Chapter 12

Julia "You want me to do what?" I ask in surprise.

"Are you hard of hearing?"

"Oh my God this is amazing, that means I won't have to turn away those other people."

"What other people?" Rome asks to my surprise. I thought he would just ignore me like all the other times. He took his coffee to the counter and sat on a stool.

I was busy making chocolate pancakes since I actually have to have food in my body before I'm able to function. I don't know how Rome does it, but today I'll make sure he eats some of these pancakes. He didn't even have breakfast food in the refrigerator, these were the ones I bought from the store a few days ago.

"The people I interviewed yesterday. Most of them weren't qualified, but if I'm going to help train them there's hope for them."

I place a plate of pancakes in front of him along with a fork before taking mine and sitting across from him. I would have taken the seat next to him, but that look he gave me was enough for me to think twice.

"I don't eat breakfast," he says staring at the plate.

"You are going to eat it today or I'll come over there and feed it to you," I say before popping a piece of heaven in my mouth.

He stared at me as if he was trying to figure out if I was being serious or not.

I waited until his plate was empty. It was only three small pancakes, and he was acting as if it was going to jump from the plate and eat him instead.

Surely my cooking wasn't bad, which reminds me—

"How was that dinner I made for you the other night?"

He glances at me before returning his gaze to the empty plate, "I'm alive, aren't I?"

"That doesn't answer my question," I say standing from the stool to put our dishes in the sink.

"Come on, you can do those later," he says standing from his stool.

"Oh, where are we going, is it somewhere exciting?" I asked following after him.

He glances back at me with his normal 'I hate the world and everyone in it', expression. I ended up following him up the stairs, while wondering why he was always in such a bad mood. I've never seen him smile not even once. His emotions were as dark as the colors I like to wear.

He entered my room and I ended up following him to the restroom. I completely forgot that this damn infected bruise was supposed to be cleaned every day.

"You know the routine," Rome says patting the counter before taking the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet.

This time I had no trouble sitting up there. After rubbing my wrist with pain ointment and wrapping it in a bandage it felt much better, and I was really happy because I didn't have to embarrass myself like the first time.

I watch as Rome removes the things he will be needing before walking over to me. His fingers reach out and touches my face. There was something about his touch that I just could not explain, but whatever it was scared the shit out of me.

I watch him as he concentrates on what he was doing. His jaw clenches as he dabs the cotton over the bruise, I wonder what was going on in his mind.

"You should try smiling once in a while, you know. The earth is not going to explode or something."

He stops what he was doing, his dark eyes met mine. I often stare into people's eyes, and I could see happiness or their pain, but the only thing I could see in his is my tiny reflection.

"I don't have anything to smile about, maybe you should try shutting your trap once in a while so that my ears won't start bleeding."

"Sure, you do," I say ignoring what he said, he went back to what he was doing, and I continue, “You woke up this morning, you have a beautiful roof over your head, you have food to eat, a job, cars. You are really fortunate Rome, I don't have much, but I still manage to smile."

He finishes what he was doing and stare at me. I look away because I was getting too anxious from having his intense gaze on me. I felt his fingers move my chin gently so that I was looking at him again.

"We're two different people Julia, not everyone takes a knock down and gets back up smiling."

Before I could open my mouth to ask him what he meant he was already gone. I sat there on the counter just wondering what happened to him to make him this way.

Rome I left the office early today to check on how things are going. The workers already started building the hotel, it had a long way to go, but this was a start.

I was busy talking to the contractor when I noticed a woman walking towards me. She was dressed in a bright orange dress and green slippers with her black hair let in big curls and her face caked with makeup. My anger grew as I realized who she was.

Julia might talk too much and smile a lot, but I don't understand how someone like that gave birth to her.

"I'll check in again, keep up the good work," I say eyeing the woman approaching us, I wanted to leave before she reaches us.

"Thank you, sir, we will."

I nod at the man and start making my way towards my car. It was a 2021 Lexus. I was still waiting to get back the one Julia crashed into, which reminds me that I need to have my secretary call and find out when I will be getting it back.

"Hello!" I heard her calling from behind me, I increase my speed.

"Mr. Livingston," she was getting closer.

Right when I open my car door a hand reaches out and closes it. I turn around to glare at the woman.

"Hi, I'm Gina Parks, we met once," she says with a wide smile. It was just creepy. Again, I wonder if she was really the one who gave birth to Julia, or was she adopted?

The woman in front of me was the complete opposite. Julia likes to wear dark colors. I've only ever seen her wear black, dark red, dark blue and dark purple. She reminded me a little bit of those Goth girls, while this woman dressed as if she was a part of the circus.

"What do you want?"

I watch as she took a step closer and place her hand on my arm. I stare at her long manicure fingers in disgust before removing them from me. Her nails where so long and pointed that she could probably use it to pick a lock, and to think she used it to slap Julia.

"You're really handsome," she giggles like a schoolgirl.

I roll my eyes, "I have better things to do with my time than to stand around and idle with a troll, so if you have nothing of relevancy to say to me then I suggest you get out of my face."

I open my car door and manage to get in this time.

"You broke Xavier’s knee, you know, and I couldn't afford the hospital bill, so tell that little bitch that I sold her laptop with all her shit to pay for it."

I shut my door and glare at her, "You're lucky that's all I broke."

With that said I speed off not caring that the road was dusty, and the dust will most likely blow in her face.