“Where are we going?” Roman asked, his tone casual, but his grip on the wheel was anything but.
ir barely looked at him. “The diner in town.”
94%
Silence settled between them, thick with unspoken tension. Roman followed Keira’s car as the town blurred past with old storefronts, familiar streets to her, but she didn’t pay them any attention.
Her fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh. Roman drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on his leg. exuding that infuriating calmness that only made her feel more unsettled.
Because he was the reason, she was still buzzing. She was angry with him, but she wasn’t at the same time.
She hated it.
She hated that even now, after everything, he could still make her feel safe and wanted andpletely out of control.
Roman finally nced at her. “You’re quiet.”
ir huffed. “Maybe because I don’t know where to start.”
“Then just start.” His voice was steady. Unapologetic.
Her head whipped toward him. “Fine. What the hell was that Roman?”
His grip on the wheel tightened. “What part?”
She shot him a look. “Oh, I don’t know. The part where you nearly strangled Dan? Or the part where you dropped a nuclear bomb on my family when I told you I would handle it?”
His jaw ticked. “I was done listening to them speak to you like that. Done with Dan, thinking he could manipte you. He needed to be put in his ce.”
ir’s chest clenched. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”
“The hell it wasn’t.” His voice was rough, clipped. “He deserved worse, and you know it.”
She did. God, she did. But that wasn’t the point.
“I didn’t need you to fight my battles, Roman.”
His eyes flicked toward <i>hers</i>, sharp and unreadable. “Maybe not. But I’m never going to stand there and watch people try to tear you down.”
ir swallowed hard.
Damn him.
Damn him for saying things like that. For making it impossible to stay mad when she wanted to be.
She exhaled, looking away. “You blindsided me. I hadn’t told my sisters about us. I would have handled it”
Roman scoffed. “Laura wasn’t going to confess. You know that.”
Yeah. She did.
Still, that wasn’t the only thing bothering her.
(29)
She crossed her arms, her voice quieter now. “You made a decision without me, Roman. And that’s not-” She hesitated. “That’s not okay. Was this the real reason you came down here? Because of me?”
Roman was quiet for a beat, then murmured, “No, I really did go look at a house. Then I started to worry about you.”
Something in his tone made her nce at him.
His fingers drummed against the wheel like he was holding something back.
ir sighed, some of the tension in her chest unraveling.
She hated fighting with him. And the truth was, she wasn’t really mad.
Just… overwhelmed.
She leaned back, watching him out of the corner of her eye. “You know, Keira was right. It was pretty hot watching you m Dan against the wall.”
Roman’s lips twitched. “That so?”
ir rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me regret saying that.”
His smirk deepened, but then his expression shifted, eyes darkening as he really looked at her. “Say it again.”
Her breath caught. “What?”
“That you think I’m hot.”
The air between them changed. Just like that. The frustration, the irritation twisted into something else entirely.
Roman must have felt it too because, without warning, he pulled the car onto the side of the road, put it in park.
ir barely had a second to react before his hand was in her hair, pulling her toward him, his mouth crashing against hers.
It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle.
It was desperate.
The kind of kiss that erased the rest of the world.
She whimpered as he angled her back, fingers tangling in her hair like he had no intention of letting her go.
And God help her, she didn’t want him <i>to</i>.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless, Roman rested his forehead against hers.
“Feel better?” he murmured.
ir huffed out augh. “I’m not sure sitting with my sisters feeling like this is a good idea.”
His lips quirked. “That’s a yes?”
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the smile from pulling at her lips.
“Drive, Roman.”
He smirked, shifting the car into gear.
ir exhaled, feeling something close to peace settle over her.
*94%
Damn him.
Damn him for being impossible to resist.
The diner hadn’t changed at all.
Same checkered floors. Same booths. Same damn smell..
ir barely had time to take it all in before her sisters waved them over from a booth in the back.
Keira grinned. “Oh good, you’re not fighting anymore. <b>I </b>assume you made up?”
ir slid into the booth. “Shut up, Keira.”
(28)
11)
Keira just smirked, but before she could make anotherment, Sutton changed the subject. “So, now that we’ve all had time to process… can we talk about Laura’s acting skills?<b>” </b>
Keira cackled. “God, that <b>was </b>the worst faint I’ve ever seen. I mean,e on. At least try to make it believable.”
ir shook her head. “ssic Laura<b>.</b><b>” </b>
Keira grinned. “The <b>way </b>she popped up the second someone said something she didn’t like? That was Oscar–worthy.”
They allughed, and for the first time in what felt like forever, ir felt… lighter. When in truth it had only been four days. So much had happened.
Maybe it was because the truth was out. She no longer felt the need to make the trip down here every month. Their aunt and uncle had shown their true colors.
And now, she had somewhere else to be.
Roman stretched an arm over the booth behind her. “So, is this where <b>you </b>charmed the locals with your waitressing skills?<b>” </b>
ir smirked. “I spilled a lot of coffee.”
Keira snorted. “And somehow, they still let you work here for three <b>years</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
ir shook her head, ncing around, memories flickering back. “The owners are <b>still </b>the same. I used to close with Mrs. Wilson every Friday night.”
Sutton smiled. “She loved you.”
ir shrugged. “She was nice.”
The conversation drifted to old stories about Keira’s many failed attempts at sneaking into bars with a fake ID, Sutton always having to y the responsible one. The kind of memories that made ir’s chest ache, but not in a bad way. They had been each other’s family. Not their aunt and uncle and not Laura.
Eventually, they finished eating, and the check came. Keira and Sutton stood first, stretching.
Keira gave ir a sly look. “Well, we’ll leave you two lovebirds to it. Try not to make out in the parking lot.”
ir groaned. “Go away, Keira.”
Keira grinned, walking backward. “Going.” She blew a kiss at them both. “Love you, middle child.”
Sutton rolled her eyes, mouthing “Be careful” before following.
When they were gone, ir sighed, shaking her head.
16:12 Wed, 18 Jun
Roman leaned in, wiggling his eyebrows at her. “So… parking lot?”
irughed, nudging his arm. “Shut up and take me home.”