Page 25 of Not Your Romeo
Ziggy sucked in a breath, when I tapped him on the shoulder and started toward her, “Ro.”
I ignored his hissing and made my way to the bar, settling on a stool next to her. A man in a vest on the other side nodded toward me, and I smiled, “Coke?”
“You got it.” He swatted the top of the bar and went to fetch it.
“I’m sorry about the other day. I shouldn’t have said that to your dad, you were right.”
Rumi stared at me, but didn’t say anything for a moment.
“Ziggy says that your mom is sick.”
“Did he?” She pushed her hair behind her ear and stared at the biker who brought me the Coke.
“Yeah. My mom died of cancer, too. I’m sorry you’re going through it.”
She stared at me, and for a minute, I thought the kid was going to curse me out, but then she just nodded and used her thumbnail to pick at the top of the bar where it was chipped.
“Me, too. We were planning our yearly trip before she was hospitalized.” Rumi let out a heavy breath before mumbling, “Doesn’t matter now, I doubt we’ll be going to Florida or much of anywhere this year.”
Ziggy and Henny were watching us from a doorway at the end of the bar, talking quietly amongst themselves.
“Does your dad ever take trips with you?”
She tipped her head a little, “Not like that. He doesn’t enjoy traveling the way my mother does.”
“Maybe he’d make an exception this year,” I absently mused.
She instantly shook her head, “I wouldn’t want to be so far away from her, not while she is sick like this. Even going to school is–”
She swallowed and averted her gaze. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she flipped the corner of her lips up in an attempt to smile for me.
“I’m scared I’ll come home, and they’ll say she’s gone.”
“Luckily, you don’t have much of the school year left, huh?”
“Yeah, a few more days,” she agreed.
We talked about everything and nothing and when Ziggy returned, I stood and gave her a hug. She returned it and clung to me without warning.
I smiled and returned the squeeze.
“Here.” I grabbed a napkin and looked at the guy behind the counter, “Pen?”
He patted his vest and shuffled under the bar before offering one to me.
“If you need me, you can call my cell phone anytime.” I scribbled the number and handed it over, along with another hug.
“Thank you,” Henny mouthed, as I followed Zig outside.
He led me to abig van and motioned for me to climb in.
“I don’t get to drive?”
I laughed when his gaze playfully narrowed on me and hurried to the passenger seat. A few minutes later he pulled off the highway at a big greenhouse and landscaping place called Einnar’s.
“I wasn’t sure the place was still open, but I thought maybe we could get some things for you to make the yard yours. Since horticulture is your thing, or whatever,” he announced, as he shut the engine off.
“Really?” I wasn’t expecting any changes to the house or yard, on my behalf, so I was a little slow to move.
