Rose Bridges

Epilogue

Carmen
2 years later
20 years old

The sound of my bedroom door opening makes me groan and drop my head in my hands. I sniffle and wipe the tears off my cheeks. "Ma I told you, I'm fine-"

When I turn my head to look at her, I freeze, seeing it's not a her. But rather a he. A he named Romero.

His 6'4 frame stands in my doorway wearing his car shop uniform, looking slightly dirty with messy hair and slightly shiny with sweat.

"Carmen?" he starts, sounding confused as he places his backpack on true floor. "Baby what's wrong?"

My eyes burn and without saying anything, I get up from my computer and quickly scatter to him.

I groan tiredly into his chest and hug his torso tightly, not even caring he might dirty my cute new pink loungewear set.

His lips meet the top of my head and I try to relax into him. "What the fuck happened Carmen?" he asks again softly as he runs a hand over the back of my head.

"I just feel really overwhelmed," I choke out between words.

He pulls back and grabs my face between his hands as his worried eyes search mine. "You're gonna do fuckin' great in the next competition-"

I let out another cry and drop my forehead into into his chest. "It's not that," I choke out. "It's the fact that I have three exams tomorrow and I've been studying for four days straight and my brain feels like it's going to explode and I'm hungry right now and the shoes I ordered came in the wrong size," I sob out and sniffle. "And the last thing is quite superficial and dumb to cry about but I don't care. It made my day worse and I'm mournful," I mumble and continue sniffling.

He smells like car oil and rubber, but I don't care. I just need him to hug me.

He hums in understanding and I stay glued to him as he collects my hair and ties it on top of my head with one of the hair ties of mine he wears around his wrist. "What you're gonna do," he starts with a low voice. "Is go shower and do your skin care shit in the bathroom while I clean up your room and put your school shit away. And then we're gonna hang out and not think of college, okay?" He stares down at me and I lean my chin against his chest and stare up at him.

I don't respond, just nod exhaustedly.

He drops a peck my mouth. "You can't overwork yourself like that Carmen."

I scoff. "Okay Mr. 'I work practically full time and then do night time college classes'," I grumble as he guides me to the bathroom.

His attractive laugh fills my ears and I can't help but smile. "Yeah, and I'm surviving because this one girl told me how I should probably take some fucking care of myself too," he continues.

My shoulders slump. "Well that girl didn't have to take three college exams tomorrow on a Thursday afternoon."

With a small smirk, he gently tilts my head up and pushes his mouth against mine, then pulls back and meets my eye. "I love you, judge."

"Once I become a graduate you better change that nickname to lawyer," I mumble out tiredly as I go on my tippy toes and kiss him again.