rests on Roman and the old man adjustes his glasses studying the photo. The man looks up and he slowly shakes his head, "No." Sirena frowns, "Are you sure?" He lookes at the picture again, "Pretty sure."
"He would've been buying like beer or something like a couple cases maybe." The old man scratches his chin, "I don't remember him."
"Not even," She zooms in on Roman's face, "somebody who looks a little like him?"
He leans closer studying the screen for another moment then shakes his head again, "No, ma'am. I've been behind this register for thirty-two years now. You sit in the same spot long enough that faces start stickin'. If that young man walked through my door a few nights ago I'd remember him."
Sirena feels her mouth go dry, "You're positive?"
"As positive as an old man can be. I forget where I leave my glasses but I don't forget customers."
Sirena slowly lowers her phone, "Thank you sorry to bother you." She turns toward the door and the bell chimes again as she steps outside. Sirena sitz in her parked car with her head again the steering wheel before finally picking up her phone. She taps Hollis's contact and he answers on the second ring, "Hey."
"Yeah, I just had a random question."
"At the party whose idea was it to get more alcohol?"
"Hollis thinks for a second, "Mine, technically You know how everybody kept making drinks and we were running low."
Sirena nods slowly, "Did you ask Roman to go?"
"No, he volunteered. He was like, 'I'll go,' and grabbed his keys. Why?"
"I don't know I was just curious."
"You're thinking about that party too much."
She smiles weakly, " know."
"You should get some rest."
She hangs and can't helo but focus on what Hollis said Roman volunteered nobody sent him. Almost without thinking, she opens her phone to text you.
Sirena stares at the messages her own breathing suddenly sounds much louder. Her mind flashes back to dozens of tiny moments. Roman reaching for a drink, him grabbing his keys, or him drumming his fingers against the couch. The ring the one he'd worn for as long as she'd known him. It didn't have a smooth band it was covered in intricate carved details.
You: do you think it's important??
Sirena: i honestly don't even know.
You slip your phone into the pocket of your hoodie before pushing your bedroom door open again. Roman looks up from where he was sitting against the headboard. "Everything okay?" You nod, "Yeah." You close the door behind you before climbing back onto the bed with a tired sigh.
"Oh," you tuck one leg underneath yourself, "she just wanted to ask me a few more questions about Halloween."
"What kind of questions?"
"The same ones the police asked." You shrug, "Like if I remembered anything you know." You lean your head back against the headboard, "I feel bad."
"I wish I remembered more maybe it'd help." After a few seconds, you let out another sigh, "I'm so tired...mentally. I feel like my brain hasn't stopped since that night. I swear I've imagined someone breaking into my house like twenty times today."
Roman looks at you, "Has your anxiety always been like this?" You shake your head, "No, not really. I mean, I overthink you've probably noticed."
"A little." You nudge his shoulder, "Hey." You hug one of your pillows against your chest, "I just I wish I could be more like you."
Roman tilts his head slightly, "Me?" You nod, "You're just so calm no matter what's happening. I'm kind of jealous I wish my brain worked like yours. I bet you never overthink anything." You scoot a little closer, "I think that's why I like being around you. "When I'm with you it feels like my brain finally gets to be quiet."
Roman holds your gaze for a long moment, "I'm glad I can do that for you." You rest your head lightly against his shoulder, "Me too." You let your head rest against his shoulder. You could hear the quiet hum of the air conditioner and the occasional creak somewhere else in the house. You find yourself looking at him then you realize he's already looking at you.
Your heart stumbles, "What?" Roman doesn't answer he just simply holds your gaze. You could feel your heartbeat climbing higher and higher into your throat. You think about leaning in and kissing him but you stay exactly where you are too nervous to do it. Roman seems to notice and the corner of his mouth lifts ever so slightly.
Slowly he closes the distance between you giving you every chance to move away. You don't and his lips brushes yours gently you answer by kissing him back. The kiss was nice it doesn't surprise you that Roman's a good kisser. Though something tugs at the back of your mind a strange feeling. You frowned ever so slightly against his lips something felt familiar.
Not the kiss itself but the way he kissed something about it made your heart jitter with a feeling you couldn't explain. That's werid because you haven't kissed Roman before to your knowledge atleast. But the feeling disappears almost as quickly as it came. You pull back just enough to look at him and Roman searches your face, "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." You smiled, though it comes a little slower than before, "I just...nothing." You convince yourself it was just because you'd imagine kissing him so many times that, now that it's finally happened, it feels oddly familiar.
