ROMEO | 18+

7.

"Nora," he murmurs, inching closer. She looks at him with big, incredulous green eyes. "I need you to tell your sister to find me in the billiard room in ten."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" She gestures towards the bar. "She's right there. She literally looks at you, like, every ten seconds."

The brunet's lips curl into a wicked and triumphant smile. He leans back into his seat, pumping his brows. "Does she, now?"

Nora just shrugs. "Go talk to her."

"I'd like to," Romeo notes. "But your brother wants to chop my dick off for just even looking in her direction."

A beat passes and Nora blinks. "Oh."

"Tell me why," he pleads. "He's not as annoying with me when I talk to you."

The blonde's lips thin and she shakes her head. "It's not my position to tell you about what happened. Listen, just go up to her and tell her you want to talk to her."

"You'll prevent Luca from hurting me?" he jokes with a pout.

Nora chuckles and grabs his drink. "I've got your back. Just hurry—Luca can be very aggressive when drunk."

♣ ♣ ♣

"Hi."

Why is Romeo all of the sudden so nervous? It never happens. But as he stands next to Isla, he can feel his heart beating at an uneven pace. Her dark locks flow down her back as she leans her chin in the palm of her hand, her other hand resting atop the oak counter as she drums her fingers along the rhythm of the loud music.

"Is this seat taken?" he asks. Stupid question because the stool is unoccupied. Perhaps Romeo had been distracted and didn't witness Isla reject Jack Cassidy a mere minute ago.

Isla glances at Romeo, then down at his ring-clad fingers clutching onto the back of the seat as he pulls it towards him. When brown meets blue, her expression is unreadable, though he notices the slight rise and fall of her chest.

"I'm waiting for someone," she says bluntly, diverting her attention back to the bartender.

"I'll keep you company until that someone arrives," he states, sitting down before she can retort.

Purposely, he pulls his chair closer until his knee brushes against hers. He hides his growing smile when she doesn't move, tousling his locks.

"You're not giving me much of a choice, are you?" Even if his gaze burns her side profile, she manages to avoid his eyes as though she might drown in the depth of his ocean hues if she so much as stares for too long. "What do you want, Romeo?"

Her exasperated tone makes him chuckle. He leans forward, elbows atop the edge of the counter as he threads his fingers together. For a flickering heartbeat, her gaze follows his fingers, but just as quickly, she looks away.

"You came," he notes softly.

Isla's doe eyes meet his. She scoffs, ever so slightly shaking her head in annoyance. "I'm not here for you, loverboy."

His lips curve into a sly smirk at the harshness of her tone, of the tint of bitterness lacing her dulcet voice. "You're not?"

He finds himself being surprised when she is the one to nudge his knee with hers. "Nope. Just here with my siblings and waiting for Whitney to arrive to have a good time with them."