Chapter 33
VITALS
ROMAN
The creak of the door opening startles Roman from his attempt at sleeping.
Wiping down his face, he clears his throat, sitting upright.
The leather chair cracks in protest as he shuffles.
Goosebumps arise on his arms when the A/C unit that hangs on the wall kicks in.
Looking toward the cot, he sees that Lucy is still sleeping.
His exhale is long and low as he stands, rolling his neck and stretching his hands overhead.
“Knock, knock,” Audrey says, walking in with a teal clipboard decorated with smiley faces. “Just wanted to check her vitals,” she says in a hushed tone.
She’s wearing navy scrubs with anchors and multicolored fish. He blinks, trying to get his bearings as he stretches. After a few minutes noting the monitor, Audrey sets the clipboard down and turns to him, a hand on her hip.
“You okay?” she asks, a tilt to her head. Her hair hangs loose by her shoulders and sways with her as she inspects him.
Fucking terrible, he thinks as he runs a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. “I’m good.”
She stares for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Okay,” she says, sending a sheepish smile before returning to write more notes on the clipboard. They lapse into silence, Roman frowning at his phone because Jahlani Jones—the love of his fucking life—said she’d be here an hour ago, and she’s late.
She’s never late.
Audrey turns to face him again, cradling the clipboard against her hip. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay?”
He sighs, clicking his phone closed, before sliding it into his pocket. “I’m fine. How’s she doing?”
Audrey nods, running a finger down the notes she wrote on the clipboard.
“She’s good, Roman. Her temperature is going down, which is great,” she says, looking back up. “But I’m only asking about you because your shirt is inside out.”
Roman takes a moment to inspect his outfit then and realizes that shit, she’s right.
He shakes his head, letting out a weak laugh. “I need coffee.”
He gets up, moving to pour himself a cup, except he completely misses the Styrofoam, spilling dark liquid across his hand and the counter.
“Shit,” he mumbles, his reaction slow as he watches it trickle down the sides.
Within a few seconds, Audrey is next to him, pressing paper towels onto the counter.
They work in silence, the soft hum of the monitors filling the room.
He walks them to the trash can and returns to find the cup has already been filled for him.
“Thanks,” he murmurs, reaching for it still feeling dazed after he takes several sips. Audrey leans against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. She nudges his shoulder with hers and smiles.
“She’ll be okay, Roman. Promise.”
He nods, watching the rise and fall of Lucy’s chest as he drinks. He hears a sharp inhale from Audrey and turns to face her. She rubs the back of her neck before meeting his eyes, a slight tint to her cheeks.
“Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about Thanksgiving. I was out of line. I shouldn’t have acted that way, and I’m completely mortified by my behavior. My mom—” She wipes the counter again. “She died two years ago. From a brain aneurysm.”
Roman lowers the cup to the countertop, his eyes widening.
“Shit, Audrey. I’m so sorry. That must be … I can’t imagine,” he finishes rather lamely.
She doesn’t talk for several moments, wiping at her face.
“Yeah, so, anyway, she was all the family I had and … I guess I was just looking for someone to care about me again. The same way you care for Lucy, you know? And I’m not telling you this as an excuse, but I think my actions were misplaced when I saw you with Jahlani. ”
Roman nods, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m sorry too. I just—”
“It’s okay. She’s intense. Intelligent. Pretty. I get it.”
He sighs, pressing his fingers to his eyes. “Yeah, but I messed up. We were together when the calls were coming through. I think she blames herself for what happened. Me not being there in time for Lucy.”
Audrey nods, folding her arms over her chest. “Well, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. I’m sure everything’s fine.”
You don’t know her like I do.
“Yeah, thanks, Audrey.”
“Sure,” she says, moving to the door. “Try to get some sleep, Roman.”
Audrey pulls it open then and Jahlani appears on the other side, her eyes bouncing between the two of them before settling on Audrey. Roman’s pulse intensifies, his body tingling as he watches her stand in the doorway, his backpack on her shoulder.
“Hey, Audrey,” she says in a low voice, her eyes moving back to Roman’s, sending him a weak smile.
“Jahlani, hey,” she says, turning to look back at Roman, before meeting her gaze again. “I was just on my way out.”
Jahlani’s eyebrows crease. “Is she okay? Is she doing better?”
