Chapter Twenty-Five – Roman
I couldn’t remember the last time I used the word ‘good influence’.
But then, I had to add that to my vocabulary after Saint Maria joined the bandwagon.
I sat at the edge of my bed, trying to decide whether I made a good decision or not. He seemed genuine, and she had good reasons.
Where I was concerned, Benjamin Quinn was long dead and buried, with a fucking tombstone in the most deserted part of the cemetery. I wanted nothing to do with him. I might not have been the best to judge, but he deserved the ‘Worst Father of The Year’ award. A fucking criminal who didn't deserve my forgiveness.
But Saint Maria always saw the good in almost everyone, and Benjamin Quinn happened to fall on her “Second Chance” list. She saw good intentions and a genuine desire to make amends. She convinced me to give him a chance, to let him be a part of Polina's life.
As I lay there, I realized that she was a special glue, the one who had brought us all together.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I needed to see her, to talk to her, to be near her. I felt a restlessness in my chest and this sense of urgency I couldn’t ignore.
Getting up, I walked to the door, my hand reaching for the handle. Just as I opened it, I saw her standing there in a black night robe, pink fluffy rabbit slippers, and a small smile on her face.
What were the chances?
I didn’t hide my smile. “Come in.”
I side-stepped, ushering her inside.
“Perfect timing,” I said, my eyes never leaving hers. “I was just thinking about you.”
She did a weird move with her eyebrow, looking neither pleased nor displeased. “Well, I’m hoping that whatever it is is linked to what you wanted to tell me back in the car. What was it?”
How did I think she was going to forget about that?
I opened my mouth to speak. And nothing came out. I wanted to tell her how I felt, how she had changed something inside of me, how I needed her. But the words got stuck in my throat, like a boulder trapped between two tiny buildings.
I saw the patience in her eyes, the willingness to listen. But…nothing.
Time ticked by, and the silence between us grew thicker. Her patience began to wear thin, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
“If you don’t have anything to say, I do,” she said finally, her voice firm but gentle. “And I’m going to start by saying that I hate that you took my car away from me. I hate that you took away my life from me. It wasn’t that great, I agree. I lived in a shitty one-room infested with bugs that I sprayed out every two months—fine. But I had a life. I had broken hand dryers to fix. I had children that I loved and taught, and you took that, too.”
She swallowed. “You don’t get to do that, Roman. You don’t just get to take, like…like it’s yours, like everything and everyone fucking belongs to you. You killed three men in front of me. A big, solid, fucking three!” She brandished three fingers for emphasis, and tears welled up in her hazel eyes.
“I hate that you murdered Cian—even if I didn’t know him. I hate that you shot Mr. Rod. And for Finn…” she trailed off.
“The point is, the three of them probably had death at their doorsteps anyway, but nobody assigned you to be Hades’ messenger. And you know what hurts the most? It’s the fact that you did these terrible, horrible things, yet I still—”
Her words hung like a suspended kite in the air.
She sniffled, wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and fired on with a resolve to empty her guts. Her voice was quiet, almost barely inaudible, and she groaned like she’d rather bite off her tongue than say anything.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. You…you….” She swallowed, fidgeting with her fingers. “You make me feel a certain way. You— Roman? Hey! I’m talking to you. Where are you going?”
I’d walked off with my back turned to her, heading to my side drawer. I opened it, rummaging through the contents with a casual air. My movements were swift, almost careless, and her annoyance rang out behind me.
“Unbelievable,” she sighed behind me. “Another thing added to the list of things I hate. Why would you walk off like that, Roman? I’m trying so hard here to tell you that I am hopelessly in love with you….”
My hands froze over the handle of the drawer for the briefest second. Only two people had ever said that to me. One was dead. And the other was six years old. No one else dared.
But my Solnishka .
Breaking from the spell, I didn’t turn around. I kept searching through the drawer, my fingers brushing against the cool metal of my gun and my wallet's soft leather. And I stopped when I found what I was searching for.
I walked back toward her, expression guarded, with one hand behind my back. When our eyes met, I saw it—the truth. Her eyes spoke volumes, and I knew in that moment that she genuinely loved me.
I took a deep breath, my voice calm and steady. “No.”
She looked like she’d been gut-punched. Her breath faltered, and her lashes glistened with tears. “No…no, what? No, you don’t feel the same, no, you don’t want me, no…no, what?!”
Reaching for her hand, I kissed the top and let my lips linger before pulling back. “No, I’ve never imagined living a simpler life in the countryside. Not until you came along.”
Her inhale was sharp, and more tears rushed down her cheeks. I wiped them away with a flick of my thumb.
“But you have to understand that we can only take vacations there. This life, this mansion, the things you hate…I can’t promise that they’ll go away soon. But I can promise that I will protect you with my life. And you’ll get a car back.”
She beamed like a smitten teenager would. “You said a car. Not mine.”
“Yours needs to rest in peace. It’s served you well. With me, you’ll have to embrace a new life altogether.”
She laughed, and I stole the moment to produce the box from behind my back. Maria’s eyes widened as I opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring.
She gasped.
“Maria Simmons, I think I fell in love with you from the first day I tasted those brownies. Note this: I don’t eat brownies. But yours awakened something more than just the craving to taste them again.” Time to seal this, Roman. “I love you, Maria. You’ve invaded my life, and I’m fine with that. But I want that invasion to be permanent. So, will you marry me?”
Tears were streaming down her face as she gazed at the ring, her hands covering her mouth. “Oh, Roman….”
I bit back a smile.
“It’s a yes or yes question, Maria.”
“Yes, yes, a million times, yes!”
She jumped into my arms, and I hugged her close, our hearts beating as one. It was a moment I knew I would never forget—a moment that sealed our forever.