For Love of Evil - [Roman Godfrey/Hemlock Grove]

-26-

The red jaguar came to a stop on the shoulder of the road, in front of Peter's trailer. Roman looked over to see Lyra sound asleep in the passenger seat. The sight of her face pained him, seeing that the scratch under her eye was beginning to swell.

Roman climbed out of the car, tossing his cigarette butt across the road before trailing down the steep driveway.

He stopped when seeing the door burst open, Peter rushing to meet him outside. "Hey! I've been trying to call you, what the fuck? Is she alright?" Peter marched toward Roman with his phone in hand, the screen still glowing from the numerous calls.

Roman had turned his phone off when he and Lyra had finally got back in the car. He couldn't concentrate on her words while his phone was ringing - the unsettling cries coming from her mouth next to him as she pleaded with him.

"She's fine." Roman reached into his blazer, pulling out another cigarette, handing one to Peter. It seemed that no amount of nicotine could keep his anxiety level in check. He couldn't stand the sight of Lyra's obvious distraught.

"Did she tell you why she was there?" Peter asked, taking the lighter from Roman's hand, watching the tip of his cigarette burn.

"I think we've got bigger problems." Roman stated, his expression becoming serious, his brows raising with pursed lips.

"What did she tell you?" Peter asked; hoping he would be relieved of his unspoken duty to Lyra's secret.

Roman's face fell, his eyes narrowing at the ground below his feet. He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat visible in the light shining through the blinds of the trailer. "Lyra's pregnant." Roman finally admitted, keeping his head down. "She wants to keep it. But-" Roman sighed, lifting his face up to the sky. "I don't know why, but she wants to keep it."

"And you don't?" Peter's brows furrowed, holding the cigarette to his lips, unable to place it in his mouth. This was not the reaction Peter was expecting. He didn't think Roman would be happy about the pregnancy, but he didn't think he would want to abort it either.

Roman shook his head, sucking the filter of his cigarette so hard that two visible sparks ignited; the crackles audible. "It's gonna be a monster. It's gonna be fucked up... just like me. I can't let that happen."

"You're not a monster. It was your idea to find out who's been murdering these girls, that doesn't strike me as a monster trait."

"That's because it was my fault." Roman said, smoke rising from his nostrils. "I made Anita walk home alone that night. I was just trying to ease my own guilt... That's the trait of a monster."

"Monsters don't have guilt." Peter corrected. He cupped his hand around the tip of his cigarette, lighting the end; the orange flame glowing on his face. "Even if you want her to get rid of it, who's gonna do it? You're both underage... she's gonna need a guardians consent or some shit."

"I'll be eighteen in two weeks, I'll sign for her myself." Roman raised his arms; his smug attitude not settling well with Peter.

"That's not how it works, Roman." Peter scoffed, on the verge of an eye roll.

"I've got a plan, but Lyra can't know about it." Roman licked his lips, shifting his eyes away from Peter as he trailed his thumbnail across the pink flesh of his bottom lip.

"Your plan is to abort Lyra's unborn baby... it's got a Shakespearean vibe to it, that's for sure." Peter flicked the ashes of his cigarette on the ground, annoyed by Roman's selfishness. "Love... Tragedy." He continued to mock.

"This isn't funny." Roman spat. "I'm gonna get Pryce to do it."

Peter's brows furrowed, a sick worry creeping into his chest at the thought. "You know her dad works there, right? He's gonna find out."

"So?" Roman shrugged; looking over his shoulder to the car.

"You really think her dad's gonna let Pryce perform an abortion on her, considering he's the reason she's pregnant?" Peter quipped, shifting his weight to one foot. "How can you be so sure Pryce isn't involved? Maybe he was in on it."

Roman's face fell, his eyes narrowing at Peter as the realization began sinking in, showing in his expression. "How did you know about that?" Roman threw his cigarette to the ground, towering over Peter in one abrupt step.

Peter sighed, putting his head down. He immediately regretted his cryptic confession, knowing all about Ares' plan. "Because Lyra told me." Peter admitted.

"Why didn't you fucking tell me?" Roman's voice went up an octave, pushing Peter with his palms, forcing him to stumble back.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Peter yelled. Roman looked over his shoulder once more, making sure Lyra was still in the car. "You're just jealous - you're jealous that she came to me, instead of you. Lyra didn't go to you because she knew this was how you'd react." Peter pushed Roman back, in an attempt at getting his point across.

Roman scoffed with a small laugh. "Jealous? I've got nothing to be jealous of."

"You're absolutely right, so why are you acting like a jealous piece of shit?" Peter retorted, standing up straight, showing he wasn't afraid of Roman, despite his much larger physique.

Roman's mouth twisted in a snarl, tracking his hands through his hair. "Has she been staying here?" He asked, not prepared for Peter's answer.

"She's been staying at the motel." Peter saw that Roman wasn't fully convinced. "Room seventeen. Look - In a roundabout way, I saved your girlfriend's life, the least you can do is cut me some slack." Peter shrugged, his palms facing the sky.

The term "girlfriend" had taken Roman aback, causing his eyes to go wide and his anger to disperse. Even though Lyra was carrying his child, he had never thought to label her as his "girlfriend." The reality of Lyra's place in his life began to crash all around him - Lyra would be the mother of his child. Aborting the fetus suddenly felt wrong - Roman would be eliminating half of Lyra.

"How did you know Lyra was at the steel mill?" Roman asked, his focus shifting to the matter at hand.

"I dreamed it. I saw her kneeling in front of a... puddle. I dreamt about the vargulf in the same dream. I don't know what it means, I just knew she'd be there because of the half moon."

"There was no vargulf. There wasn't anything." Roman turned, facing the car. Peter could see Roman was itching to get back to Lyra, even though she was sound asleep.

"She's staying in room seventeen. I followed her there this afternoon... to make sure she told you." Peter patted Roman's shoulder, both staring up the hill at Roman's car. "She loves you, Roman. I know she does. It's just like I told Lyra, whatever sick plan her father had for you guys, it's done now. What you two feel for each other right now... it's all you."

Roman nodded, despite the fact that he wanted to argue. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Roman asked, already making his way up the hill.

"Yeah, but not at school." Peter took one final draw of his cigarette before flicking it to the ground.

"Yeah, fuck that." Roman laughed at the idea, his smile reaching his eyes - there wasn't a chance in hell he would be going to school the next day. He would be in a motel room with Lyra, alone. The thought made his heart race with anticipation. The only time the pair had ever truly been alone was in the girl's bathroom at school and in the front seat of his car. He'd had Lyra many times in her bed, but most of the time, her mother Mary was downstairs, forcing them to keep quiet.

Roman made his way up the driveway, hearing the trailer door close as Peter went back inside. He climbed into his Jaguar, closing the door as quietly as he could, without waking Lyra. She was still sound asleep, her head resting against the window with her hands tucked under her chin.

Roman's jaw clenched at the sight - the scratch below her eye already a scab. She was beautiful; so attractive it made Roman question why she would want to keep his child.

Lyra was perfect; in Roman's eyes, pure. In Roman's mind, he had desecrated that purity; ruined her perfection by implanting a monster within her womb - a spawn of him. His selfish nature was beginning to take over; part of him did not want to burden his child with the demons he carried, but another part wanted to keep the child for Lyra. It was the most indefinite way to keep Lyra in his life - even when she finally wished him away and saw Roman for what he truly is - a monster.