Rebound

32. Roman

THIRTY-TWO

ROMAN

Lavinia knocks on my door a little before seven. I open it and there she is, wearing black joggers and a thin black sweater, a red ribbon tied in her hair.

“I know I’m a little early. Do you want me to come back?”

Before I can reply, she’s already taking a step back and turning away. There’s panic in her eyes as if she expects me to be angry because she’s fifteen minutes early, when nothing can be farther from the truth.

“Where are you going?” I grab her hand and pull her back to me. “You’re never too early, and I never want you to go. I’m always happy to see you, and the fact that you don’t know this by now is clearly a failure on my part.”

Lavinia’s green eyes widen slightly and her soft mouth parts. Her cheeks are flushed. I can’t help it, I lean in and kiss her cheek, breathing in her scent. She smells like flowers and something earthy, absolutely delicious.

“Kita and I were having coffee,” I say, leading her into the apartment.

“Oh, Kita is here?”

I nod, leading Lavinia to the kitchen. Kita is there, sitting at a stool in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand. Salem is on the counter and Kita is running a hand down his back, softly cooing at him.

She looks up when we’re closer. “Oh, Lavinia, Roman was just telling me all about you.”

“He was?” Lavinia looks at me in question. Kita is very curious about our relationship, and I like talking to her. It’s strange and nice having someone other than Lavinia to talk to. Apparently, thirty-two is when I’m coming to realize I need people in my life.

“Yeah, he’s told me all about your crush on him, since you were teenagers, and that you used to write his name in your diaries.”

“Did I?” Lavinia raises her eyebrows at me. “I didn’t realize you knew what I was writing in my diaries.”

I press my lips to her head, hiding my smile. I hadn’t said it exactly like that—Kita liked to think Lavinia wants me more than I want her. She wants to believe I’m not stupid enough to marry someone I haven’t dated. Kita doesn’t know that I’d marry Lavinia any time, anywhere, under any conditions.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Lavinia. We’re married now.”

“I’m so happy he married me even after knowing about my giant, borderline stalkerish crush,” Lavinia tells Kita.

“That’s what I said to him,” Kita says.

I step away from Lavinia and move around the counter to pour another cup of coffee. I add oat milk, a lavender flavor syrup, and a tablespoon of cream before bringing it to Lavinia.

“It’s decaf,” I tell her. Kita’s watching us as Lavinia takes a sip of her coffee. The way Kita’s rubbing Salem’s belly with a small evil smile on her face, she looks like a villain.

“Is this Borbone?” Lavinia asks.

“It is.”

“Did you buy this for me?” Lavinia glances at Kita and then looks down at the counter, almost like she’s embarrassed.

“Of course,” I say. “It’s your favorite, isn’t it? I keep it in stock.”

Lavinia’s lashes flutter as she blinks and looks up at me.

She still looks surprised and I’m not sure why.

Why’s it surprising that as her husband I’d have her favorite coffee in stock and know exactly how to make it?

Fine, so she hasn’t told me herself how she takes her coffee, and I might have stalked her on social media, but the point is I paid attention.

“Oh, I’m going to be late for dance class,” Kita announces. She sets her cup down and kisses Salem. “Bye, my love, I’ll see you later. I love you so much. Kiss my other babies for me, Roman.”

She wishes us a good night and disappears out the door, leaving behind a cloud of Chanel No. 5. This time, I lock the door behind her. With Lavinia here, I need to get better at locking my door. Yes, only an idiot leaves their door unlocked. I guess I’m the village idiot.

“Food’s on the way.”

I pick up Kita’s abandoned cup and take it to the sink, washing and setting it on the drying rack.

Turning, I find Lavinia walking closer to the counter and holding out a hand for Salem to sniff before she pets him.

He leans his head towards her as she runs a hand over his back.

He starts to purr when she scritches under his chin, his eyes rolling back.

“He’s in heaven,” I laugh. “He’s also spoiled which is why he’s on the counter when he knows he’s not supposed to be.”

“He’s a good boy.” Lavinia smiles and looks at me. “A lot like his father.”

I roll my eyes and drop the towel I’m using to clean the counter. “Don’t start on that again.”

Lavinia smiles cheekily, continuing to pet Salem. No one in my life has ever called me a good boy. In fact, I’ve spent my whole life trying to be the opposite.

“I’m sorry I’m early,” Lavinia says. “There wasn’t a horrible amount of traffic for once and Kai and I returned sooner than expected. You’re sure you don’t mind? I hope Kita didn’t leave early because of me.”

I step closer, putting one hand on the small of her back.

Placing a finger under her chin, I tilt her head back so she’s looking at me.

Lavinia has the most expressive eyes, and I can see the nervousness and hesitancy in them now.

I don’t want to think about what or who put that fear in her eyes because it’ll piss me off.

“You don’t have to apologize, baby,” I say. “You can come and go as you please. You can come into my apartment in the middle of the night and rearrange all the furniture and I wouldn’t care. All you have to do is show up.”

“I’m sorry I’m a little crazy,” she whispers.

I place a kiss on her forehead, breathing in the floral scent of her shampoo. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

If anything, the ones apologizing should be the people who made her feel unwanted.

I grew up in a household where a simple mistake from my mother or me resulted in continuous apologies and worries of how my father would react.

He was never physically abusive, but abuse doesn’t need to be physical in order to leave a lasting impact.

“Where’d you go with Kai?” I lean back against the counter and cross my arms. I’m trying to distract her, though I don’t think I can hide the jealousy I feel.

“It’s not up to me to tell you.” Lavinia sits down on the stool vacated by Kita.

Salem rolls over in front of her, offering her his belly and Lavinia’s eyes light up with joy.

I feel a brush against my leg, and I look down to see Buffy rubbing herself against me.

I bend down and pick her up, cradling her in my arms. Sabrina can’t stand that both her siblings are getting attention, and she isn’t, so she cries from the chair where she’s sitting.

“I love you, too,” I call out. I walk over and kneel in front of her, using two fingers to scritch her head. She closes her eyes and tilts her head back.

“Of all things, I never imagined you as a cat dad,” Lavinia says. I look over my shoulder at her.

“I didn’t, either.”

Lavinia walks over, Salem in her arms, and kneels beside me. “I like that you have them. How come you never mentioned them before?”

“We talk about a lot of things. It’ll be ages before we’re done talking.”

“We’ll be dead before we’re finished talking,” Lavinia says with a laugh.

“I always admired your knack for positivity,” I say. Lavinia bumps her shoulder against mine.

The intercom buzzes and I go answer it. “Food’s probably here, unless another Titan has decided to join us.”

“I think they’re coming around to the idea of us being married,” Lavinia says.

I really admire her positivity or her delusion. Because I shared a dressing room with those guys, and they’re definitely not any closer to accepting this marriage.

Sure, they joked about it and things were a lot easier than they used to be. We weren't going to be exchanging friendship bracelets any time soon.

I let the doorman know it’s okay to send the food up. Lavinia is in the kitchen, washing her hands and grabbing the plates.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Yeah, there’s beer in the fridge, alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Surprise me.”

I accept the food and give the delivery guy his tip before closing and locking the door. If someone knocks tonight, we’re pretending we’re not home.

“Where are we eating?” Lavinia asks.

“Media room is this way.” I lead her down the hallway to the media room. It’s one of the reasons I liked this apartment. It’s the biggest one on the floor and comes with the media room, and a large terrace that Lavinia hasn’t seen yet. I need to give her a tour of the place after.

The movie is already cued up and Lavinia excitedly settles onto the couch, crossing her legs.

“It’s been so long since I’ve watched Practical Magic,” she says excitedly, wiggling a little.

I sit down next to her, putting the food on the table in front of us. I hit play on the movie and sit back.

“Are the guys being nice to you now? I thought you all looked amicable,” Lavinia says, picking up a piece of cheesy bread.

If the team trainer finds out what I’m eating, I’ll be on a boiled chicken diet for the rest of the season.

It’s worth it for Lavinia, though, and I ordered myself a caesar salad with dressing on the side.

“They haven’t threatened to kill me, and no one’s punched me. They were almost joking with me today, but I don’t know if they’re any closer to accepting me.”

