Dr. Robert Romano went about his normal day... he belittled people along the
way, but he still couldn't get Elizabeth's tirade out of his head. He had
always been one to believe that what people said in anger was extremely
reliable. It had been his experience that people weren't afraid to say the
truth when they were angry...
So now he knew how Elizabeth Corday felt about him.
He wasn't naïve. He knew what everyone said about him. Hell, he even knew that most of it was true. He was a little man that seemed hell-bent to bring everyone else down. And, he admitted, he was. He almost felt a need to bring others down, to make them feel low. But, he knew, there was a reason. There was a reason why Rocket Romano was the way he was.
But nobody cared enough to ask.
And he never cared enough to tell.
But there was one person, he thought, that always knew deep down that he was an all right guy. Maybe even a good one. But that hope went out the window today when one of his only friends lashed out at him. He was surprised, and he was hurt because... because.... Well, "friend"... who was he kidding? He had none of those. But, contrary to popular belief, Robert Romano had a heart. And the secret he kept so deep inside him was that he had already given it away. To her. To the one person he thought knew him to be more than an arrogant asshole. But, he was wrong. And he wasn't wrong a lot. A jerk? Certainly... but never a wrong jerk.
He rounded the corner to the elevator and contemplated the situation some more: He was in love with a woman that thought him to be nothing more than an arrogant asshole. Hmmm... the story of his life.
He hit the 'down' button and waited for the elevator to come to his floor.
Finally, the door chimed, and the two doors split apart. He walked into complete silence.
"Hello Lizzie." He said as he moved to press the button. It was already lit up.
"Hi Robert." She said with downcast eyes. She felt terrible for having yelled at Robert in that manner. But she was so pissed off. So incredibly angry, and shocked at his audacity, that she couldn't control the words that flowed from her mouth.
The rest of the elevator ride was filled with uncomfortable silence, and downcast eyes.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang and the two prestigious surgeons exited the elevator.
They both walked briskly down the hall and Robert opened the door for the lounge, Elizabeth followed.
They stepped inside and each went to their respective lockers.
"You off?" He questioned.
"Yes. You?" She asked.
"Yep." He replied curtly.
"Look... Robert..." She began.
"Are you going to apologize, Lizzie?"
"Well..."
"Because you should."
The audacity of this man. "No, I'm not going to apologize for what I said. I will, however, apologize for the manner in which I said it."
He knew she meant what she said. But there was still a part of him that wanted her to say it was a mistake, that she really didn't think that poorly of him. But he knew that would never happen.
"Fine Lizzie."
"Fine." She concurred.
He was hurting inside. Oh how he was hurting. To everyone he was just a heartless bastard. But he wasn't. He really wasn't. He had a heart inside, and it was hurting. And he hated feeling like this.
"Goodnight Robert."
"`Night Lizzie." Robert stated sadly, and watched her leave.
He reminisced for a minute, and his heart grew sadder, and the pain got heavier and deeper. He wasn't the man everyone thought him to be. But most of all, he wasn't the man she thought him to be.
It's now or never, he thought. 'She already thinks you're an arrogant asshole, so what does it really matter?' He asked himself.
Romano gathered his courage and ran out of the lounge into the crisp Chicago air. Yes, it was now or never.
So now he knew how Elizabeth Corday felt about him.
He wasn't naïve. He knew what everyone said about him. Hell, he even knew that most of it was true. He was a little man that seemed hell-bent to bring everyone else down. And, he admitted, he was. He almost felt a need to bring others down, to make them feel low. But, he knew, there was a reason. There was a reason why Rocket Romano was the way he was.
But nobody cared enough to ask.
And he never cared enough to tell.
But there was one person, he thought, that always knew deep down that he was an all right guy. Maybe even a good one. But that hope went out the window today when one of his only friends lashed out at him. He was surprised, and he was hurt because... because.... Well, "friend"... who was he kidding? He had none of those. But, contrary to popular belief, Robert Romano had a heart. And the secret he kept so deep inside him was that he had already given it away. To her. To the one person he thought knew him to be more than an arrogant asshole. But, he was wrong. And he wasn't wrong a lot. A jerk? Certainly... but never a wrong jerk.
He rounded the corner to the elevator and contemplated the situation some more: He was in love with a woman that thought him to be nothing more than an arrogant asshole. Hmmm... the story of his life.
He hit the 'down' button and waited for the elevator to come to his floor.
Finally, the door chimed, and the two doors split apart. He walked into complete silence.
"Hello Lizzie." He said as he moved to press the button. It was already lit up.
"Hi Robert." She said with downcast eyes. She felt terrible for having yelled at Robert in that manner. But she was so pissed off. So incredibly angry, and shocked at his audacity, that she couldn't control the words that flowed from her mouth.
The rest of the elevator ride was filled with uncomfortable silence, and downcast eyes.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang and the two prestigious surgeons exited the elevator.
They both walked briskly down the hall and Robert opened the door for the lounge, Elizabeth followed.
They stepped inside and each went to their respective lockers.
"You off?" He questioned.
"Yes. You?" She asked.
"Yep." He replied curtly.
"Look... Robert..." She began.
"Are you going to apologize, Lizzie?"
"Well..."
"Because you should."
The audacity of this man. "No, I'm not going to apologize for what I said. I will, however, apologize for the manner in which I said it."
He knew she meant what she said. But there was still a part of him that wanted her to say it was a mistake, that she really didn't think that poorly of him. But he knew that would never happen.
"Fine Lizzie."
"Fine." She concurred.
He was hurting inside. Oh how he was hurting. To everyone he was just a heartless bastard. But he wasn't. He really wasn't. He had a heart inside, and it was hurting. And he hated feeling like this.
"Goodnight Robert."
"`Night Lizzie." Robert stated sadly, and watched her leave.
He reminisced for a minute, and his heart grew sadder, and the pain got heavier and deeper. He wasn't the man everyone thought him to be. But most of all, he wasn't the man she thought him to be.
It's now or never, he thought. 'She already thinks you're an arrogant asshole, so what does it really matter?' He asked himself.
Romano gathered his courage and ran out of the lounge into the crisp Chicago air. Yes, it was now or never.