Samuel: Or you can come up anyway and hang. I’m bored
Roan: Thanks
Roan’s texts tapered off again, but Samuel kept at it. Memes, checking-in, relaying work and non-work related information, trying to coax him into going out. The dates, I noticed, corresponded with some of Roan’s lowest moods. At least I wasn’t the only one who got the cold shoulder, then.
Samuel: You’re missing a great set, music man
Roan: Tired but thanks
Samuel: Come on! You never come out. Got a girlfriend you’re hiding from us?
Samuel: Or is it a boyfriend?
Samuel: A dog?
Roan: None of the above. Night.
Roan was presented with the perfect opportunity to tell Samuel to fuck off but he dodged the question. Not only dodged it, lied.Again. I suppose I should have been grateful he didn’t blame his “dog” for the reason he wasn’t going out.
Samuel: You coming to the Halloween party?
Roan: I have plans, sorry
Samuel: I call bullshit. I want to see you, right now
It irritated the shit out of me that Roan complied instead of outright refusing or putting up any sort of fight. In less than a minute, he snapped a selfie in the mirror. It was the night of that stupid masquerade and he’d already donned his suit. He was mask-less in the picture and so fucking gorgeous it made my stomach flip.
Samuel: HFS *three sweating emojis*
Roan: *wink emoji*
Samuel: You have to come by here when you’re done
Roan: IDK when that will be
Samuel: IDC I have to see this in person
Roan: *OK emoji*
Well, I knew for afacthe didn’t go visit that asshole after the masquerade. As awful as it had started out, I’d never forget it because that was the night Roan told me he loved me. The night I told him, properly, I loved him as well.
Unless that was a lie too. It seemed Roan had turned into quite the expert during our time together. Or maybe he’d always been a liar. Maybe I was too blinded by his golden-boy image I didn’t want to believe he was capable of deceit. Not when he gavemesuch shit for lying, for trying to hide who I was. And here he was, doing the same goddamn thing.
I flicked through the rest of their conversation at warp speed, looking for more lies, more signs of his duplicity. My scrolling came to a screeching halt the night of the show.
Samuel: Dinner later?
Roan: I thought you were going to the cast party?
Samuel: Not if we’re going to dinner.
Roan: I can’t. Sorry
Samuel: Seriously? We need to celebrate!!!
After ten minutes of silence, Samuel sent another text.
Samuel: Are you ever going to go out with me?