Chapter Thirteen #2
“It’s fine, Bec. You don’t need to like me.
I’m just your bodyguard… another one of your employees,” he tried to placate, taking my hand in what should have been a reassuring move.
I instead grasped it like he was my lifeline.
He glanced down briefly, a look of confusion flashing across his face, before he continued to speak.
“I should have kept things professional from the start. I’ve made the adjustment and will behave accordingly moving forward. ”
“No,” I interrupted, holding him tighter.
“You’re my friend. But you have to see… I’m bad at friends…
and this whole people thing. Put me in a conference room?
I’m golden. Put me in a one-on-one conversation with a friend?
Well… there’s a reason everyone calls me the ‘Ice Queen’.
It’s a wonder Alexandra keeps me around.
I’m a horrendous friend, Rome. I don’t know the first thing about it. ”
He eyed me for a moment, but I could see that light coming back as he looked at me. “Then why did you say all those things? About me being obnoxious? Loud? Everything else? I don’t want to be a bother to you. You have enough on your plate. There’s no reason for me to add to it.”
I laughed quietly, using my free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, “In my defense, you are all of those things… but it’s not bad. In fact, I think those are all the reasons I like you.”
“Like me?” he asked, confused.
“As a friend,” I blurted out, even though I wasn’t sure that it was the truth. Rome made me feel… feel what? I wasn’t so sure. “Look, Rome, I’m sorry. I miss you. Can we go back to how things were? Please?”
He smiled softly and nodded, “Thank you for the apology… sincerely.” But then he paused and my heart sank to my gut, thinking he was about to turn me down. Then he looked me in the eyes and with the slightest smirk said, “We can go back, if you promise to be a smidgen nicer to me.”
I sighed in relief, resting back into my chair. “I promise.”
“You’re something else, you know that?”
I nodded, “Why do you think the board hates me? Trust me, I’m aware.”
“Well, I like it. It makes you interesting,” he remarked and leaned back into his dining chair.
Our hands still intertwined, now resting on the table between the two of us.
“I need to apologize, too. A lot went down on my last assignment, and I really fucked things up and hurt people close to me. I… I don’t like talking about it.
I don’t like thinking about it. Honestly, I do my best to ignore it all.
When you asked, I was already in a bad place, and I snapped.
I promise I’m okay to work. Work makes it easier.
You make it easier, Bec. I’m sorry I snapped at you when you were only trying to talk. ”
“It’s okay, I understand. We both had a lot of shit simmering under the surface and took it out on each other.” I leaned my elbow onto the table, resting my chin on my hand, “Look at us, having a mature conversation for once.”
He laughed softly and began to gently play with my fingers. I wasn’t even sure he was aware of the actions, but the motions sent fireworks up my arm. “We’re both shockingly bad at that.”
“I think we’re better than most.”
“Is this apology of yours why Alexandra ran out of here like a bat out of hell?” He asked, pointing in the direction she had run off to.
I nodded. “I was panicking about it before you came. There is a highly likely possibility that I was driving her absolutely crazy.”
Rome let go of my hand and looped his pinky through my own.
The move was unexpected, but comforting in a way I had never experienced before.
“You don’t need to panic when it comes to me, Bec.
I may have my bad days and say things I don’t mean, but I will never intentionally be cruel. I would rather die than hurt you.”
I smiled softly, “Sorry, I was kind of the worst when you first started working for me.”
He raised an incredulous brow.
This time I laughed, genuinely laughed. “Okay, fine. I’m sorry I was kind of the worst until last week.”
“You’re forgiven,” he remarked. “Now let’s get you home before it gets too late.”
We rode the elevator in silence, standing side by side. The rift that had grown between us was finally beginning to close. I looked up at Rome, who was calmly watching the floors tick up. I bumped my shoulder into his arm softly.
He looked down at me with an amused expression, “What?”
I smiled, and softly said, “I kind of missed you.”
Rome smiled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Ever think you would actually miss me?”
I laughed and shook my head, “Never in my wildest dreams, Cipriani.”
The elevator door opened into my penthouse.
I wandered in, setting my purse down and shrugging off my coat.
It was my routine to always drop them off in the entryway when I got home.
What I hadn’t noticed before was Rome hanging the coat in the front closet and moving my purse from the floor to a table.
I eyed him with confusion for a moment, “Have you always done that?”
He nodded. “Did you never notice before?”
“No…” My voice trailed off. “I guess I didn’t.”
I was starting to realize there were many things about Rome that I had dutifully ignored, purposefully not noticed. But why? Why had I pushed any positive thoughts about Rome to the back of my mind?
Something about him terrified me. Not because I was scared of him, but because I was petrified at how he made me feel.
“You have color,” he murmured as he stared at my couch.
I glanced back, seeing the red blanket I had bought a few days back. “Yeah… I was upset about our fight and decided to do some retail therapy. Something about it made me feel better.”
“It’s red.”
I nodded slowly, “I’m aware, Rome. I was the one who bought it. Why does the color matter? I thought you would be proud I finally had some.”
“You bought a red blanket when you missed me and we were fighting, because it made you feel better?” Rome asked, trying to clarify.
I collapsed onto the couch. “Are you having a stroke?”
Rome shook his head and looked back at me, but something in his eyes had changed. It was as if a switch had flipped in his mind, and he was finally putting a puzzle together. Not that I had any idea what that was about.
“I think I’m finally starting to figure you out, Bly.”
I smiled, “Right back at ya, Cipriani.”