"You can't just expect us to accept this, right?" Aunt Karen suddenly says after minutes of silence.

I frown at this.

"What your aunt is trying to say is , Roman showing up here again is quite alot to take in." Dad says, stopping my aunt from speaking up.

"Well - ," a hand at the small of my back distracts me and I end up glancing at Roman, who gives me a look that says ' calm down.'

I take a breath before speaking up again. "I understand that you are all surprised and I was too, when he showed up at school."

"You knew and didn't tell us?" Aunt Karen says accusingly.

"We weren't on speaking terms then, I didn't -"

"Oh so we must just accept because you said so? - No Hazel, we are not just going to follow what you say when you lied to us."

" I didn't lie, I didn't flipping lie to anyone!!" I snap, glaring at her.

" Hazel!!" Dad warns.

" I cant believe you aunt Karen, you know what, Roman being back is between us. He's my best friend."

"The same bestfriend who left you and broke your heart."

"It was not by choice!" Roman and I say at the same time.

I swear I just saw some unknown emotion flash on her face before she kept her face blank.

"Okay, why dont we all calm down mhm?.......Lets sit down and try talk this out." Grandpa says.

" I dont see it being possible." My aunt scoffs.

"You know what aunt, if you find it so hard to be here, you can just leave."

" Hazel!" Dad says surprised.

"No dad, I wont let anyone hurt Roman."

" Hazel, reign it in." Grandma says in that warning tone of hers.

I huff, turning to go take a seat." Aah!" I gasp, staggering back abit.

"Hazel!!" Multiple voices call out to me.

I feel hands on my arms steady me, keeping me upright." Come on." I hear Roman say in my ear before I'm led to sit on the couch.

"Are you okay?" He asks, but all I do is rest my forehead on his shoulder, as he's now gotten down to a kneeling position.

"My head, it hurts a bit." I say, closing my eyes and waiting for this sudden headache to subside, while I block out everyone who hovers around me.

"It's okay, just relax okay?" He says, rubbing my back smoothly.

"Mmm." I answer in agreement.

"Here, she must drink this." My dad says but I can already picture what he wants to give me.

I dont want another round of pills.

" I dont want it." I shake my head against his shoulder.

"Don't worry, she'll drink it just now." Roman says with assurance, as if I'll really do it.

"No I wont." I mumble.

" I think we should give them some space." My grandmother suggests close by and after a few minutes, I hear footsteps trail out of the room.

"Are they all gone?" I ask.

"Yes, now come on, take this." I sigh, leaning back to stare down at him, where he only holds out a glass of water.

Thank God.

I take it and drink, only passing it to him when I've had enough. I move further into the couch, tucking my legs under me and sitting sideways, resting my head on my folded arms. I close my eyes for a moment, feeling rather calm.

"Don't sleep on me now Sweet." Roman says, joining me.

" I'm not, just resting my eyes." I say, making myself comfortable.

"Nope, no." He pushes hair away from my face.

A small smile tugs at my lips as I open my eyes.

" I can't even close my eyes for a second?" I arch my brow.

"Nope." He shakes his head.

I roll my eyes, picking up my head and staring at him.

It had been a long time since this happened. Him and I sitting on the couch like this. We were kids then.

I can remember when we used to fight and we would start kicking each other off the couch. More me then him when I threw a tantrum or two. Gosh, I was a little mean one.

"What?" He asks with a frown.

" I cant believe you're really here." I say.

An emotion flashes over his face before he arches his brow in a teasing manner. "Oh, so you can kick me off this couch like you used to?"

"You remember?" My brows shoot up.

"Ofcourse I do, why wouldn't I?" He asks in confusion.

I shake my head, having no words to speak.

" Hazel. No memory is lost from my mind and my heart. Dont ever think for one moment that I forgot. Those memories, they were the only thing I held onto all those years, they were the only thing that - ," he pauses, shaking his head. " You have no idea." He trails off, staring ahead and getting lost in thought.

The faraway look makes me worry abit. I dont want him to get lost in regrets and condemn himself, he needs to see the now, we have reunited now.

"Hey, if I were to wrestle you for the couch right now, do you think you would land head first or -"

"Not if you land on the floor first."

"Nope, not gonna happen. I mean I've been the reigning wrestling queen for what?" I pretend to be checking my invisible watch on my wrist. "All my life."

"You mean when I let you have your way, because of your tantrums?" He rolls his eyes playfully.

" I never threw any tantrums." I deny.

"Yeah right?" He scoffs. "I had to wear an invinsible protection shield, in preperation for just about anything when it came to your tantrum." He shakes his head, shuddering like he's traumatised by the memory.

"Nope, I think you're trying to hide behind the fact that you've grown all soft on me." I say.

"Me, soft?....Okay , let me show soft!" He launches at me and starts attacking me with tickles.

I burst out laughing, trying to get away but he holds me down, not giving me any chance to escape.

"So I've grown soft huh?" He says in between assaults.

"Okay, okay.....I-I-I'mmm sssorryy!" I cry out in laughter, feeling like I'll pass out at any moment.

Thank God he does finally stop and I try catch my breath.

"You're so mean." I say smiling at him.

Just in that moment, my eyes glance to the doorway, where I see my dad standing, with his whole top half of his body leaning against the doorframe.

