Chapter 92 92
Maisie's pov
Returning to BlackRock was like slipping on a comfy pair of pajamas. You'd barely remember it unless you reach into the deepest recesses of your closet. The city was easy and familiar and I didn’t have to think about where I was going or how but it held so many terrible memories.
However, with Roman by my side, the. The past melted beneath the sunshine and maple-scented breeze.
It'd been a month since Roman proposed and exactly the day we were supposed to make an appearance as a real couple.
That day, we skipped the touristy spots and went straight to the city's favorite hidden gems.
Our first stop was Emerald Books, a charming bookstore stuffed to the brim with new and vintage titles alike. We didn’t buy anything, but we took pictures, browsed the aisles and bought cookies from the librarian.
She remembered me even when I didn't remember her. Her name was Anna.
She screamed with joy when she saw me and told me she thought I was dead. Apparently, she was one of the people who didn't believe Xavier's lies and hoped I was safe. I gave her my thanks and so did Roman. When I told her he was my fiancee, she demanded to take a picture with him and promised to share it to everyone on her feed online. We didn't stop her.
Afterwards, I took Roman to one of the famous cafes in the city. They had the best cupcakes. As expected, most wolves came to speak to me. They were stunned, asked for my own side of the story and when I told them, they were shocked at Xavier's lies. They wished I'd returned sooner and thanked Roman for saving my life. I'd told them the truth, deliberately skipping the revenge part. A few wolves asked for pictures, and even autographs of Roman.
After that, we meandered through the cobblestone streets of BlackRock Pack.
A gasp left me when I found a familiar store Aria and I had visited a few weeks before her 4th birthday.
“Oh, I love this place,” I said when we passed a familiar white storefront.
Dozens of beautiful glass bottles gleamed in the window display. “It’s one of my favorite shops.”
“Let’s go in.” Roman smiled.
“But it’s a perfumery.” I pouted.
“I’m aware.” He placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me firmly into the shop.
His palm burned through my wool coat. When he removed his hand, the imprint of his touch lingered, and little sparks of electricity buzzed through my veins. I was so flustered I almost didn’t hear the sales associate greet us.
“Welcome. Can I help you find anything?” Her tone was polite, but I caught her smiling flirtatiously at Roman.
Blood rushed to my face and I glared at her, and she quickly averted her gaze.
“No, thank you,” I said curtly. “We’re just looking.”
Roman raised his brows when I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the back, far away from the associate.
Didn’t she know it was rude to stare and flirt with a taken man? If she had to stare, then she should’ve at least had the decency not to make it obvious.
“You looked like you wanted to kill her.” Roman said.
“Damn right.” I tried to breathe through my silent fuming.
Roman chuckled as he picked up a sandalwood oil, read the label, and put it back.
The fact that he’d noticed the associate’s behavior infuriated me all over again.
“Roman, come onThat doesn’t mean it’s right. It’s—” I stopped myself. Did I really want to spend this time complaining about someone who didn’t matter? It would only make Roman feel bad.
I forced another breath and changed the topic.
“Anyway, I used to come here all the time,” I said. That associate had definitely not been an employee back then.
“Everyone knew me by name, and they were nice enough to let me sample a ton of fragrances even though I didn’t have the money to buy most of them because Xavier refused to give me money but it was nice shopping here with Aria.” I smiled at the memory.
Roman had stopped browsing the shelves and was listening intently.
His eyes fell on a particular strawberry scented perfume and he smiled. “I think I saw the collection when I was at your apartment months ago. It was in the bedroom.”
“That’s Aria's empty perfume bottle and the only thing I remember her by.” I admitted. In the past, if I wanted to speak about Aria, I'd break down in tears. Now? It felt easier to talk about her. Because Roman was here.
I didn't notice when he stood close to me and hugged me from behind.
“I love you.” He whispered.
My cheeks warmed and I turned to face him. “I love you too.”
Then I kissed him back.
A camera fluttered beside us but I didn't mind. I was too busy kissing the love of my life.
We resumed our walk. We were both hungry, and Roman didn’t want anything fancy, so we stopped at the nearest fast casual restaurant for pizza (him) and a veggie burger (me).
I felt a buzz in my pocket and brought out my phone.
It was Emma. She sent me a text with a picture of myself in a bikini attached to it. Wait. How did she get this photo?
I got my answer when I read through her text.
Emma : Nice rack, sis. I see why Roman loves you.
I laughed. “What?”
“What is it?” Roman swallowed and wiped his mouth.
“It’s better if you don’t know.” I admitted with a grin.
He smiled. “Come on. Tell me.”
“Okay but you better not regret it later,” I smiled. “Emma said I have a nice ass.”
“She's not wrong.” Roman tried to keep a straight face as he replied but soon, he started bursting out.It was only my second time ever hearing him laugh—fully and unabashedly, with his eyes crinkling at the corners and his teeth flashing white against his face. The sight and sound were so captivating, my ability to breathe ceased to exist.
Unfortunately, his laughter also drew the attention of a nearby table of college students, who interrupted the moment with their squeals.
“Is that who I think it is? Oh my Gosh, it is. That’s Alpha Roman!”
“The model? Oh my Gosh, you’re right. Isn't that Maisie? She's alive?”
“She’s wearing a ring. Are they married? No way!”
“The duo we never expected! Alpha Roman and Maisie, the prodigal daughter!”
“I'm going over to say hi.”
The blonde teenager moved towards our table, her fingers trembling from excitement.
“Sorry for interrupting your date but…” she looked over to her friends before facing us. “Are you guys Alpha Roman and Maisie Williams and also, are you both dating?”
Roman smiled at her question while I chuckled softly, then answered.
“Yes, we are.” I smiled.
She squealed, then beckoned her friends to come over. There was a lot of storytelling, pictures and autograph signings. One of the kids even went live on Instagram. By the time they were done, I was exhausted. Who knew kids were this energetic?
When we were done with lunch, we visited the last place on the list — BlackRock Garden and you wouldn't believe who we ran into
Xavier Dominion.