ROMEO | 18+

7.

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R O M E O

ISLA IS MAKING it very difficult for Romeo to ignore her existence.

Whilst he sits next to Samuel, his friends' voices are distant as he twirls the remnants of his drink in an absentminded motion. One arm is draped over the back of the bench seat, his legs spread out as he keeps glancing over to the bar, where she is sat.

He isn't oblivious to the few glances she throws his way before acting as though he isn't even here. That makes him grin, because he knows this attraction isn't one-sided.

The moment Nora hops off the stool she has been occupying for the past thirty minutes, a guy comes to steal the spot to sit right next to Isla. He goes to Eden U, too—a football player Romeo has only ever seen at parties. Jack Cassidy, his name is.

Romeo's eyes narrow and, unconsciously, his hands curl into balls.

"Quinn," a voice calls out.

But he doesn't so much as turn his attention towards his friends. Instead, he lets his tongue roll over the interior of his cheek whilst he observes Isla smile timidly at her interlocutor.

"Romeo," Killian presses across from him, nudging his foot with his own. "Why do you look like you're about to commit a murder?"

He doesn't look away, but from his peripheral vision, he can see his friends follow his gaze.

"Oh," Samuel chuckles, then turns towards Killian to tell him, "he has this exact same look on his face when you study with Isla."

Killian snorts softly. "Just say he's jealous."

Romeo looks back at his tattooed roommate and scowls. "I'm not jealous," he hisses, his jaw flexing.

"Yes, you are," Ezra teases as he slides back into the booth with three shots of tequila in hand.

Romeo's grip tightens around his glass. "I'm not!"

"Whatever you say," Killian chuckles. Putting salt on the back of his hand, he jerks his chin behind Romeo's head. "So, why is Luca looking at you like that?"

Romeo turns his head just as Luca looks away. The latter sits in his own booth with his friends, tapping his fingers atop the table to the rhythm of the music.

"He's making sure Romeo doesn't approach his sister," Ezra explains mockingly. But when Romeo presses him with a look saying "that's exactly the reason", his eyes widen slightly before his eyebrows curve into a frown. "What?"

"Childish of him, if you want my opinion. Your family feud is stupid," Killian notes bluntly. He pauses to down his shot before biting into the lemon slice, not so much as pulling a face when the alcohol runs down his throat. "He's not like that with Nora."

Romeo glances down to his drink, listening to Samuel mumble, "it must be some overprotective-twin shit."

A lean silhouette halts next to their table, and Romeo instantly smiles at the sight of Nora's wide grin and rosy cheeks.

"Hey, guys," she beams. "Mind if I join you for a sec?"

Romeo slides to the left, allowing the blonde to come sit by his side. He keeps an arm draped over the back of the seat, twirling the end of Nora's French braid with his fingers.