That had to be it it was the only explanation that made any sense. So you smile again and lean in for another kiss and Roman kisses you back. This time though you don't get that weird flash of familiarity. Maybe your brain was just playing tricks on you? You lose yourself in the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck as he pulls you closer.
His hands settle on your waist and he tilts his head slightly deepening the kiss with a soft groan against your lips. He breaks away, but only barely, his thumb brushing against the corner of your mouth. His eyes study you, "You're acting weird," he says, though it's more observant than accusatory. You smile sheepishly, "Its just you make me nervous you know." Roman smiles softly at your admission, "Nervous, hmm?" he asks.
"Well, I'll have to work on that." He leans in again, pressing soft kisses along your jawline. You tilt your head, giving him better access, and your fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt. Roman's lips travel down your neck, leaving a trail of kisses that make your breath hitch. "Can I?" Roman murmurs against your skin, his hand already sliding up your back under your shirt. "Mhm..." you hum immediately, leaning into him. Roman slides his hand higher, before pulling your shirt up and off.
Roman tosses your shirt aside and takes a moment to look at you in just a pretty bra, "You're so pretty," he says, before pulling you back in for a deep kiss. His hands go to your back, fingers tracing the clasp of your bra before he undoes it. He slides the straps down your arms, tossing the fabric aside without breaking the kiss. One hand cups your breast, thumb brushing over your nipple, while the other stays firmly on your waist.
You gasp softly against his lips, your hands clutching his shoulders. Roman kisses his way down your neck and he wraps his lips around your nipple, sending a flicker of pleasure down your spine. You whimper softly, your fingers tangling in his hair. He pulls you onto his lap and his fingers hook into the waistband of your shorts, pulling them down slowly. He murmurs something sweet against your neck that you can't quite hear.
You can feel his erection pressing against you through his sweatpants and you whimper softly. Roman pulls back slightly, just enough to tug his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor. Then he hooks his thumbs into his sweatpants, pushing them down along with his boxers. His dick presses against your entrance and Roman leans down to kiss you deeply, swallowing any sounds you might make as you sink down onto him.
You gasp into his mouth, your nails digging into his back. He groans into your mouth, his hands gripping your hips to hold you steady as you take him deeper. He starts moving slowly, rocking his hips up to meet your rhythm. "Fuck, you feel so good," he murmurs against your lips. You moan softly, burying your face in his neck as he sets a steady pace.
As Roman continues guiding your hips against him your body catches up before your mind does. You remember how good it felt that Halloween night and you'd thought it was probably the best sex you've ever had before you found out that it was with the alleged killer that had killed that one guy that same night. And right now with Roman it strangely feels just as good and his fingers roaming across your thighs and hip feel familiar.
That strange sense of familiarity washes over you again, stronger this time. It’s not just the rhythm it’s the way his hands grip your hips, the specific angle of his thrusts, and even the sound of his breathing against your ear. It feels exactly like that Halloween night. "S-stop," you say abruptly as you pause and sit back on your knees as your chest rises up and down as you catch your breath.
"Hey, hey..." Roman immediately stops, his hands moving from your hips to frame your face gently. "What is it did I hurt you?" His brows furrow in genuine concern, completely oblivious to the thoughts racing through your mind.
You just stare at him, your breathing still ragged. You're trying to process was that Halloween night really with him? But your brain can't even form a thought right now. You're too distracted by the warmth of his hands on your face, the concern in his eyes. "I think I just got a really bad cramp." Roman's face softens, "Oh." The worry in his eyes doesn't disappear, "Do you get them this bad often?" You nod, still trying to keep your breathing steady, "Sometimes."
"Do you have anything for them?"
"I think there's ibuprofen somewhere..." You gesture vaguely toward the kitchen, "But really, I'm okay."
"You don't look okay." His voice was gentle, "I'll get you some."
"Roman, you don't have to-"
"I know." He offers you a small, reassuring smile, "I want to."
He reaches over, pulling the blanket back over your legs, "You stay here I'll be right back." Before you can protest again, he slips out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.
The moment the latch clicks tour eyes dart toward your phone on the nightstand and you snatch it.
A knock echoes through the house. "I'll get it," Roman says, setting the glass of water and ibuprofen on your nightstand before heading downstairs. You stayed where you were, listening absentmindedly then you heard it. "Sirena?" Your heart lifts with relief and ypu hurried downstairs just as Roman steps aside to let her in. Sirena smiles or she tries to it looks forced, "Hi."
"Sirena!" You wrap your arms around her in a quick hug, "I wasn't expecting you."
