ROMEO | 18+

3.

"Alice," he urges. "Come on. Say it."

As a long exhale flies past her lips, her shoulders slump. She tucks a strand of hair behind an ear, chewing onto the inside of her cheek. "It's just that we've been seeing each other for a few months now and I thought that you might want to take it to the next level."

Though Romeo's jaw clenches, he can't help the sensation of remorse gripping at his chest. He stands to his feet, passing yet again a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly. "But you know I don't have the time for dating."

"I know," she whispers, a crease appearing in between her brows. "I thought—"

Like any other girl, she thought she could be the one to change Romeo freaking Quinn.

Romeo picks Alice's thin dress from the floor, handing it to her. She accepts it with a defeated huff, and a miserable smile.

"You're a great person, Alice." He scratches the back of his neck—uncomfortable by how the situation has turned out to be. "But apart from fucking, we've never had a proper conversation. You don't know me, and I don't know you."

"We can get to know each other," she offers kindly, but still stands to pull her dress on.

That's how she showed up to Romeo's room: high heels and a thin dress hidden under a coat despite the freezing temperature.

He sighs. "I can't."

"You can't or you don't want to?"

His silence means more than words could ever explain how he truly feels about her. Alice nods, slowly so, then takes a step forward.

She stands in front of him, her sad blue eyes staring into his. "We can't see each other again, then."

Romeo nods, trying to show comprehension. "I understand," he says.

"It's hurting me," she admits, though he really doesn't care. "I don't think I can just hook up with you and ignore my feelings."

Feelings. She doesn't even know what his favourite colour is.

"Gotcha," he whispers.

Running a hand on his arm, she stands on her tiptoes. "But let me know when you change your mind about the whole girlfriend thing, okay?"

He can't help but smile. "I will. Don't wait on me, though."

"Alright," she whispers, swallowing thickly. She presses one single, lingering kiss on his lips before turning around, bending over to grab her heels and coat from the floor.

Alice doesn't look back when she gets out of Romeo's room.

And it is only when he hears the front door close that he falls back into bed, face sinking into a pillow as he lets a loud, frustrated grumble escape his throat.

♣ ♣ ♣

"I can't believe I failed this mid-term," Killian mumbles from Romeo's side as he bangs his forehead onto the writing surface in front of him.