Chapter 13 – Roman #2
We stare at each other for a moment, no words passing, but a maelstrom of tension and emotions settles between us.
She kissed me in the casino. It wasn’t much of a kiss.
Just a hard peck on the lips. The kind your grandmother would give you when you were a kid.
But that’s not how it felt to me. She was in my arms with her lips pressed to mine, and I know it was just the excitement of winning, but fuck, I wanted it to be real.
I wanted it to mean something to her.
I want all of it to. The bands on our hands and this time together.
Her phone rings again, snapping us out of the moment, and she flies off the bed to dig through her purse for it. Except when she sees who’s calling her, she shakes her head.
“Just pick up,” I tell her.
“What for? I know what he wants. He texted me about it all day yesterday. He’s mad that I was photographed with you in Vegas and that it was stated and then commented on how beautiful your new girlfriend is.
” She bows and does a royal wave with her hand.
“I accept the compliment from the critics on behalf of normal women everywhere.”
I laugh. “Hate to break it to you, kid, you’re not normal and never have been.”
“Truth. But I don’t want to fight with him right now. I want to enjoy my vacation without my ex ruining it. The whole point of this is to get away from him. At least the picture from our wedding hasn’t surfaced or anything about that. That would be awful.”
“I’ll talk to him.” I hold out my hand and she places her phone in it. I swipe my finger across her screen and answer.
“Hey.”
He’s surprised I’m picking up her phone and replies with, “Uh, hey. Where’s Braelyn?”
“She’s here, but she doesn’t want to talk.”
He makes a noise. “So now you’re her go-between?”
“Not exactly.”
“Are you fucking her?”
No, but I am married to her. “Shut up, asshole,” I bark.
Braelyn makes a noise, clearly able to hear what he’s saying.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m going crazy, though. You’re supposed to be on my side. You’re supposed to be helping me with her, but that’s not how it looks in the media.”
“I never said I was on your side with anything.”
“What am I supposed to do with that? Or the fact that you’re at a resort in Mexico together.”
My eyebrows pinch. “How did you know we were already here?”
“I have her location on my phone.”
“Argh! Shit. I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me to turn it off,” she calls out.
“Fucking hell,” he yells. “I tried to get a hotel room in the area, but everything is booked solid. Please, Roman. You’re my best friend.
You were going to be the best man at my wedding.
I love her. I love her so much. I fucked up, but everyone deserves a second chance. I gave you yours. Help me get mine.”
My eyes close, and Braelyn takes the phone from me.
“Don’t you dare guilt him. That’s as fucked up as it gets. I don’t want to talk to you, and I’ve asked you to stop calling and texting me. I will end up blocking you if you don’t stop.”
Immediately, he launches into his fight, and I catch half of it. I flop onto my back and blow out a breath, my palms on my forehead. I don’t know what to do.
“Stop. Just stop! Seriously, shut up. I don’t care if you say you love me. I don’t care if you say you’re sorry. We’re over and we’re never ever getting back together.” She ends the call and the phone drops to the bed between us. We’re silent for a long time. “I’m sorry.”
I laugh, but there’s no humor to it. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because he’s making you feel like you owe him when you don’t.”
My eyes pinch tight.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Brae—”
“No.” She rolls over onto her side and stares down at me.
“It wasn’t your fault, and you have to forgive yourself already for things that happened beyond your control.
I know you’ve been carrying this guilt around with you that it was, and you’ve never listened to me before when I told you it wasn’t.
I wasn’t out there that day with you, but you told us what happened.
I spoke to Nash before you went out on the water.
Sailing was his thing. Not yours. You didn’t make the storm come in, and you didn’t make the waves capsize your sailboat.
You held on to him and did everything you could to save both of you.
What happened was a tragic accident. I never blamed you, nor did your parents.
If Adam is using that awful day and what happened to Nash against you, that makes him an absolute bastard above and beyond what he’s already done.
Life took Nash from all of us. You owe him nothing, Roman. Let’s go walk around.”
She climbs off the bed, leaving me here as she goes for her suitcase and then into the bathroom.
The door clicks shut, and I blow out an uneven breath.
I’ve worked to forgive myself. I’ve told myself there wasn’t anything I could do to save him that day.
That I tried, and he was taken from me. It’s one thing to tell yourself something and another to believe it.
Especially when your baby brother is gone and you couldn’t save him and you wish to God it were you who was taken and not him.
Adam knew this and used it against me because he cheated and doesn’t know how to live with the consequences of his own actions.
Braelyn’s right.
I owe him nothing.
And as much as I hate the idea of going behind a friend’s back, all’s fair in true love, marriage, and war.