Lynelle tried calling Roman again but he still didn't pick up. She typed out yet another message to him.
"Talk to me. What's going on? I deserve some answers."
She knew he wouldn't answer. He hadn't answered since he ran away from the party the night before. It was dead silent on his end but he hadn't blocked her. Every call and text went through so she still had hope he would talk to her at some point.
She had gone back to the party and asked Becky what the fuck was going on. Becky had given her a creepy smile and said that Roman raped an underage girl. It was so unlike the man she had fallen in love with but they had only been dating for four months so there was a lot of things she still didn't know about him.
She wanted some answers. She needed those answers. She needed to know the truth and she needed to hear it from him. He owed her that much. Despite her heart being broken already, she knew she had to walk away from him if he was a rapist. Judging on him running away and not answering her, things didn't look good for him. Still there was something about that Becky woman that didn't set right with her. She followed her guts and they told her to get an answer before blocking Roman's number and moving on.
Roman stared at the text on his phone. Lynelle had tried reaching out since last night and he knew she deserved some answers. He just didn't know how to go about it. Becky had thrown his dark past in her face and it was hard to explain the truth to her. He would look like a liar. He did have a record. He was a registered sex offender. He couldn't run from that fact.
"Fuck you, Becky. Fuck you all the way to hell," he mumbled.
His phone started ringing again but it wasn't Lynelle's name on the display. Instead it was his ex Renee. They had kept a bit in contact despite it being over two decades ago that they dated. He never blamed her for anything that had happened back then, and she had always been on his side in the whole mess. He clicked the green button and put the phone to his ear.
"Hi, Renee," he said.
"Charlotte called me," she said.
"Any good news?" He asked.
"Don't try and cover up. I know what happened last night. Becky was damn smug about it according to Charlotte," she said.
"Remind me again why those two are still friends," he said.
"I have no idea," she sighed. "Something about keeping her enemies close. I think Charlotte fears what Becky might do to her if she ever cuts ties with her for good."
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. His world was crumbling, yet he found himself concerned for Renee's sister.
"She's a big girl. She can handle her own," she said.
"Huh?" He asked.
"I know what you're thinking. Don't worry about her," she giggled lightheartedly. "Worry about your own situation."
"I don't know what the fuck to do," he said.
"Talk to her," she said.
"How do you see that going over well? Becky told the truth. I'm a registered sex offender. Now, you and me both know what happened but how can I ever explain that to Lynelle?" He asked.
"Lynelle? Is that her name?" She asked.
"Yes," he answered.
He let out a sob that he had been holding back all day.
"I love her, Renee," he said. "She's the one for me. I know she is. And now I have to walk away. It's not fair."
"Okay, wipe your tears, big man," she said. "Give me her address."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because I'm going to fix this mess for you. I owe you that after everything that happened," she said.
"I can't put you in the middle of my mess," he said.
"I was always in it," she said. "Now swallow your pride and let me do my thing."