Chapter 59 FAMILY TIES
••Luciana••
The soft sound of Roman clearing his throat pulled me out of sleep. I blinked and lifted my head slowly. My neck felt stiff. The book was still open on my lap, and I realized I must have dozed off again.
He was sitting up slightly against the pillows, watching me.
“Sleeping beauty,” he said with a grin.
“How long have you been awake?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“Long enough to watch you enjoy your sweet sleep.”
“I didn’t sleep deep,” I said quickly.
“You were drooling.”
“I was not!”
He laughed. “Relax. I’m joking.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“I have been stuck in this bed with nothing to do. Let me enjoy my free entertainment.”
“So I’m your entertainment now?”
“You, that book, and the ceiling. You rank number one currently.”
“I just discovered something, I wonder how I didn't notice all this time.” he said suddenly.
“What?” I asked, thinking it was something serious.
“You won’t like it if I say it.”
“You’ve already started, so finish it.”
He studied my face like he was preparing a court verdict. “You sleep with your mouth open.”
“H–hell no!” I shouted. “That’s a damn lie!”
He burst into laughter, holding his ribs like it hurt but still refusing to stop. “I told you you wouldn’t like it.”
“You’re such an idiot,” I muttered, grabbing a pillow to throw at him. I stopped halfway. “Wait. You’re injured.”
He smirked. “See? You care.”
“Fck you.”
“Sorry, princess.”
“Not your fault, asshole.”
“You just cursed and still checked my injury. Mixed signals.”
“Don’t push your luck.” I stood up and left the book open on the bed. “Do you want dinner yet?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll get Ami to make something.”
“Tell her I want something serious. Not that recovery food that tastes like regret.”
“You’re getting exactly what she gives you.”
“You’re cruel.”
“That's why you're still alive.” I stepped out.
When I came back, disaster had already struck. He was holding the book I was reading before I dozed off.
Grinning.
“Oh no,” I whispered.
“So our princess reads erotic novels too,” he said. “I didn’t know you were into this.”
He began to read the book out loud, "I looked into his eyes, and put my hands around his neck. Take me to bed, I said out of pleasure..."
“That is not what it looks like!” I rushed forward. “I just flip through!”
He turned a page slowly on purpose. “This is not flipping. This is studying.”
“Give it back, Roman.”
“Educational material, I see.”
“You’re so childish.”
“And you highlighted a paragraph.”
“I did not!”
“You folded the page corner.”
“That was not intentional!”
“Uh-huh.” He raised an eyebrow. “Page thirty-two looks very… flipped.”
“Give it back!” I lunged for it.
He dodged. I jumped again. He moved again.
I jumped a third time and landed straight on his chest.
Our faces were inches apart.
We froze.
His breath hit my lips, and my heart did a stupid flip.
“Ow,” he muttered.
“Oh my God, sorry!” I scrambled up. “I forgot your arm.”
“It’s okay,” he said through clenched teeth. “Worth it.”
“You’re impossible.”
“If I die, tell them it was a book accident.”
“I will tell them you died being annoying.”
Knock. Knock.
Perfect timing.
“Come in,” I said quickly.
Ami stepped in with a tray. “Dinner for you both.”
She set it down.
“Get well soon, Signor,” she said.
“Thank you, Ami.”
She looked at me, then at him, then smiled like she knew too much and left quietly.
He tried lifting the spoon. His hand shook.
“Let me,” I said, taking it from him.
“I can try.”
“You can try tomorrow.”
“I hate being fed.”
“Then heal faster.”
I fed him slowly. He chewed like a baby.
After he finished, my own food was cold. I had Ami reheat it. Then I ate.
I turned on the TV. The new episode had dropped.
“Is that the movie?” Roman asked.
“Yes.” I answered.
We watched. The episode title flashed: FAMILY TIES.
A brother and sister on screen were arguing loudly.
“So Antonio,” I muttered.
Roman laughed. “Yeah.”
I continued, “That is exactly how he argues. Loud, dramatic, and wrong. Wrong people are always the loudest.”
“That's classic sibling behavior.” he said.
“They fight all the time but still care,” I remarked on the characters of the movie.
“Relatable.”
“I could fight Antonio a million times and he’d still defend me if anyone touched me.”
Roman nodded. “Family."
He went quiet for a while. I rested my head on his shoulder, making myself comfortable.
“My sister, Mildred is bossy,” he said. “As far as I'm older than her she still tells me what to eat. What to wear. Who to trust.”
“She sounds like she raised you.” I laughed.
“While in contrast I did." Roman smirked.
“Daughters are like that, especially when they are the only daughters." I said.
"Sounds like you are talking about yourself." He teased.
"Asshole." I muttered.
“Mildred is worse though, she cries if I raise my voice. I once cancelled a trip with her and I left for a deal on my own she cried like I disappeared.”
“That means you matter to her more than you think. Antonio didn't talk to me for two days because I went to get ice cream without taking him." the memory came to me.
Roman laughed softly. “That is a serious offense.”
“He said I betrayed the constitution of siblings.” I said laughing hard.
“Well, he’s not wrong.” Roman defended him as if he knew when it happened.
“What were you like growing up?” he asked.
“Quiet outside. Chaos inside.” I quipped.
“I don’t believe that quiet part, you picked a fight with me the first day you saw me." He said.
"You don't forget things, huh?"
He adjusted slightly so I could rest better against him.
“You’re comfortable,” he said.
“Are you complaining?"
“No. I’m all yours princess."
“Good answer.”
We stayed like that. Quiet.
For a moment, nothing hurt.
Nothing scared me.
Nothing mattered except the warmth of his shoulder and the steady rise and fall of his chest.