Chapter 74 – What You Didn't Understand

Chapter 74 – What You Didn't Understand
Romeu didn't call the next day.
No flowers.
No chocolates.
No messages.
No notes.
No giant teddy bears for Betina to kidnap.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
And I was starting to hate it.
"You're looking at your phone again."
Betina commented.
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No."
"Mikaella."
"Betina."
"You turned down a marriage proposal, and now you're suffering because the man is sad?"
I sighed.
Because when she put it that way...
It sounded bad.
Really bad.
"I didn't turn him down."
"Oh, really?"
"Not like that."
Betina stared at me.
For a long moment.
"You said no."
"Temporarily."
"That's not a thing."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it isn't."
I rolled my eyes.
Because arguing with Betina was like arguing with a wall.
An incredibly annoying wall.
The problem was that I missed him.
Ridiculously fast.
Ridiculously much.
Romeu had spent weeks filling every second of my days.
So that silence felt wrong.
Empty.
Strange.
Incomplete.
And I hated it.
Because it meant I was getting used to him.
Maybe more than I should have.
When the doorbell rang that afternoon, my heart started racing.
Romeu.
I thought immediately.
Of course I did.
I ran to the door.
Opened it.
And froze.
Because it wasn't Romeu.
It was Dom Aragão.
"Dad?"
My father raised an eyebrow.
"Were you expecting someone else?"
"No."
"You're a terrible liar."
Damn it.
It was hereditary.
Dom Aragão walked in.
Sat down on the couch.
Looked around the apartment.
Looked at Betina.
Looked at the cookies scattered across the table.
Looked at everything.
As always.
"So."
I crossed my arms.
"So?"
"Romeu is suffering."
I closed my eyes.
My God.
Even my father.
Even my father was taking part in this.
"Dad."
"What?"
"No."
"No what?"
"Don't do this."
"Do what?"
"Be reasonable."
My father started laughing.
"This may be the first time in my life that someone has complained because I was being reasonable."
"He asked for your hand yesterday."
My heart tightened immediately.
Because hearing those words out loud made everything more real.
"I know."
"And you refused."
"I know."
"And now he looks like an abandoned puppy."
I rolled my eyes.
"That was oddly specific."
"David said it."
"Of course he did."
My father was silent for a few seconds.
Then he sighed.
"I don't like him."
"I know."
"I still don't."
"I know."
"I still think he's arrogant."
"I know."
"He still annoys me."
"I know."
Dom Aragão looked at me.
Then he said something I never imagined I would hear.
"But he loves you."
My heart skipped a beat.
Because I knew that admission had cost him.
A lot.
My father never complimented anyone.
Least of all Romeu.
"Dad..."
"I'm too old to lie about things like that."
For the first time in a long time, I smiled.
A small smile.
But a genuine one.
Later that night.
I finally found Romeu.
By accident.
Or at least that's what he pretended.
Because Romeu never did anything by accident.
He was sitting alone on the rooftop terrace of the building.
Looking out over the city.
Holding a bottle of water.
Which was concerning.
Because normally it would have been whiskey.
"Are you hiding?"
I asked.
Without walking any closer.
Romeu looked over his shoulder.
"Maybe."
"Can I sit down?"
"The building isn't mine."
"Not yet."
He let out a laugh.
Small.
But real.
That made me happy.
Happier than it should have.
I sat down beside him.
Silence settled between us.
But it wasn't uncomfortable.
It never was.
Not between us.
"Are you mad?"
I asked.
Romeu took a few seconds before answering.
"No."
"Liar."
"I'm not mad."
I looked at him.
And realized it was true.
There was no anger.
No resentment.
No wounded pride.
There was only sadness.
And that was worse.
Much worse.
"I hurt you."
Romeu slowly let out a breath.
"A little."
My heart tightened.
"I'm sorry."
"Mikaella."
He turned to face me.
"I'd rather hear an honest no than a fearful yes."
The tears came immediately.
Because that man had the terrible habit of saying exactly the right thing.
At exactly the wrong time.
"You didn't understand."
I whispered.
Romeu frowned.
"What?"
"I didn't say no because I don't want to marry you."
Silence fell between us.
Heavy.
Important.
Romeu became completely still.
"What?"
I took a deep breath.
Because saying it out loud was terrifying.
But it had to be said.
"I said no because I do."
My voice broke.
"And that terrifies me."
For the first time in days.
Romeu smiled.
Slowly.
Like someone who had finally found a way out.
Like someone who had finally understood.
And that should have reassured me.
But it didn't.
Because whenever Romeu Petráglia smiled like that...
It usually meant trouble.
Big trouble.