Chapter 20

Rome:

I caressed her head that was resting on my chest as she sobbed. "It will be alright from now on," I assured her while remembering the bloody body of that bad excuse of a man.

"He was my boyfriend once upon a time," Julia said. I held her tighter as his words echoed in my head.

"You don't have to talk about it, Julia."

"No, I want you to know."

Instead of arguing with her, I let her continue.

"I met him senior year of high school. He was the only one nice to me, so we became friends. He always made me laugh so hard that my face would hurt. One day after work, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I accepted because he was the only happy part of my life. Everything changed one evening when he mistakenly met Gina."

She paused, and I had a feeling of what was coming next. "You don't have to continue. I've been nothing but cold to you since I met you. You do not owe me any explanation."

"Can you just shut up for once?"

I couldn't help but smile. "It seems as if the tables have been turned," I said, earning a small chuckle from her.

"She stole my boyfriend. One day, I came home and found them making out in my bed. It was so disgusting and heartbreaking. He was my twenty-one-year-old boyfriend, and she was my mother. I knew she didn't like me much. Her abusing me emotionally and physically was enough proof, but stealing my one and only happiness was low."

She was no longer crying, but the sadness in her voice was evident. I rubbed her shoulder, hoping it would give her some sort of comfort.

"The worst part is that he moved in and started treating me the way she did. After every confession, every moment, every caress, he just forgot it all and became my nightmare."

It hurt me that she was hurting. I wished I could make Gina pay; all I wanted was for her to suffer like Julia did. Her actions didn't surprise me; my mother wasn't the greatest either.

"Don't worry now, Julia. You finally have people in your life who actually care about you and the people who hurt you will pay in due time."

"Mister?" she said, looking up at me with her left cheek resting on my naked chest.

"Rome," I whispered. She was so adorable with her big hazel eyes and soft-looking pink lips. Even though I missed her curly hair, I was starting to like the new style.

"Rome," she said. I can't remember if she ever called me by my name, and I must admit, it sounded good coming from her mouth. "Are you going to go back to that cold and grumpy man in the morning?"

I smile at her words. "That's who I am, Julia, and you are the cold one for not liking who I am."

Her eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I like you the way you are. I was just wondering since I like this version of you as well."

"You like me?" I teased.

She started to blush, "So what if I do?"

"Then it would be a good thing 'cause I'm starting to like you as well."

She gave me a small smile, her hand moving to my cheek to caress it.

"Thank you," Julia whispered.

"For what?" I asked, getting lost in her eyes.

"For everything. Allowing me to stay here, playing doctor, putting up with me, bashing Xavier's knee, and for listening to me just now."

I couldn't fight the feeling any longer. The timing wasn't the best because she was hurting, and I didn't want her to think that I was taking advantage of her vulnerability, but I couldn't hold back. Our lips were just centimeters away from each other, and I started lessening the distance, making it inches until there was no space left between them.

Her lips were perfect against mine, and my heart started beating wildly in my chest when she wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss. I wouldn't mind if this moment lasted forever. There was something special about her that made me see her differently from the other women I came across.

I pulled away and smiled as I watched her eyes flutter open. I brushed her hair behind her ear, and just when I was pulling my hand back, she grabbed hold of it, and her hazel eyes widened.

"What happened to your hand?"

My knuckles were a bit busted from punching that asshole so many times.

"Nothing happened, Julia. It's fine," I said, trying to pull my hand away.

She held on and ran her fingers over it. "Does it hurt? Sorry, don't answer that. Obviously, they hurt; look at them."

I chuckled at her words, making her gaze at me as if I were a foreign object before a smile graced her face.

"Were you going to have a bath?" she said, standing from the tub.

I leaned back and watched her. "That was the plan before I saw you in here. Why were you in my bathroom anyway?"

"The girls were supposed to be here, and I didn't want them to find me in mine. I didn't know you were coming back so soon since you stormed off."

"I'm sorry, Julia. Seeing you like that upset me, and you should know they are already here and in your room."

"Are you serious?" she asked in a panic. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm going to talk to them," she said, stepping out of the tub and checking her face in the mirror. "Take a shower, and then I'll be back to take care of your hands."

"I appreciate it, but I can do that by myself."

She turned around and glared at me. "You've been taking care of my bruises since I got here. It's my turn now, whether you like it or not," she said before storming out of the restroom.

Julia:

I closed Rome's bedroom door along with my eyes and leaned against it. I couldn't believe Rome had just kissed me. I hadn't been kissed in two years, and it felt absolutely amazing, especially because it was him.

I must admit; I always thought he was handsome, but I never imagined kissing him, considering that he wasn't that nice to me. Now that I knew what kissing him felt like, I wouldn't mind doing it again.

"What are you blushing about, and why were you coming from Mr. Livingston's room?"

My eyes snapped open, and leaning against the wall some distance away from my bedroom door were Ky and Em. Ky gave me a knowing smile, and Em was just staring at me.

"I bet something exciting happened," Emmie said with a smirk, much to my surprise. "We've been waiting for you like forever, and you were busy doing the dirty with your boss."

"Shut it, little girl," I said, walking over to them. Taking hold of both of them, I pulled them into my room and shut the door behind me. "We didn't do anything."

"Wait, were you crying?" Ky said, coming closer and staring at my face.

I guess it was time to tell her what had been going on.