Me staring at my dad catches Roman's attention that he glances over his shoulder, seeing my dad.

" I think I should get going ." He says, looking back at me.

"Okay, bye." I shrug like I dont care and he gives me a suspicious look.

"What?"

"Just like that, no saying something extra just to make me stay?"

"Nope. Not at all." I shake my head, rising to my feet and starting to walk off, only to stop in my tracks when the smell of my granny's apple pie reaches us.

"Okay, I'm staying." A smirk takes over my face.

Grandmother enters the living room again, walking past dad, who only remains watching us.

" Roman Joel O'Connor, what should I do with you?" She says, heading over to him.

"Um, hug me and tell me how much you missed me." He says.

I roll my eyes, going over to my dad and blocking out their conversation.

"Should I be worried?"

I frown. " He's back."

"Yes he is." I say, glancing at him where he's in conversation with my grandmother, sharing a laugh.

"He's back Hazel." He repeats and then I catch it.

There's a meaning behind there.

"Dad, what are you trying to say?" I ask with a sigh.

"Everything has changed."

Why do I get the feeling that, in his eyes, it's not a good thing.

"Yes, you're right. Everything has changed because now I'm slowly understanding that nothing is ever as it seems with the people I trusted." I say before walking away and heading on to join my grandmother and Roman.

******

Dinner is tense and silent. No one has dared to speak and all of us are focused on eating.

I told myself that I wont even try make conversation or ease up the tension, I'm not bothered to try at the moment.

"Stop glaring at your food, it wont disappear any time soon if you dont eat." Roman says in my ear.

" I'm not hungry." I tell him.

" Hazel, eat." He demands quietly.

"You know, I wont always bend when you tell me to bend." I say, glancing at him.

His brows shoot up.

My eyes widen when I realize what I've just said. Okay, that's awkward.

"Hey, what are you whispering about over there?" Grandma asks from the opposite side.

This surely earns us everyone's eyes at the table.

"Nothing." I quickly say.

"Mm, nothing huh?" Grandma says, not believing me.

"So Roman, how are you son?" My grandfather speaks up and I'm grateful.

Eversince dinner started, no one has cast a glance Roman's way or even made a conversation with him which hurts me. They are treating him like a stranger where as he grew up infront of them.

" I'm good sir." I frown a bit.

Why did he say sir when he used to call my grandfather pa.

My grandfather is silent after that, continuing with his lunch.

Glancing at Roman, I notice it. The silence and tension, it's bothering him too but with his head hung low, no one can see but me. I reach out my hand to him, taking his in mine.

He glances at me and I give him a small smile which he tries to return but it's not possible. His eyes lack that spark right now.

"Thank you for coming back." I whisper close to his ear and when I lean back to look at him, I tell him with my face. This is more then what it means.

This time, he gives my hand a small squeeze. "For you." He mouths.

" Hazel, hows Danny?" Aunt Karen suddenly asks, earning me everyone's attention.

"He's okay. " I say.

"When last did you speak to him?"

" I -"

" I'm pretty sure that he must be pretty worried about you. He's a good kid, definetly good for you. You made the right choice there." She says.

"Uh, thank you?" I say in confusion, getting back to my food.

"You have been doing so well honey, I hope you wont let anything distract you, mostly try bring you down after what you went through."

Her tone just tells me one thing, she's targetting Roman. Glancing around the table, I see that everyone has taken note of this too.

A soft sigh beside me tells me that Roman noticed too.

" I'm just ready to leave everything behind." I say pushing back my plate, relaxing in my seat and folding my arms, giving her my full attention.

" I'm more then ready to leave and I think I should have done it a long time ago."

" Hazel, what are you saying, why are you talking about leaving all of a sudden?" Dad says, releasing a tired sound.

" It's not something that's sudden, It's something I've been thinking about doing for a long time."

Dad's frown deepens.

"Honey, you're still way too young to just wander off into the world. You think we will just let you leave?"

" Not when my reasons are valid."

" We have to talk about this first. This is not a simple thing to spring it on us."

"Where are they?" I turn to Roman, ignoring my aunt, totally silencing her.

" Hazel, your aunt is talking to you." Dad says.

" Roman, where are they?"

He sighs and turns to me.

"In your closet." I dont waste time but jump off my chair and storm off towards my room, leaving my grandfather calling after me.

I reach there in time and true to what he's said, I find the box of letters in the closet.

I return to the dining room, with the box in hand.

"Okay Hazel, I have had it with your behaviour young lady, what is wrong with you!" Dad snaps when he sees me.

I slam the box on the table, infront of him, silencing him.

"What is this?" He says, glancing between me and the box.

" Hazel?" Roman says but I dont look at him, my eyes focused on dad.

" I was young but not enough to deserve being lied to, up to this point." I say.

My father opens the box and picks up one letter, he sighs, glancing at aunt Karen, who's already looking at us.

They knew, they both knew.

"What's that?" Grandmother asks.

" I understand. I understand everything perfectly well now." I say, before storming off out of the front door, ignoring their calls.

I have been surrounded by lies and I'm afraid that this might not be the only one.

***********************************

Okay, honestly I had no inspiration for this chapter.

I'm even too lazy to proof read.

Hope you enjoy it though. ✌✌