Page 27 of Made For Romeo

ROMEO

I pull away from her with my heart in my throat. Pulling over at the stop sign and placing my head back, I take my phone out right away and text her.

Just so we are clear. We are in a relationship. And you’re mine.

Pressing send, I close my eyes and try to get my breathing back to normal. Laying my heart on the line, not knowing what would happen, was single-handedly the hardest fucking thing I’ve had to do in my life. But I had to do it, I had to fight for her and show her I was willing to fight.

Then walking away from her, I rub my hands over my face. It was a test—that is for sure. But I had to show her I wanted more than just to have sex with her. The next time we are together, it is going to be different. Her words stung when she told me she had better after me. I tried not to let it get to me, tried to play it off, but my throat got tight, my stomach lurched, and I thought I was going to vomit there in her house.

Finally, I pull away from the curb and head back to the hotel. When I get there, I toss the valet guy my keys. “Have a great night,” I tell him as he nods at me.

The hotel is eerily quiet when I walk in and go toward the elevator. The doors open as soon as I press the button. I get in and press my floor when the phone pings in my hand.

I look down and see she answered my text.

That sounds like a Facebook status change.

I laugh at the text, and I’m about to text her back when the doors open. I slip off my jacket as soon as I walk into the suite. Instead of texting her, I FaceTime her, unsure if she will answer or not.

I kick off my shoes and pull the shirt out of my pants while I see the little circle thing spin round and round as it says connecting. I sit on the couch in the dark room, waiting for her to come on screen. The minute I see her face, a smile fills my face, and I can’t even fucking help it. I feel like a kid in a candy store after his parents said, buy whatever you want. “Hey, beautiful,” I say, and I see that she’s in bed. “What are you doing?”

She turns over, and I see a little spaghetti strap on her shoulder, her head lying down on the pillow as she looks at me. “I’m on Tinder looking for a booty call since you left me all high and dry.”

I sit up. “You are not!” My hand trembles with rage. I search her face to see if she is lying or not, and only when she bursts out laughing do I calm down just a touch.

“I am not,” she admits to me, “even though it would serve you right.”

“For the record,” I share, leaning back down on the couch, “leaving you was very hard.” She rolls her eyes and I laugh. “I wanted you to see I don’t just want you for that.” Her eyes stare at me and I’m waiting for her to say something, but she doesn’t. “I want everything between.”

“I kind of got that part,” she replies. Her eyes are free of the makeup she had on before. “The whole, ‘we are in a relationship’ part.”

I nod at her. “Just making sure everyone is on the same page,” I say to her smirking face.

“Duly noted. What hotel are you at?” she asks, not saying anything about what I just said.

“The Ritz,” I answer, looking around and turning on the side lamp on the table. “It’s a basic suite.” I get up and give her a tour. “This is the dining room and living room. This is the bedroom.” I wink at her. “The closet and then the bathroom.” I walk to the bed instead of going to the couch and lying down on it. “Do you want to come over and order room service with me?”

She laughs. “No.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “You hate hotels.” She repeats something I used to always tell her.

I shrug. “It’s not that bad,” I say, lying through my teeth. I fucking hate staying in hotels. I hate it because it’s so impersonal. “I just miss cooking and being in my own space, but apart from that, it’s fine. I can have anything I want with a press of a button.”

“Sounds like so much fun.” She laughs, and then she looks at me. “Are you really staying here for me?” Her voice comes out softly.

“Yes,” I confirm without thinking twice. “Well, not just for you, for me also.”

“Well,” she says, and all I can do is just watch her. I thought I missed her before, but now that we are talking again, I realize I miss her so much it hurts being away from her. “If we are going to work on things.”

I smile and nod at her. “Yes, that is what you said, and we kissed, so it sealed the deal.”

She throws her head back and laughs. “Anyway, why don’t you move in here?”

I smirk at her. “Really?”

“Not in my room,” she corrects herself, “but there is a spare bedroom you can stay in.”

“Really?” I ask again, not sure about it either. Is it too fast? “Are you sure?”

She shakes her head right away. “No,” she admits to me. “I’m not sure about anything anymore, but I’m living on the edge these days.”