"I know." She hugs you back, though her eyes drift past your shoulder for the briefest moment toward Roman.
"Yeah, I just wanted to check on you."
Your face softens, "Aww you're sweet." She smiles again, "How are you feeling?"
"Better." You glance toward Roman with a small smile, "He brought me water and ibuprofen."
Sirena nods, "That's good." A silence settles over the three of you an awkward one. You looked between them Sirena was making it painful obvious. Roman stands with one hand resting casually in his pocket his expression stays calm but his eyes move between the two of you. "You two were texting?" he asks.
"Yeah," you answerbefore Sirena could, "I kind of freaked out for a minute." Sirena swallows, "You feeling better now?"
"I think so." You smile reassuringly, "I just got anxious I'm okay now though. "
"Good," She answers a little too fast. You want to crawl into a hole mentally you beg for Sirena to act normal. Roman breaks the silence, "You want something to drink?" Sirena looks at him, "No, thank you."
He gives a small nod, "If you change your mind, let me know." As he walks toward the kitchen, you lean closer to Sirena and whisper, "Girl you are making this so obvious."
"What am I making obvious?" You widen your eyes, "The way you keep looking at him!" Before you can say anything else, Roman returns carrying a second glass of water. He hands it to Sirena, "There you go."
"Thanks." She acceptes it, careful not to let her hand shake. Roman glances between the two of you before speaking, "So were you planning on staying?" His tone wasn't rude if anything, it was genuinely curious.
Sirena looks at you and you ware giving her the widest eyes imaginable. Sirena catches the look immediately, "Yeah, I was actually just heading out sorry I just wanted to check on you." You smile a little too enthusiastically, "See? I told you I was okay."
"You did," Sirena nods, "Text me if you need anything."
Roman walks her to the door while you stand awkwardly in the living room, praying the interaction hadn't seemed as strange as it felt. The front door clicks shut and Roman turns back toward you one eyebrow lifted ever so slightly.
"What?" You aske a little too quickly. He smiles, "Nothing was just wondering."
He laughs quietly. "I didn't realize period cramps came with emergency house calls." You groan, dropping your face into your hands, "Oh my God I know how ridiculous that looked. You sigh searching for yet another lie/excuse, "Sirena's kind of the mom friend."
He tilts his head, "The mom friend?"
"Mhm you know how some people hear you sneeze once and suddenly they're at your beck and call?" Roman laughs, "A little."
"That's literally Sirena. I texted her that I wasn't feeling good and I didn't even ask her to come over she just...appeared." Roman chuckles, "So she ambushed you."
"Exactly! I love her to death, but sometimes she worries enough for three people." You smile sheepishly, "I think after everything that's happened she's kind of checking on everyone." Roman thinks about it for a moment then nods, "That makes sense." The relief that washes over you enough to make your knees weak, "See?" You laugh nervously, "I told you she's just very, very caring."
The two of you make your way back upstairs. You change into one of your oversized sleep shirts while Roman sat against the headboard, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. When you climb back into bed, he looks up, "Feeling better?"
You nodded, "Yeah the medicine's helping...Roman."
"Can I ask you something well I ask you a million questions don't I?"
"Do you think people can remember things wrong?" Roman tilts his head, "What do you mean?"
"I don't know," you shrug, "you always hear people talk about false memories. Like you remember something one way but it didn't actually happen like that or your brain kind of fills in the blanks." Roman thinks about it for a moment before answering, "I think that happens especially after something stressful. Our brains aren't perfect sometimes they convince us two things are connected when they aren't."
You let out a breath you didn’t realize you'd been holding, "Huh."
You smile shyly, "I don't know I was just thinking." He studies your face, "You sure?" You nod a little too quickly, "Yeah."
"If something's bothering you you know you can tell me."
Morning sunlight spills through the curtains, painting soft strips of gold across your bedroom floor. You stir awake slowly and you almost forget everything. Then you feel an arm lazily drape across your waist. You look over to see that Roman was still asleep. His hair was a little messy, one side flattened against the pillow. As carefully as you could, you slip out of bed.
You brush your teeth, wash your face, and quietly wander downstairs. Your mom was already making coffee, "Morning."
She smiles knowingly, "Did you sleep any better?" You nod, "Actually yeah I did." About twenty minutes later, Roman comes downstairs. He looks put together as always, despite having woken up only a few minutes earlier. Your mom smiles warmly, "Good morning."
"Morning," Roman smiles back, "Thank you again for letting me stay."
