If Romeo wore sneakers...

Chapter 58: You knew? / Cordelia

I did not just tell him I have to pee, that is not sexy at all. Ugh Cordelia you are such an idiot! I mentally scold myself for being so embarrassing. My hands are shaking, my breath is heavy and fast, so is my heartbeat, this is it! I'm going to have sex with Romeo. 

I walk towards the bathroom across the hall from his room but I don't want him to watch me go in there, so I go to the one way at the end of the hall, "The Pink Powder Room" as Romeo's mom calls it. I walk down the hall and glance at the door, the one that goes to the pink room with the little girl's bed. I pause, my hands reach towards the know, I draw in a breath as I go turn it, and... It doesn't budge. 

I sigh and walk towards the bathroom, the door is already cracked open, light floods from the room and into the hallway, I push the door open and, my eyes immediatly jerk away and I cover my face with my hand, there's a couple in there. I reach to close the door, and I look up again just long enough to catch a glimpse of the man, he has brown hair, his pants are wrapped around his ankles and the girl is on the bathroom sink's counter, the girl is pressed against the mirror and her dress is pulled down around her waist and bunched up from the bottom so it's just fabric around her stomach. 

I look at the guy again, I blink as I begin to identify him, it's Jack, but the girl isn't Hannah. 

"OH MY GOD" I scream. 

Jack jumps back and faces me, obviously caught off guard, he forgets his pants and underwear are wrapped around his ankles and I watch as he falls backwards, his hest slamming into the wall. He's all sweaty and red, he's totally exposed. I turn away from the two of them and Romeo runs down the hall to investigate, he's in just his underwear. I turn to the girl, I'm shocked to find it's my cousin, Bridget, her soft red hair sticks to her forehead with sweat as well and her mascara is starting to smear around her eyes.

"Come on man, here?" Romeo says to Jack, he says it so calm it pisses me off. 

"You knew he was cheating on Hannah?" I ask Romeo. "Well, I kinda did." He says. 

"Bridget, you are such a whore." I say through gritted teeth, "You know that's Hannah's boyfriend!"

"So what?" She says drunkenly "I screw everyone's boyfriend, I've screwed yours too." 

I'm so shocked by this news, that it literally hits me and I bump against the door. I look at him to deny it but he just bows his head in shame. 

"You, you cheated on me?"  I ask. 

He jerks his head up, "No!, I would never. It was before you and I dated, she's tried to hook up with me since we got together but I kept turning her down."

I look at Bridget, "you're my cousin, we were close, how could you do that to me?" I turn to Romeo, "How could you not tell me, I was there in the car with you that day, you should have told me then."

Bridget just shrugs, "He was mine first."

By now, Jack is up, so are his pants, he's awkwardly cornered against the shower.

"Well you can have him," I say angrily. "I'm leaving." 

"Wait!" Romeo says grabbing my forearm. "It didn't mean anything." Tears threaten to drip down his face.

"Hey!" Bridget says hurt.

"YOU TOLD ME THEY ALL MEANT SOMETHING TO YOU!" I scream and jerk away from his grasp. 

I turn to run but I hit a wall, I look up, it's not a wall, rather a person. My features soften as I look up to see Hannah with tears streaming down her face, how long had she been standing there? 

"Oh Hannah." I whisper reaching to touch her arm reassuringly, she shakes her head as if to say, "don't, please" I nod and at the sound of my voice Jack peeks his head out of the bathroom. As soon as Hannah gets a glimpse of his face, she runs.

"Shit." Jack mutters.

"Hannah!" I call after her as she makes a dead sprint to the stairs, I chase after her. She dips around a corners and for someone so tall she seems to easily glide through the crowd, the music is so loud and she can't hear me if I yell after her anymore. The lights are also so dark that her dark maroon skirt and black crop top blend easily into the darkness. 

I'm so mad at Romeo that the anger fuels my strength. I push through the crowd but my small muscles tire easily and I lose energy quickly. 

I cut through a doorway to the kitchen, I see a small dark hallway that leads to a black wooden door, I open it, theres a desk, and so many family pictures. 

Romeo when he was a baby, his mom reading a book, yet looking 20 years younger, and so many pictures of a little girl, her black hair and dark features are a mirror image of Romeo's. There's a family picture, they're all at the park, the entire Apara family, the girl is so young, she sits on top of Romeo's father's shoulders, one hand keeping her steady and the other holding his wife's hand. Romeo walks beside them, smiling, they all look so happy.

Suddenly I jerk and my search for Hannah continues, I find her in the bathroom, her arms curled around her knees. This scene is too familiar, my mind flashes to the nigh I first met Romeo, the party, Bridget's party, in Bridget's bathroom. Suddenly the memory no longer makes me soft, it lights a small fire inside my mind and my fists curl. What was he doing in that room? Waiting for Bridget? 

I focus on Hannah once again and her body is trembeling with tears, "Hannah." I whisper, she just looks up and stares.

"He was my first Cordelia." She says calmly. "I loved him so much I wanted to give him everything, I wanted him to never leave, even if it meant I left you." 

"Shhh." I cooh, "It's okay, let's get you home now alright?" 

She nods and I take her hand as she leans into me. Once I open the door to leave I am reminded that my shoes are in Romeo's room. I sigh.

"Here are my key, go turn the car on and wait for me." I say, "I have to get my shoes, I'll be back."

She just nods as I open the door and tip toe up the stairs, I open Romeo's door, he's standing, just standing in the middle of the room, holding my Miami Beach sweatshirt. I can tell he's crying, I slam the door open so he can gain some composure and maybe stop crying and still hold on to some of my respect. I stomp in the room and grab my sweatshirt from his hand, I pick up my shoes one by one and don't say a word to him.

"Please don't take it!" He cries out. 

"My shoes?" I ask confused. 

"No not the shoes, the sweatshirt. Please, leave it,  can't sleep without it." 

I toss it at his head and leave with my shoes in my hand. "Cordelia, I'm sorry." I hesitate for a moment, "I don't have time to listen to your bullshit Romeo." 

I watch as his face crumples. I slam the door on my way out.

I run downstairs with tears in my eyes, it's three in the morning now, the party is dying out. I run out with my shoes at my hand, the cold air pulling tears from my eyes. Time to take Hannah home.

"Do you maybe want to stay the night?" I ask Hannah now that I'm back in my car. She shakes her head, "No I just need to be alone for tonight." We're quite after that, the actions of the night replaying in my head, and hers I'm sure. She smiles as I pull up to her house. I nod as I drop her off. 

"Goodbye Cordelia, I'm sorry for everything, I'm glad we're okay again. Atleast, I think we are" she hesitates. 

"We are," I smile, "You're forgiven." She closes my car door and I watch her walk up to her steps.