FORBIDDEN (#1)

Chapter 22

"Well, you two have seemed to get acquainted pretty quickly," Lisa commented as she slid into the other side of the booth first, Roman right after.

            "Given our circumstances, we have no choice," I spoke, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Lisa scrunched her nose up at me as she settled in her spot.

            "Hm. I would've thought this would be harder on you, given you're recently single." She spoke again and I quickly glanced at Roman, narrowing my eyes. He told her? Not that it was a secret, but still. I didn't care for her to know my personal business. Roman didn't meet my eyes and instead looked at the menu, as if he didn't see the look I gave him. I gritted my teeth and turned my attention back to Colton.

            "Well, when you have a fake boyfriend that looks the way he does, one does not complain." I placed my hand over Colton's, letting my fingers entangle with his naturally, and gave her a smile before glancing up at him. There was a grin on his face, and he gave me a quick wink. Lisa looked at our hands and rolled her eyes before looking at her menu. Roman didn't say anything, still paying attention to his menu and Lisa was quiet now as well. I didn't care to speak to them anyway, so I just focused on my hand that was on Colton's. How his skin was warm despite it being cold outside and in here. His fingers were rough against mine and I enjoyed the feeling, moving them against his without a second thought. A server came back with our drinks and then asked Roman and Lisa for their drink orders.

            "What are you feeling like eating tonight?" Colton asked me, his fingers still softly moving against mine. I tried not to pay attention to it as I picked up the menu in my other hand.

            "There are so many options," I muttered, removing my hand from his to grab my water. I didn't do well with having many options. It made me not want to choose at all. Colton chuckled and his finger slid down his menu as he searched for something as well. I drank my water deeply before setting it back down on the table. I tried to hide my nerves, but it was hard. This place was magnificent, and I was here with three people I would've never imagined being here with. I could feel the stares of strangers on me, though it would be hard to see me from any angle. What were they thinking about? Were they envious of me? Did they hate me already? Could they see that I was totally out of place and out of my element here? The menu in my hand began to blur as my breathing increased and I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. I had to keep it together. I couldn't lose it in public.

            "Hey," Colton's voice interrupted my thoughts and I quickly snapped out of it, my eyes immediately going to Roman. I couldn't help myself. He was staring dead at me and the angry façade he had on his face this entire time, crumbled for just a second, worry replacing it. When we locked eyes, the façade was back, and his eyes went back to his menu. He knew I was struggling, and he actually seemed to care? Maybe I was seeing things. Maybe it was just what I wanted? Suddenly remembering that it was Colton's voice that snapped me out of my own head, I turned slightly to him, and his eyes were narrowed at Roman. As if he felt my eyes on him, he turned back to me, a worried look in his eyes.

            "You okay?" he asked softly, eyes searching my face to gauge my emotions. I nodded quickly, giving him a short smile.

            "Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting too into my head about this entire deal. Actually, do you know where the restrooms are? I think I need to freshen up."

            Colton looked skeptical about my answer, but he nodded anyway. He pointed in the opposite direction and scooted out of the booth, making room for me to leave.

            "Excuse me," I said politely to Lisa and Roman, only for the cameras and anyone close by because that was proper etiquette. They both nodded and I exited the booth completely. Walking toward the bathroom was harder than I thought it would be. The stares were lingering, and some were even harsh and hard. I made sure not to make eye contact with anyone and tried my best to walk with confidence, pretending I didn't care about the stares. How well that translated to the onlookers, I wasn't sure. I let out a sigh when I finally made it to the bathroom and went straight to the sink. I didn't actually have to use the bathroom, I just wanted an escape. Somewhere to be my actual self and calm myself down. I closed my eyes and inhaled and exhaled many times, willing myself to get it together. Just a couple more hours and I'll be out of the watchful eye of strangers. Only then will I dwell on my situation. Opening my eyes, I made sure my eye makeup was still intact and smoothed my hands down my dress. This was a really nice dress. I smiled in the mirror, practicing my fake smile and shook my head. I looked ridiculous. Before I convinced myself to stay in the bathroom the entire time, I hurried to the exit. The hallway was dim and long, which gave me time to prepare myself before the stares began again.

            "Violett."

            I whipped around at my name being called. Leaning on the wall in the shadows, stood Roman. He was striking in his all gray suit. He opted for no tie, which made him look more casual than normal and I actually liked it. His black hair was slicked back stylishly, and I tried my best not to stare at the skin he had exposed from the top button being left unbuttoned. Instead, I thought about how he's been acting. I clenched my teeth and walked back toward him, stopping only when I was directly in front of him, so close I could see the different emotions swirling in his eyes that he wasn't showing on his face.

            "What?" I snapped, tone harsher than I intended. His brows raised at my tone, but I didn't change the hard look on my face. His eyes roamed my face before his gaze darted over my outfit, making my skin heat under his intense stare.

            "You look beautiful tonight." His voice was low and rough, and I had to force myself not to accept the pleasure that went through me from his compliment. I folded my arms over my chest, casting my gaze to the side so that he wouldn't see the appreciation in my eyes.

            "Don't waste your compliments on me when you couldn't care less about me."

            "Why would you say that?" He didn't snap at me as I expected, but I could hear that my words annoyed him. I finally looked at him again and his jaw was ticking from him clenching his teeth.

            "You did nothing to stop your father from threatening me. You're ignoring me and upset with me for some reason about this entire situation when this is basically your fault. Tell me what I did wrong because I still want us to be friends despite this situation." I didn't plan to plead with him, but that was how my words came out. It made me sound weak, but honestly, I didn't care. Roman sighed heavily, glancing over my head.

            "Come on. People will start speculating if we're back here for too long." His voice was almost monotonous, and I scoffed.

            "What's wrong with you? Is it Lisa? Or your father? Are they forcing you to not talk to me? To keep me as far away from you as possible? Do you have to pretend to be upset with me so that it pushes me away and then your precious little company is saved? Is that it?" My voice began to rise, and my chest was moving up and down quickly, my emotions taking over me. Roman closed his eyes for a second before opening them again, taking a step closer toward me. He leaned down and his mouth was by my ear.

            "Keep your voice down before someone pieces everything together. If you're upset, hide it. No one cares. Straighten your back and walk back to the table as if nothing happened. Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself. Smile for your little fake boyfriend, hold hands, kiss, I don't care. Learn how to act before my father ruins your life."

            I jerked back, gasping at his words. I didn't need reminding about the power his father held. I should've walked back to the table as he said, but something in his words stopped me. I tilted my head at him. He didn't make a move to leave either. Instead, he just stood in front of me, actual emotions on his face and not just in his eyes. "Are you jealous?"

            He inhaled sharply and squinted his eyes at me before brushing past me. He didn't answer me. That was enough confirmation. I shook my head and caught up to him before we stepped into the main dining area.

            "You're absolutely ridiculous for that, you know?" I muttered under my breath as we both made our way back to the table.

            "I know," he muttered back and for some reason, it shocked me that he agreed. Why would he be jealous when nothing romantic was ever going to happen between us? Was that why he felt that way? Because he actually wanted that from me? I risked it and glanced up at him. He was straight-faced and staring ahead as he walked. I did the same and shook my head. There was no way.