I pick up my salad and dig in. “What about you? Are you having fun being more active on your social media?”

“I am! Every second comment on anything I post wants to know who you are and why I won’t show your face. A lot of them think it’s Josh. A lot of them think I shouldn’t share you and keep you all to myself.”

Even the sound of Josh’s name is like nails on a chalkboard. Lavinia makes a puke face.

“I have gossip magazines reaching out to our agent to find out if it’s true I’m married,” Lavinia says. “Jules has told them not to comment.”

We eat our dinner, focusing on the movie. Having her here is nice. It’s almost like how it used to be when we were young, the two of us in a semi-dark room, eating junk food and watching her favorite movies. Even back then, Lavinia filled the quiet places in my life.

“Kai thinks I would enjoy a boring life.”

I set my salad down on the table and settle back against the couch.

“And Kai is the foremost expert on all things Lavinia Callahan Maddox?” I make it sound like a question, but it isn’t one. Lavinia’s lashes flutter at the sound of her new last name and god, how I love attaching my name to hers.

“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” Her smile is coy.

I scoff and when she raises an eyebrow, I admit, “Yeah.”

“Why?” She laughs. “He’s my friend.”

“It’s not that. I don’t think he’s going to do anything with you or has any interest.” I rake a hand through my hair. “They have your attention, and I want it.”

Lavinia swallows a bite and chases it down with beer. “You do know, they have my attention in a different way, right? They’re my friends and you’re my husband.”

I can’t stop the smile that steals across my face. Lavinia rolls her eyes. “Get over it.”

“I don’t think I will. For as long as I live.”

Lavinia takes a deep, bracing breath, as if she’s asking the universe for patience and then flips me off. I laugh as I bring my beer to my mouth, taking a sip. This is the most fun I’ve had in years, and it doesn’t surprise me that it’s with Lavinia.

“And to think you once said marriage is a crazy institution and two people should never be forced to spend that much time together,” Lavinia says.

“That’s because I didn’t picture myself ever getting married, and definitely not to you.”

Lavinia crosses her legs and sets her plate on her lap. I rest my arm along the back of the couch, spreading my legs and eating up the small space between us.

“Roman, we’re friends, right?”

“I think these rings make us a little more than friends, Blossom.” With my other hand, I tweak the ring on her finger, adjusting it so the sapphire faces up. When I saw it, I knew it was meant for Lavinia. The pale pink undertones reminded me of the way her pale cheeks turn red when she blushes.

“Right, but we’re also friends,” she insists.

“Sure,” I say, my voice dry.

She nods, taking a bite of her pizza, her eyes returning to the movie. I know there’s more she wants to add to that, and I’m willing to be patient. It doesn’t take long.

Swallowing, Lavinia reaches for her beer and takes a sip. Her lips puckering around the bottle are way too distracting. Setting her plate aside, she turns her body towards me.

“I’m wondering, what if one of us has…needs. Are we free to get those needs taken care of?”

She wants my permission to fuck other men? Huh, so this is what murderous rage feels like. I’m being consumed from the inside out. Not at Lavinia. I can never be angry at Lavinia, even if she takes my half-beating heart and stomps on it. I want to kill any man who touches what’s mine.

Mindlessly, I wrap two fingers around her curls and tug lightly. Ever so softly, I let my fingers trail along her skin, let them wrap around her neck. With my hand around her throat, I pull her towards me until our lips almost touch.

“How about this, sweetheart? You’re my wife, which means any time you have needs, you come to me. Those can be our new ground rules.”

Lavinia’s lips part and she braces a hand on my thigh to steady herself. She looks up at me almost innocently. “What about your needs?”

How can I want anyone else when I have her?

“ Ma petit etoile. ” I brush a thumb along her bottom lip. “If I come to you every time with my needs, you won’t get much work done. But yes, you’re the only one I’ll be coming to because you’re the only one I want.”

“Good,” Lavinia breathes, the sweetest blush spreading across her cheeks.

I nip at her bottom lip before releasing her. Though, when she sits back, she has a small smile on her face which makes me think maybe I’ve been hustled.