Page 121 of Rogue Romeo
“She’severything, Vaughn.”
My breathing speeds up, only to stall entirely when the feeling of betraying Rey, of beingthisfuckingcloseto having something real, only to see it taken away by something I have no control over, robs the breath from my lungs, and I lean forward, pressing my forehead against the cool tiles.
“Christ, DeMarco! Breathe. You sound like you’re having a motherfucking coronary over there. We can fix this!”
My breathing escalates, and tears fill my eyes, dropping right down onto the tile before my face, as the loss of Rey—the loss of what we could build together despite my unworthiness—fills me from head to toe.
“I’m sending in Ford. He’s downstairs waiting to hear from me.”
I try to force myself to speak, to say no, but the single word won’t fucking come, and I silently curse myself for being such a damn screw-up.
No one loves you, Alexander. No one cares.
I can hear Vaughn on another call, clearly speaking with Ford as my mother’s words break through the haze in my mind.
“SHE CARES!”
My words are a roar, bellowing at the top of my lungs before I let my body sag onto the tiled floor, repeating the words over and over again, even as my brain tells my mouth to stop.
“She cares.She cares. Shelovesme.”
Rey appears in the doorway, a terrified look overtaking her beautiful face, and she runs toward me to fall to her knees.
“Oh my God, Alex!”
She gathers my head onto her lap, stroking back my hair with one hand, soothing me softly as she picks up my discarded cell from the bathroom floor.
“Vaughn?”
Whatever he says, she hangs up and runs both hands through my hair, the motion calming my racing thoughts and palpitating heart.
“Vaughn is on his way. And Ford, too.”
She dusts her knuckles across my cheekbone, gently wiping away the evidence of my emotions.
“Whatever it is, I’m here.” My stomach flips nauseatingly, and I twist my head to look up at her gentle smile as she feeds me my own words. “Rule three, remember?I’ve got you, pretty boy.”
I swallow past the ball of emotion that’s lodged in my throat and blow out a breath.
“Please, don’t leave me, Rey.”
She smiles softly, her thumb tracing the contours of my face as she shakes her head. “I’m not going anywhere, I prom—”
“Don’t make promises you might not want to keep.”
Her forehead crumples as concern paints her face. I clear my throat as my eyes fall closed. “There’s a woman saying that she’s pregnant with my child.”
* * *
REYNA
“He’ll be down in a minute.”
Vaughn and Ford nod before they each take a seat at the kitchen island.
“Tea? Coffee?”
Vaughn shakes his head as he stands. “There’s whisky in the home office.”