Audrey waves her free hand in the air. “Oh, yeah. She’s good. She’s a fighter, that one,” she says, smiling, but Jahlani’s eyebrows remain pinched, clearly not reassured. Audrey reaches out, squeezing her shoulder. “She’ll be okay, Jahlani. She’s in good hands here.”
Jahlani smiles then, nodding before moving her eyes over to Roman again. Audrey drops her hand from her arm, stepping to the side.
“I’ll get out of the way. It was nice seeing you again, Jahlani.”
Jahlani toys with the gold chain around her neck, nodding.
“Yeah. You too, Audrey,” she murmurs, giving her a polite smile that Audrey returns.
Roman watches Jahlani and Audrey shuffle around each other before Jahlani steps fully into the room and closes the door. She exhales, drops his bag on the floor, and moves to Lucy with quiet, tentative steps.
“She’s okay?” she whispers, hovering her finger across her cheek, never fully touching her. Roman nods, moving to the opposite side, watching her.
“She’ll get discharged tomorrow as long as her temperature keeps going down.”
Jahlani shakes her head, standing upright and his heart squeezes because she’s here. Maybe he’s wrong about what he saw.
“That’s good,” she says, letting out a breath. “That’s great. I’m glad.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t seem to reach her eyes. He blows out a breath, moving back to the chair lowering himself into it. He clears his throat.
She moves around the bed then, walking toward him slowly. Cautiously, like a baby deer.
He extends his hand to her and after a second of hesitation she takes it, lowering into his lap. He can’t seem to help himself when he pulls her closer to bury his nose into her neck. He inhales deeply.
“You smell heavenly.”
Like home.
He feels her throat work through a swallow, and he kisses her softly before pulling back to look at her.
“You’re quiet,” he says, shaking his leg to get her attention. “Talk to me.”
When she doesn’t speak, he drops a kiss to her forehead.
“Jahlani—”
“I’m going to California,” she says in a rush.
Roman’s heart drops into his stomach as she continues to speak, not meeting his eyes.
“It’s for an interview and I know the timing is bad with Lucy, but it’s for my dream position, and I can’t—” she stammers, letting out a shaky exhale. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay—she’s fine,” he says, drawing her closer to his chest. “I’m happy for you. I’m sure you’ll do great, baby. How long are you going for?”
“Just for the weekend,” she whispers. “It’ll be good for us to get some space, so that you can focus on Lucy, you know?”
Roman shakes his head, pulling back to look at her.
“When is it going to get through to you that space is the last thing that I want from you?”
Her eyes trail to his lips, linger for far too long which he’s completely okay with, before meeting his eyes.
“Do you need a ride?” he asks, his tone gentle.
“A ride?” she murmurs, unable to tear her gaze from his mouth. He can’t help the lurid images that flash through his head—them in his bed, him shirtless and bare, her knees anchored on both sides of him as she straddles him, his fist in her hair as she presses herself down, him moaning her name.
He exhales before meeting her gaze. Her lips curve upward, and she gives him a knowing look.
“To the airport.”
She sighs, running a shaky hand over her braids. “No. It’s too much trouble.”
“Nothing’s too much trouble when it comes to you, Jahlani.”
“Don’t say things like that,” she whispers.
“Like what?”
“Just … you know. Like that.”
His eyes shift to her lips once more. Shaking his head, she slides off his lap, removing her warmth. He watches her slide her bag onto her shoulder and kiss Lucy on the forehead.
When they reach the door, he stills as she looks up, meeting his gaze. Her face is etched with something he can’t quite place—anguish, frustration, a rawness that takes him by surprise. He runs a hand through his hair, gripping the handle of the door with white-knuckled intensity.
“Just call me. Please. Can you do that? Can you just—” His voice cracks. For a moment, everything freezes. There’s only her, standing there, looking at him like he holds the answers to something she hasn’t figured out.
His breath catches, his chest tightening in a way he didn’t think was possible because she looks desperate, vulnerable—completely at odds with the woman who usually imprisons her feelings.
“I’ll call you,” she whispers, her voice sounding small. “Promise.”
Roman’s gaze softens, and he drops one final kiss to her lips.
But he’s seen that look before. It’s the same one Kareena wore before she left.