Bury a Friend | Hemlock Grove |

Chapter 23 | Red |

"I'm not desperate!"

"You look it to me," she clicks her tongue and joins him on the bed. It's dark out now. "What're you gonna do if she ever pays attention to you? You're not going to date her." Roman huffs and doesn't answer because she's right.

"Let's go down to the lake tomorrow."

"Why?" Emma turns up her face in disgust. The lake was gross and they had a pool in the backyard.

"Just to go, I'm bored. You'll never go to the mill, so let's go to the lake."

"Yeah, I don't go to the mill because there's nothing to do there besides get tetanus." He laughs at that. "It's the first day of summer, can't we just... I don't know, sleep in?"

"No! This is our first summer of high school, our lives are beginning!" He knocks into her with his shoulder.

"I'd like my life to begin well-rested, thank you," she climbs to the other side and under the covers. "Besides, college is when life really begins."

"I'm not going to college," he admits. "I'm just gonna take over the company."

"You're taking over the company?" She asks quietly. They'd never talked about it, never really talked about the future at all. It made sense and she should have seen it coming, but she had never thought about him staying here when she leaves.

"Well, yeah. It's Godfrey Industries and I am Roman Godfrey."

"Wow, never would have put two and two together," she rolls her eyes. There's a soft knock on the door. It opens without an answer.

"I didn't say you could come in," Roman whines.

"It's my house," Olivia smiles bitterly to him. "I just wanted to say goodnight and let you know I have to go to the tower."

"What for?" He asks but knows the answer, he's not stupid like she thinks. He knows that Olivia and Norman are having an affair. It's weird and gross but so is almost everything else his mother does.

"I have work to do. Last minute stuff," there's a pause in the air. "But Shelley's upstairs asleep and Anna's retired to her room as well."

"Okay?" Roman huffs wanting desperately for her to leave.

"I just wanted to let you know," she smiles. "Goodnight, Emma."

"Goodnight!" She calls back. Once the door is shut Roman lays back down.

"Fuck her," he groans. "She's such a bitch."

...........

Emma wakes up in the morning feeling warm from the happy memory in the dream. When things were simple. She can feel the nostalgia and joy in her stomach. It's going to be a good day. She makes herself a nice breakfast and eats everything, literally everything on her plate.

There's homework to be done and notes to be studied but the couch calls out to her. She lounges around in her pajamas and watches TV all day. There's a buzz from her phone. Emma rarely gets texts but she knows what it is before she reads it.

Peter: Anything new?

Emma: Yes, but the mill again.

Peter: You're absolutely sure? There was nowhere else?

Emma: There were other places but I know it. I know you need to be at the mill. The doctor woman was there.

Peter: Fuck

Peter: I'll talk to Destiny

...........

Roman paces around his absurdly large bedroom. It's mostly empty and the wall is barren save for a few photos. He'd spent the day with Letha, helping her find baby things.