"Of course." Your mom excuses herself into the laundry room, leaving the two of you alone in the kitchen. Roman picks up his car keys from the counter, "I should probably get going." You feel your smile falter just a little, "Already?" He nods, "I've got a few things I need to take care of."
"Oh," You try not to sound disappointed, "Right."
He notices anyway, "I'll text you."
A faint smile crosses his face, "I will." The two of you walk toward the front door together and you open it for him.
Roman nods, "You will." You smile, "Drive safe."
He turns and walks toward his car. You stay on the porch, arms folded against the morning breeze, watching until he pulls away. You stay on the porch for another minute after Roman's car disappears around the corner a stupid smile still lingering your face. Your phone buzzes in your pocket and see Sirena's calling, "Hey."
"Where are you?" You frown, "At home?"
"Is Roman still there?" You look down the street, "No he just left." A breath escapes Sirena's lips, "Good."
"Can you come over?" Your smile fades, "What?"
"I need to show you something."
"I can't explain it over the phone." You laugh nervously, "Sirena, you're scaring me."
"I know I'm sorry but I really need you to come."
You lean against the porch railing, "Can you just tell me?"
"No, I don't want you reading my face before you've seen what I found."
"I'll tell you when you get here." You rub your forehead, "Does this have to do with Roman?"
"I'm not saying he did anything but I found something I can't explain."
"Can I get you anything?" she asks quietly. You shake your head, "No." You look at the notebook sitting on the coffee table, "Tell me." Sirena nods, "Sit."
"I'm going to say something before I show you anything. I'm not telling you Roman did it but I found things I can't explain." You look down at the notebook, "Okay." Sirena opens it and the first page was nothing but a timeline. "Halloween," she points to the top, "I wrote down everything I could remember."
She slowly walks you through it ten she taps one line, "Roman leaves." You frown, "He went to get alcohol."
"I know that's what everyone remembers. But nobody remembers actually seeing him leave."
"I asked people a lot of people. They all remember him coming back. They remember Hollis saying Roman went to get more alcohol but nobody remembers watching him leave."
"Maybe nobody was paying attention."
"I thought that too so I left it alone but the next day I went to the liquor store." You stare at her, "You...what?"
"I know it sounds insane. I wasn't trying to investigate Roman I was just trying to prove to myself I was being paranoid. "I showed the clerk a picture of Roman and he didn't recognize him."
You immediately answer, "Maybe he forgot."
"I thought that too so I asked him again. Guess what he told me he told me he's worked there for over thirty years. He said if Roman had come in a few nights earlier he would've remembered." You look away, "There are other liquor stores."
"There are I know but I also asked Hollis something. I asked if he asked Roman to go and he said no. He said they were running low and Roman volunteered." You shrug, "So?"
"I wasn't going to tell you any of this I wanted to leave it alone. But then you told me about the masked man." You close your eyes, "Sirena..."
"No just listen. You told me he never spoke and t he made you cover your eyes. Then today you told me sleeping wirh Roman reminded you of him." You stare at the floor, "I told you I think I'm overthinking."
"I know I hope you are. I hope I'm wrong and that I look back on this in a month and laugh at myself for being completely insane." She reaches across the coffee table and takes your hand, "But if I'm not I couldn't live with myself if I stayed quiet." You feel your eyes sting, "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that when I put all of this together I can't ignore it anymore." You couldn't look at Sirena anymore, "No." Sirena's face softened, "You don't have to believe me but I will ask you to be careful."
"No," You stand so quickly the coffee table rattles, "No, you're asking me to believe that the person who's been there for me. The person who stayed with me because I was scared...is a murderer." Sirena stands up too, "I know how it sounds."
"You don't," Tears blur your vision, "You don't know him." You shake your head over and ove, "If you knew tou wouldn't be sitting here trying to make me afraid of him."
"I'm not trying to make you afraid I'm trying to protect you."
"From what? Do you hear yourself?" You grab your keys off the coffee table, "I can't do this." She takes a cautious step toward you, "Please don't leave angry."
You open the door then look back at her, "I hope you're wrong." Then you walk out slamming thr door shut behind you. By the time you reach your car, your hands were shaking so badly you nearly dropped your phone. Without thinking you call Roman and answers quickly.
You tapped Roman's name. "Hey." The warmth in his voice makes fresh tears spill down your cheeks, "Hi."
"What's wrong?" You try to answer but nothing comes out except a shaky breath. Roman's tone turns softer, "Hey, what happened?" You cover your mouth, trying to steady yourself, "Can I come over?" There wasn't even a second of hesitation, "Yeah of course you never have to ask." You close your eyes, "Okay."
