Chapter 73: Prove It

I should have kept my mouth shut.

Seriously.

I should have.

Because anyone with even a little common sense would know that challenging Romeu Petráglia was a terrible idea.

But no.

I had to open my mouth.

I had to say:

"What if I need proof?"

Now I was paying the price.

The price was Romeu.

Way too much Romeu.

An excessive amount of Romeu.

"Good morning, love of my life."

I opened my eyes.

And nearly had a heart attack.

"My God!"

Romeu was sitting in the armchair in my room.

Holding a cup of coffee.

As if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"What are you doing here?"

"Watching you sleep."

"That's creepy."

"Romantic."

"Creepy."

"I disagree."

I grabbed a pillow.

Threw it at him.

Romeu caught it in midair.

Unfortunately.

"When did you get in?"

"About twenty minutes ago."

"TWENTY MINUTES?"

"You snore."

"I do not snore!"

"You do."

"You're lying."

"I have recordings."

My eyes went wide.

"You recorded me?"

"No.

But I should have."

I rolled my eyes.

Romeu smiled.

That smile.

The one that usually came right before some kind of trouble.

"What do you want?"

I asked.

"To convince you."

"Of what?"

"Of me."

My heart did something incredibly annoying.

It sped up.

Two hours later, I received flowers.

I ignored them.

An hour later, I received chocolates.

I ignored them.

Thirty minutes later, a giant teddy bear arrived.

I ignored it.

Betina didn't.

Betina kidnapped the bear.

"It lives with me now."

"Betina."

"What?"

"Give it back."

"No."

"It isn't yours."

"It is now."

"You're thirty years old."

"So?"

"You stole a teddy bear."

"Allegedly."

At lunch.

Romeu showed up.

Again.

"Don't you have a job?"

I asked.

"I do."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I'm winning my girlfriend over."

"I'm already your girlfriend."

"Exactly.

Now I'm winning you over all over again."

Betina choked.

"That was ridiculously adorable."

"Shut up."

I replied.

Romeu smiled.

Victorious.

Idiot.

That afternoon.

I received a box.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

I opened it.

Read it.

My eyes widened.

"That man has completely lost his mind."

Betina snatched the paper out of my hand.

And started reading it out loud.

"Proof Number 12."

"There's a list?"

I asked.

"Apparently."

She kept reading.

"You're the only woman who can make me happy and drive me crazy at the same time."

Betina burst out laughing.

Hard.

"I like him."

"I don't."

"Liar."

"Truth."

"Liar."

"Truth."

"Liar."

"Betina."

"Liar."

That night.

I was exhausted.

Because apparently Romeu had turned my life into an emotional marketing campaign.

I received messages.

Flowers.

Notes.

Gifts.

Love declarations.

Old pictures.

Even a video.

A video.

"This is harassment."

I muttered.

My phone vibrated.

Romeu.

Of course.

I answered.

"What?"

"Did you like the video?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Maybe."

"Excellent."

I closed my eyes.

"You're impossible."

"I'm making progress."

"You're not."

"You are."

"What?"

"You're smiling."

I looked at my reflection in the window.

Damn it.

I was.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"It means everything."

"Arrogant."

"My little flower is back."

I smiled involuntarily.

Traitor.

Later that night, I heard a knock at the door.

I thought it was Betina.

Or Leona.

Or any normal person.

It wasn't.

It was Romeu.

Again.

"Do you have a master key to the whole city?"

I asked.

"Maybe."

"Romeu."

"I'm kidding."

"It doesn't sound like it."

He walked in.

Without asking.

As always.

But this time he wasn't smiling.

And that caught my attention immediately.

"What happened?"

I asked.

Romeu sat down beside me.

Very close.

Too close.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Depends on the question."

"Are you still afraid?"

My heart tightened.

Because I knew exactly what he was talking about.

And I also knew he deserved an honest answer.

So I took a deep breath.

And answered:

"Yes."

Romeu remained silent.

Not angry.

Not disappointed.

Just listening.

"But not the way you think."

I continued.

"Then explain it to me."

I looked at our hands.

Then at him.

Then at our hands again.

"I'm afraid because I've never loved anyone like this."

The confession came out before I could stop it.

And the silence that followed was almost awkward.

Because Romeu Petráglia became completely still.

"What?"

I asked.

"Nothing."

"Romeu."

"Nothing."

"Romeu."

"I'm just appreciating the moment."

I rolled my eyes.

"Idiot."

"Your idiot."

My heart sped up.

Again.

Traitor.

A complete traitor.

Then Romeu cupped my face.

Carefully.

With a gentleness that still surprised me.

"Mikaella."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to keep proving it."

"What?"

"That being with me is the best decision you'll ever make."

I smiled.

Because that was exactly the kind of arrogance only Romeu could turn into charm.

But then he added:

"And I'll keep proving it for the rest of my life."

My heart forgot how to work.

Again.