Page 30 of All That Remains
I could almost see him pacing as he'd written the messages. Angrily smoking. Spitting off the balcony. Watching his phone, waiting for it to ring. It didn’t, so he kept dropping his head and mumbling to himself like he always did when he was upset. The balcony was his thinking place, his venting place, his smoking place. No matter where we were, he always found the nearest balcony and posted up outside, headphones on—sometimes for hours.
Rome: "She barely fucking touched me. And I didn't touch her at all. I swear to God, babe, you know me. You know who I wanted there instead."
Rome: You’re all I think about."
I lay back on the bed and shut my eyes, starting to itch all over. After a few minutes of inactivity, he sent a new one.
Rome: "Babe...talk to me. I need you."
Rome: “I need you, Rafe.”
Rome: “Please, baby.”
I couldn't keep ignoring him.
"Hey," I texted.
Rome: "Babe...why did you leave? Where'd you go?"
"To get some air."
Rome: "I need you.”
Rome: “I need you, babe…"
"It’s ok. I know. "
***
"Long night?" Nathan asked later that day, seeing how out of it I was backstage before the show.
"Yeah..."
"You look beat, mate."
"I know."
He seemed like he wanted to laugh. Rome brushed past us, fidgeting with his in-ears.
"Wuddup, Nate," he said, ignoring me.
He was in a black tee and jeans. His hair tumbled all over the place whenever he looked down.
"RJ, mêt," Nathan chuckled in his Welsh way. "Alright, butt? Last night was mental!"
“Oh for sure, bro.”
Levi and Alex joined, and things became unruly before the huddle. Alex knocked Levi's hat off his head repeatedly, then Rome joined in, knocking it off whenever he least expected it.
"Yous bois are gonna owe me sixty bucks if this one's dented, mate," Levi popped it off and studied it before setting it back in place.
"Don't worry about it, Leo. We got you," Rome said in one of his exaggerated accents, knocking the hat from his head a final time. Screams filled the arena, which let us know the intro video had begun.
"You're a bit quiet, lad," Alex remarked, noticing I hadn't spoken in the last few minutes.
"Just thinking..." I ruffled my hair, flipping it back and tucking it behind my ears as the tech set my guitar over my head.
"He's in a bit of a mood, ain't he?" Rome remarked, eyeing me; daring me to challenge him in front of the others. He strapped his guitar on as well.