When you get to Roman's place you barely have a chance to knock before the front door opens. Roman takes one look at your face and frowns, "Hey." His brows knit together and without another word, he closes the distance between you and gently pulls you into a hug.You wrap your arms around him and bury your face against his chest.
"I've got you," His hand slowly rubs circles against your back, "It's okay." You shake your head, "No, it's not. "I don't know what's happening." Roman stays quiet he simply lets you cry. After a minute or two, he pulles back just enough to look at you. "What happened?" You wiped at your cheeks with the sleeve of your hoodie, "I went to Sirena's. She thinks...that you had something to do with halloween."
"Me...?" You nod quickly, "I know how insane that sounds. I told her she was wrong that she doesn't know you and you've done nothing but take care of me." Fresh tears slip down your cheeks, "She showed me all these little things. But they're just coincidences they have to be." You look up at him with pleading eyes, "Right?"
He simply looks at you then he steps a little closer, "You've been through something traumatic so obviously last few days have been overwhelming. So when people are scared they start looking for explanations and connecting things even when those things aren't actually connected."
You let out a slow breath, "That's what I told myself." Roman gives your hand a gentle squeeze, "I think Sirena cares about you but she's also scared And maybe she's trying to protect you to make her feel better you know?"
A shaky laugh escapes you, "That's exactly what I was thinking." Roman smiles softly, "Come here." He pulls you into another hug and you close your eyes. "How about we get your mind off all of this?" You nod, "I'd like that."
"I'm going to make us something to drink." He gives your hand one last reassuring squeeze, You stay right here I'll be back in a minute." A few minutes later, Roman returns carrying two steaming mugs. A small smile tugs at your lips, "You made hot chocolate?"
"Yeah well it's kinda cold today." He hands you one of the mugs before settling beside you on the couch with his own. You look down into the mug then pause, "You remembered."
Roman glances over, "Hm?" You point into the mug, "There are only three marshmallows. Three's my favorite number."
"I know." You look up, "I told you that?" He shakes his head, "No. Last time we got hot chocolate you counted your marshmallows. There were four and I asked if something was wrong and you said hree would've looked nicer.'" You stare at him, "You remembered all that?"
Roman shrugs, "I pay attention." "I don't think anyone's ever paid that much attention to me before." You smile to yourself and looked back down at your mug, trying to hide how flustered you'd suddenly become. "I'm glad somebody does though."
You and Roman had decided to watch a movie but halfway through the moviev your phone buzzed in your hand signaling it was on low battery. You groan, "Seriously?" Roman glances over from the couch, "What?"
"My phone's about to die." You turn the screen toward him, "One percent."
"I've got a charger." He nods toward the hallway.
"It's in my bedroom in the top drawer of the nightstand."
You set your mug down on the coffee table before wandering down the hallway. You got into his bedroom and open the top drawer to see pens, a notebook, a pack of gum but no charger. You check underneath the notebook but othing. You frowned, "Roman?"
He doesn't answer and the movie was still playing in the living room so he probably hadn't heard you. You crouch beside the nightstand, "Maybe it fell." Sliding your hand into the narrow gap between the nightstand and the wall, your fingertips brush against a cable, "There you are." The charger finally came loose from behind the nightstand, "There you are."
As you stand up, the cord catches on something else and a small black box tucked behind the nightstand shifts forward. You reachto steady it but it slips from your fingers and hits the floor with a thud. The lid springs open and a few papers scatter across the hardwood floor. "Great." You sigh, immediately kneeling to gather everything before Roman notices you made a mess.
A folded receipt, an old photograph, acouple of loose papers then a plastic card landed face-up. You reach for it mindlessly then your fingers stop halfway there. Your eyes lock onto the photograph printed in the corner. You picked it up with trembling fingers. It was a driver's license the name printed across the top made your vision blur. You'd heard it over and over from the police to the news.
It belonged to the person who'd been murdered on Halloween. You stare at it waiting for your brain to come up with a reasonable explanation but it doesn't. You couldn't think of one reason why Roman would have a dead man's driver's license hidden behind his nightstand. A floorboard creaks in the hallway and your entire body freezes. Slowly you look up toward the bedroom door.
