Chapter 45

"She's old, cara," Romano said desperately, holding on to her arm as Eliza tried to wrest herself away from him.

"She's old and stubborn. What she said was not true, please believe me cara."

"I didn't make your family miserable?" Eliza asked brokenly. "Of course I did, Romano. You know that's true. I didn't keep you away from them? Or away from your dying father? I did that too. You don't love me? No news there. You're in love with someone else? Again: old news...and she was right. I have absolutely no pride. None whatsoever. If I did I would never have stood for this sham of a marriage. Everything she said was true. So she was just being honest...and that's my shame to deal with."

"Eliza, please..." Eliza didn't know what Romano wanted from her. She yanked her arm from Romano’s grip and found herself teetering desperately on the edge of the step, nearly falling until Romano yanked her back toward his strong body and braced himself to absorb Eliza’s weight.

"You stubborn omega, stop fighting me and just listen, damn it!" Romano hissed into her ear. Shocked by her close call Eliza could do nothing but stand trembling in his arms.

"She didn't get it all right; you have more stubborn pride than any person I have ever met. You did not keep me away from my father, I chose to stay."

"Because of me," Eliza inserted despondently.

"Because I chose to be with you," Romano emphasized but not really seeing the difference, Eliza remained quiet. "Don't you see, Eliza? I wanted to be with you!"

"I'm tired, Romano," Eliza whispered after a long pause, sending a pointed glance down at the restraining hand he had on her elbow. 

Romano’s grip tightened slightly before he reluctantly released her and stepped back to allow Eliza to proceed up the stairs.

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When Eliza woke from a restless sleep a few hours before dawn, it didn't take her long to discover that Romano was lying in bed with her. His big, hard body was curved around her, his knees spooning in behind hers.

He had one arm curled under her neck and the other slung heavily across her waist, His hand cupped protectively over her swollen abdomen. 

Eliza could feel Romano’s deep breath against the nape of her neck, indicating that he was asleep and it had been so long since Eliza had found herself in bed with Romano that she allowed herself to enjoy his relaxed warmth and closeness without the tension that was usually between them when she was awake.

Even before they'd started sleeping apart, Romano had never held her in his sleep. So this was a novel and overwhelmingly enjoyable experience that she couldn't deprive herself of. 

Eliza was just about to doze off again, when the telephone buzzed quietly from the nightstand beside the bed. Eliza jerked slightly, and the movement woke Romano, who was instantly on alert behind her.

"You okay?" Romano asked groggily, and Eliza nodded just as the phone buzzed again.

"Hmmm. Who could be calling at"—Eliza squinted at the digital clock beside the phone—"four in the morning?" Eliza knew the answer the instant the question escaped her lips and from the sudden tension in Romano’s body, Eliza knew that he realized it too.

Romano sat up abruptly, and Eliza immediately felt cold as Romano leaned over her to yank up the receiver.

"Visconti," he barked once he had the receiver up to his ear. "Si...si..."

Eliza sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes as she tried to see Romano’s expression in the dim light of the LCD display of the clock. Romano’s face closed up tighter than a fist and he bowed his head slightly. Biting his lip, as Eliza fought back the tears, she laid a comforting hand on one of his tense, naked shoulders.

"Quando?" Romano asked tersely, his voice hoarse. He said a few more things, but Eliza tuned his words out, hearing only the pain he kept at bay behind the rigidly controlled voice. 

Eliza lowered her head to Romano’s broad shoulder, wanting only to comfort and kept stroking his back as he spoke.

Romano was silent for a long time before Eliza realized that he was done speaking and that he had lowered the receiver to the bed beside him. 

Eliza turned her head to look up into her husband's face and saw that he was staring off into the distance.

It was still too dark to see much of his face but from the grim set of his jaw the news was obvious.

"When?" Eliza asked gently, reaching for the receiver and placing it gently back into its cradle. 

A slight shudder rippled through Romano’s body before he turned his head to face Eliza.

"About ten minutes ago," he whispered, and Eliza nodded, lifted a small hand to cup his tense jaw.

"You go and grab a shower, I'll pack a bag for you." Eliza clicked on the bedside lamp before awkwardly heaving herself up and off the bed. 

Romano remained where Eliza had left him and the younger sighed softly, before leaning down to kiss the top of Romano’s Head gently.

"Come on, Rome," Eliza murmured firmly. "You grab that shower and I'll take care of everything else." Something about the tone of her voice got through to him, and he nodded and got up like someone in a trance before heading to the bathroom.

Eliza stood there for a while until she heard the shower going before she waddled out to Romano’s room down the hall and packed a bag for him.

Twenty minutes later, when Eliza returned to her room, she found the shower still running. 

Concerned, she stepped into the bathroom and could barely make out Romano’s shape behind the frosted glass of the shower door but he could see enough to tell that Romano was still in there and not really moving.

Eliza sighed and bit her lip before, decision was made, she stripped down to her skin and stepped into the cubicle with her husband.