Page 23 of From Rome, With Hate

Kiernan lifts his plastic cup to his mouth, and I turn, reaching out my hand and slapping the bottom of it. Beer spills out from the top and all over his mouth. He chokes on the frothy liquid as it flows down his chest.

I stand up and take another sip of my own beer.

“What the fuck was that for?” His brows slant together and his cheeks bright red.

I’ve caught the attention of everyone in the room now. They hold their breath, waiting to see if a fight is about to break out. It won’t. Kiernan won’t do shit because he knows I’ll beat the crap out of him.

“Shut the fuck up, Kiernan.”

“You didn’t even want to come tonight,” he mutters back. “You don’t have to be such a dick.”

Ignoring him, I turn around.

Finally, Julianna’s staring directly at me. Her lips are parted and her gaze is frozen. It’s as if she’s just now noticing I’ve been in this massive fucking room with her all along.

Kiernan continues cursing me under his breath before he storms off toward the kitchen, leaving me to simply stare at Julianna.

Lark.

My heart is hammering in my chest when she breaks our connection to whisper in Sola’s ear. Then she’s heading down the small hall, where there’s only one room. The bathroom. Before she disappears around the corner, her eyes find mine again.

Inhaling a nervous breath, I follow her, hoping to fuck I’m right. I hope I don’t step into the bathroom and find someone else or an angry Julianna instead.

I walk toward the large wooden door. One of Sola’s parents is the attorney general. Considering my father’s work, it’s probably dangerous and reckless that I’m here, but I couldn’t resist when I found out Julianna was going to be here.

Glancing over my shoulder, I make sure we’re alone. The last thing I need is Sola or Kiernan seeing me enter the same room Julianna did seconds ago.

Once satisfied that everyone is either too drunk or high, I wrap a hand around the door handle and push down. The door slowly creeps open. When it’s wide enough, I slip inside and close it behind me.

Julianna is standing with her arms crossed and her back to me. When she hears the clicking of the door closing, she turns around.

Her pretty eyes rise, and her voice is soft. “Rome.”

“Hey,” I say, leaning back against the door.

“You shouldn’t be in here.” Her words are void of emotion. Goddamn, she’s stubborn.

“You’ve ignored me for weeks.”

“I’ve ignored you my whole life.”

“It’s killing me.”

“It shouldn’t.” She sweeps her tongue across her lips while tightening her arms beneath her chest. “My silence can’t kill you when you hate me.”

I take a step, moving away from the door. “I don’t hate you.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Stop telling me what I feel.” I take another step.

“Or what?” She raises her chin, firming her stare.

I close the space between us and bend down. She’s a foot shorter than me, even in her metallic, strappy heels. Liftingmy hand, I hold my breath, shivering with nerves. Fuck, I’ve never done this before. Apart from her hand, I’ve never had the privilege of touching her anywhere else.

My fingers ghost her jaw, skimming across her soft skin. It prickles at my touch, tiny goosebumps lifting and spreading down her neck to her freckled shoulders.

She inhales a shaky breath.