Roman stands in the doorway and you don't dare move a muscle. His eyes drift from your face to the driver's license trembling between your fingers then to the open box on the floor. A quiet sigh escaped him, "So that's what made all that noise." Your lips part but no words come out. You look back down at the license in your hand fhen back at him, "Roman..." Your eyes fill with tears, "I'm sorry I wasn't going through your things I swear the box fell I was just trying to get the charger and it-"
"I know." He doesn't sound angry or annoyed he simply believes you. You stare at him, "You do?" He nods once, "I told you where the charger was you had no reason to snoop." Your shoulders tremble, "Then why do you have this?" Roman looks at the driver's license, "Because I took it."
"No.," You shake your head, "no there has to be another explanation." You laugh weakly through your tears, "This isn't funny tell me this belongs to someone else please tell me I'm wrong."
Those words shatter whatever hope you still had. A sob escapes your lips and you stumble backward until your back hits the bed. He takes one careful step forward and instinctively, you flinched, "Please don't."
He stops immediately, "Okay." His hands slowly lift, palms open where you could see them, "I'm not going to come any closer." Roman watches you quietly when he finally spoke, his voice was the same one he'd always used whenever you were anxious gentle and steady.
"No," You squeeze your eyes shut, "I can't."
"You don't have to be afraid of me."
"How can you say that? You have his driver's license."
"You admitted you took it."
"So how am I supposed to-" Your words dissolved into another sob.
"You know me. I know what you found and what you're thinking. But the person you've spent all this time with who stayed because you were scared and who held you when you cried that wasn't a lie."
"Stop..." You whisper, "Please stop."
"I'm not pretending I never pretended to care about you. The Roman you fell for...he's real."
Your eyes squeeze shut, "Then why? Why him? Why any of them?"
"I don't think the answer would change anything."
"The reason why doesn't matter. It did it and I can't undo it."
Your breath hitches, "So that's it?" He slowly shakes his head, "No what matters right now," His eyes soften as they settle on your tear-streaked face, "is you."
"You're shaking you're crying so hard you can barely breathe. You look like you're about to make yourself sick. "I don't want you hurting because of me." You look at him like you've never seen him before, "How can you say that after this?"
"Because both things can be true I did something I can't take back I know that. But I also care about you and that's something I'm not going to lie about. "If you truly believed I was nothing but a monster you would've been out that front door the second you found that license."
Your eyes flicker toward the bedroom door then back to him. "You didn't you stayed because you have a good heart. You've been trying to find an explanation ever since you picked it up and you've been hoping I would tell you there'd been some mistake. That's who you are you want to believe the best in people."
CHOOSE YOU ENDING STAY OR LEAVE
You stare down at the driver's license it feels impossibly heavy. Your thumb brushes over the victim's photograph one last time. A tear slips from your chin onto the card, "I'm sorry..." With shaky hands, you crouch back down beside the lockbox.
One by one you gather everything that spilled across the floor then you place it back inside the box. You close the lid and slide the box back behind the nightstand exactly where you'd found it. When you stood up again your tears hadn't stopped but you made your decision.
"I hate this I hate that I still..." The words refuse to come out. You cover your face with both hands, "I wanted you to be a good person so badly and I wanted everyone to be wrong." You laugh through your tears, "I should leave and I should hate you." You sink onto the edge of the bed, "I don't know what's wrong with me..." Roman's expression falls a bit, "There isn't anything wrong with you."
"There is." You look up at him, your eyes swollen from crying, "I just found out what you did and all I want is for you to hold me." The admission makes you cry even harder, "I know that's horrible." Your voice dropsto a whisper, "Can you just hold me? Please just for a little while I want someone to tell me everything's going to be okay."
"Are you sure?" You answer by reaching for him first your fingers wrapping weakly around the fabric of his shirt. He wraps his arms around you and you bury your face against his chest and cry like your heart was breaking.
Your fingers tightenem around the driver's license very carefully you slip it into the pocket of your hoodie.
"So you've made your decision."
"I don't want any of this to be real."
"You were real that's the worst part you weren't pretending."
"If you had been pretending..." You wipe another tear away, "this would've been so much easier." You taks one slow step forward then look back, "You could stop me take the license and make sure I never leave this apartment." Roman meets your eyes, "But then the last thing you'd ever remember about me."
Your hand finds the doorknob, "Goodbye."
You couldn't bear to look back as you walk out the apartment door clicks shut behind you. When you reach your car, your hands were numb. You pull out your phone and your thumb hoveres over the screen. You instinctively almost call Roman but Instead you dial 911.
me if ghostface!roman was chasing me...don't save me i don't wanna be saved
@isol0philia @severenswife @bigtittysgrandfather @iwantwind2blow @sweet2sin
