Chapter 23

Rome I made Julia sit on the bed and stood pacing the room. I hate remembering what happened, but she deserves to know why I am like this. Why I walked out on her for all those days and why I think I'll hurt her.

"Everything was almost perfect in the beginning. They were loving and supportive parents. I don't know what happened that made her unfaithful to him."

I stop pacing and look at Julia who sat with her hands in her lap watching me.

"My Nanny took me out for ice cream one night and when we return, I made my way to their room to tell them that I was home. I found them arguing; father was yelling at her for something she did, and she was crying while begging him to forgive her. After that they started sleeping in separate rooms. It took weeks for my father to forgive her."

It was hard for me to refer to that man as my father, but I didn't even want to call his name in my mouth.

"Everything started going good again," I remember how we started to do everything as a family again. He would pick me up from school every day, despite being a busy man, and my mother would take me to the park and help me with homework. "Then about two months later I saw her leaving with all her bags."

"Why, what happened?" Julia asked.

I glance at her; her hazel eyes watch me keenly. She'll probably hate me for what I would tell her next.

"The man she cheated with was Josh's father, she found out she was pregnant with him. That's the reason why she left without even saying goodbye. I stood there crying while she entered the car and didn't even look back."

I start pacing once more.

"I hated Josh for most of my life even though I didn't know him then. In my mind he was the reason why my mother left me without even saying goodbye, he was the reason why my father started drinking and used me, his nine-year-old as a punching bag. He told me that it was my fault why my mother left and started a new family. She was Caucasian and he was African American, he says that's the reason she no longer wanted anything to do with me, which was fucking cruel of him."

I felt soft warm fingers wipe underneath my left eye, only then I realized that Julia was standing in front of me. She wraps her arms around my neck loosely, while her hazel eyes look up at me.

"One night I received the news that he had met in an accident. Although I could not prove it, I believe that he had taken his own life. He left everything in order, he gave everything to me, and he even made my Nanny my guardian. She didn't even attend his funeral. When I was nineteen, I met Josh, our mother had passed away and he was going through her things and found out he had a bother."

"She didn't even tell him?" Julia asks in disbelief.

I shake my head no, "According to Josh, his father didn't even know she had been married at the time Josh was conceived. We didn't mean shit to her. I hated Josh and I told him to never show his face to me again, I told him he was not my brother. The stupid ten-year-old didn't give up though. Every day, no matter how much I hurt his feelings he would still show up. This continued for two years, he had just started high school and I finally took over the company. He visited me to tell me how his first day went and congratulate me, I was getting ready to tell him to fuck off when I notice something."

I look down at Julia who still had her arms wrap around my neck, she seems so intrigued that I couldn't stop the smile from appearing on my face.

"What were you saying?" she asks, eager to know what I noticed.

"He would stay late hours with me, and no one would call to check up on him, his father was only there for him financially, other than that he didn't care. I was all he had, and he was all I had."

Julia smiles, "I'm glad you realized that. Poor little Josh just wanted his big brother to love him."

I return her smile and take a few tendrils of her hair.

"You're scared of becoming like your parents?" Julia mumbles.

I nod, "At first I was afraid that if I let you in, you would become like my mother, but then I realized that you are nothing like that woman. You are the complete opposite."

She moves her hands to caress my cheeks, "And you're nothing like your father Rome, despite you were cold to me when we first met you still took care of me. You could have made me struggle to pay you back, but instead you hired me and told me to use the money to buy myself a new car."

She didn't understand that my entire family was fucked up, "All men in my entire family were fucked up people Julia, sure the closet ones are dead, but their relationships were fucked up as well. I think the Livingston name is cursed."

Julia I chuckle at Rome's words.

"You don't actually believe that do you?" He shrugs and continue to play with my hair.

"What other reason could there be?"

"Maybe they just had bad taste in women," I told him, "I don't believe that you are anything like them, I mean you like me, right? Which makes me proof."

"You're getting a bit too cocky now Ms. Roderick," Rome says with a smirk.

"It's the truth though, isn't it?" I say playfully. I had already forgiven him; I could understand him more now that he had explained all of that to me. His mother should have never walked out on him, and his father had no right to make such comments when she was married to him for years.

Rome’s life wasn't that different from mine, and I guess that attracted me to him more.

"It is," Rome answers.

"Good then," I tug him closer, and he wraps his arms around my waist, and I press my lips against his. It felt amazing, being in his arms made me feel at peace, there was just something so calm and comforting about his presence.

I pull him closer deepen the kiss; I was unable to get enough of him. When we were both out of breath, he rests his forehead against mine.

"Does this mean you're willing to give us a chance?"

His dark eyes search mine; he seems nervous asking this.

My heart races at his words, I couldn't believe this was happening. This handsome man who was mean to me since the beginning yet still took care of me, the man who Emmie told me beat my ex so bad that it was difficult to recognize him was asking me if I was willing to be with him despite of his fears.

I couldn't even say no if I wanted to. The first time we kissed it did something to me, I don't know what it was, but it was enchanting, so much that I don't think I'll ever get tired of his presence.

I shrug, "Sure, it's whatever."

He raises a brow, "It's like that, well I was planning to take you out on that date since we didn't actually get to spend twenty-four hours together, but since that's your answer I change my mind."

I grin, "Are you serious?" I was excited to go out with him.

"If you change your answer then maybe I'll reconsider it." Rome stares down at me while his thumbs rub circles on my waist.

"I'll love to give you a chance."

He cups my cheeks and peck my lips, "Good, I'm looking forward to it."