Tue 20 Aug


    49%


    His eyes were clear once more as he turned to me.


    In the pause, Roman scrambled up onto his feet and hurried toward where Alice and I were.


    Julian started to growl as he moved and jumped like he meant to grab Roman.


    “Stop it, Julian!” I snapped. “You are acting like a child! I’m not your ything! You can’t just chase away everyone else who gives me attention! And punching people. Scaring Alice!” Anger shook me inside and out. It made the wordse out hasty, and not as


    well thought out as I would have liked. “I don’t know what I ever saw in you.”


    Julian straightened, suddenly looking stricken, like he was the one who had just been struck.


    I pressed down on any regret or guilt I felt in that moment, the moment I felt Alice’s tears dampen my shoulder.


    He could have objected without scaring Alice. Or better yet, he could have left the decision to me instead of intervening! Did he


    think this disy would have stopped me if I had intended to say yes?


    Did he actually think I would say yes?


    But then, why wouldn’t he? What did we really know about each other anymore? What did we ever really know? Even when we had


    been married, we’d been little more than strangers.


    “I…” Julian’s voice was soft and somewhat shaken. He looked at his bloody knuckles like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d


    done.His blue eyes dulled. “I’m sorry, Amber. I’m sorry, Alice.”


    “And me?” Roman asked sharply.


    “Leave it, Roman,” I scolded.


    “Me? What did I do? I’m the one who was assaulted!”


    “You were too impulsive,” I said. “Why would you do this? And here?”


    I looked around, and, seeing how many people were still watching, decided this wasn’t the ce for this. I needed to get Alice away


    from so many watchful eyes.


    And I wanted to get away from Julian.


    Punching Roman… What a brute! He was being every bit the Alpha stereotype, punching without thinking, acting like I was his


    property that needed protected.


    We might not be fully divorced yet, but I was still my own person. We hadn’t been together for a long time.


    “I want to go home,” I said.


    Alice sniffed into my shoulder. “Me, too,” she said, tears in her voice.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    +25 BONU


    Roman huffed a harsh breath. “This way,” he said and gestured to the parking lot.


    As proudly as I could, holding my head up high, I walked that way, not looking back.


    Even so, I could feel the weight of Julian’s gaze on me with every step.


    When we were out of immediate earshot of the onlookers, I asked Roman, “What were you even doing here tonight? Why aren’t


    you at home?”


    “I couldn’t wait anymore,” Roman said. “I thought about how you looked tonight, and about the future I want for us… I had to as


    I couldn’t wait another minute. Oh, Amber, just say yes. I promise to treat Alice like my own…”


    Alice started crying harder, nearly wailing.


    My anger spiked again, nearing fury.


    Could he not read the room here? Didn’t he understand how much worse he was making everything?


    “Please, Amber,” he said. He tried to reach for Alice, as if tofort her. “Marry me?”


    “No!” I said fiercely, stepping backwards, keeping Alice in my arms.


    Alice clung to my shoulders, her fingernails pinched my skin, bing little ws.


    My own heart was lurching, my body tense. I wanted tofort Alice, but there was something about the way Roman was lookin


    at me in this moment.


    I felt like I couldn’t look away from him.


    Because with each passing moment, his eyes were darkening, his face growing more and more grim.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug