You and Me: Together duet book number two

by Eve, Melody

  “I’m still here, just more complicated.” I slouch and take a deep breath. How has my life become so crazy? I used to be the dullest person I know. It was what I was known for. Boring Aria never wants to party. Boring Aria reads too many books. Don’t bother to invite Aria, she’ll never come. I didn’t care, though. I liked the safety and the security that came along with being dull and predictable. Not anymore. I’m not saying I enjoy this much drama and adventure, but I am going to start living more. I want to go places and experience things beyond my books and my couch with Roman.

  “You’ve got that right. I sure as hell didn’t think I’d be holding a man at gunpoint when I woke up this morning.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t plan on being kidnapped in my own apartment either. Thanks for coming to my rescue. I’m glad I was on the phone with you.”

  He scrunches up one side of his face. “Well, it wasn’t actually my idea to come over here. I called Roman to see if you were with him. I really needed to go over the plans for the signing.”

  “You called Roman? How did you get his number?”

  “I bank at Clover Bank. I looked it up. I thought I was calling his office number, but it went straight to his cell.”

  “He has his office calls forwarded to his cell sometimes.”

  “Good thing he did, or I’d hate to think of what could have happened. Who is that guy anyway?”

  “My ex-best friend’s brother. I thought he was in prison.”

  “I think he’ll be going back after all of this.”

  “I hope so.”

  Two police officers, one young and one older, push the door open as Roman is walking back through the living room carrying the first-aid kit.

  Roman raises his hands halfway when he sees them. “I’m the one who called, the kidnapper is in the closet in the master bedroom at the end of the hall unconscious and restrained.” He uses the kit to point in the correct direction. The young officer disappears down the hall, and the older one joins Roman and me in the kitchen.

  “Does she need an ambulance?” the officer asks.

  Roman looks at my cuts. “I can clean her up and drive her myself. It’s nothing life life-threatening, but she should have it looked at,” he says.

  “What happened here?” he asks looking down at the droplets of bright red blood on the brand-new flooring. Roman continues to work at cleaning the cuts and bandaging them while he and Brandon take turns filling the officer in.

  When he’s done, the officer looks perplexed. “So, this guy kidnapped you in your own apartment, and he is your ex-best friend’s brother who was avenging his sister after she slept with and stole your fiancé?”

  “Precisely,” Roman says at the same time I say, “Yep.”

  Brandon’s eyebrows shoot up. “Wow,” he mutters.

  The officer blows out a big breath and shakes his head. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard that one before, and I’ve been a cop for twenty years.”

  “You should keep a book of crazy stories,” I say, kidding.

  “Oh, we do, and this one’s going in it for sure.”

  19

  Aria

  We went to the hospital instead of the police station first after I became lightheaded on the way out of my apartment. It didn’t take long. They assured us that my wounds were superficial and didn’t require stitches like I’d thought.

  From there, Roman drove me to the police station, and we gave our statements. Walking out into the lobby, I was relieved to have it all over until I saw Lynn sitting alone in a chair with a wad of tissues.

  She looked like she had aged ten years, thin and pale with dark circles under her eyes and thinning hair. I almost didn’t recognize her at first but her cry… I’d never liked the sound she made when she cried. It was like a tiny snort accompanied by a squeak that apart wouldn’t be bad but together was like nails on a chalkboard.

  She looked up and caught my eye for a moment. I couldn’t read her. She was blank and empty, nothing like the girl I’d grown to know over the years I was with David. The moment reminded me of one of those crime shows on TV where everything was in slow motion, and the victim was being guided through the room away from the bad guy, or girl in this instance.

  We stared, she sniffed, I gaped, Roman’s arm tightened around me, and then it was over, and we were outside with the sun on our faces climbing into the car. Could it be that easy?

  The drive home is quiet. When Roman pulls up to the house, Julia rushes out followed by Ella and Leeza all of them talking at once.

  “Oh, dear lord, what happened to your neck?” Julia says pulling me from the front seat to envelop me in a hug.

  “Shit,” Leeza says looking at my throat. “Who was the stalker? Did they catch them? Are you okay, Roman?” she asks, patting him all over as if to check for injuries and holding up his hands to examine his bruised and cut knuckles.

  It’s the first time in a long time I’ve heard her speak to him without snark. She called him by his name instead of Mufasa, and she seems genuinely concerned that he may be hurt.

  “Was it your old boyfriend? The ball player?” Ella asks holding back, wringing her hands together in front of her.

  “Let’s go inside and sit down to talk. We’re fine, that’s the most important thing,” Roman says, and we all move in unison toward the front door.

  “Do you want to lay down or would you like some tea, darling?” Julia asks.

  “Tea would be perfect if that’s all right with you.” I look up at Roman.

  “You go ahead, I have something I need to do.”

  I don’t like the tension in his voice. “Do you need help? I can have tea later if you want.” I give his hand a little squeeze looking up at him with concern.

  He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s a small, weak, almost apologetic smile that I don’t understand. This is over, we are both safe and sound, and the stalker is in jail where he should be.

  “No, beautiful, go ahead with the girls I’ll be back down soon, I promise.”

  I frown at the word promise. Roman isn’t big on making promises. Instead, he simply does what he says he’ll do, no need for promises.

  An uneasy sensation begins in the pit of my stomach spreading through my system like a disease. Leeza and Julia walk quietly along with us not commenting on Roman’s departure, and Ella has gone on ahead into the kitchen. “Are you sure?”

  He drops my hand to place his on my cheek and leans in to kiss my forehead. “I’m positive. Go, I won’t be long.”

  “Okay.” I reluctantly watch him climb the stairs while I’m shuffled off to the kitchen for tea.

  I sit with Julia and Leeza at the table while Ella puts water in the teapot.

  “Tell us what happened, dear. We’ve been worried sick. Roman text to say they’d caught the stalker, and you had to be seen at the hospital, but that’s all.”

  I can’t get my mind off why Roman is upstairs right now instead of down here with us. It doesn’t feel right. “You know what? I think I’ll go check on Roman before I get into it.” I stand, and Leeza grabs my wrist.

  “Give him some time, I’m sure he will be right down.” Her tight smile has ‘uncomfortable’ written all over it.

  “What’s going on? You know what he’s doing up there, don’t you?”

  “Aria, please have a seat. We can talk about that if you want to,” Julia says in a soothing voice.

  “So, you do know what he’s doing.”

  “We have a good idea, yes,” Julia says.

  “Well? Let’s have it.”

  The two women hesitate looking at each other, and my belly buzzes with anxiety. What on earth could they be this worried about?

  “I imagine that Roman is feeling guilty about your injuries,” Julia says.

  “He rescued me. He shouldn’t feel guilty, that’s ridiculous.”

  “Not to him. He takes your safety seriously. In fact, I would wager to say that it’s more important than anything else in
his life.”

  “But, I am safe. I’m fine, and the person responsible is behind bars thanks to him.”

  Julia rearranges herself in her seat, and Leeza takes over. “Okay, so it’s like this. Roman’s guilt over what happened with Millie and the baby runs deep. You may be fine, and the stalker is behind bars, but knowing him, he feels like this is all his fault for not keeping you here in the first place. In his twisted mind, he believes if he had kept a better eye on you, you wouldn’t have left, and none of this would have happened. It’s not exactly rational, but it’s how he thinks. I guarantee it.”

  “So, what does that have to do with him going upstairs? What’s he doing up there?”

  “Punishing himself,” Julia says, her words flat and harsh.

  “Punishing himself how?”

  Leeza steps in again. “He’s in the nursery where Millie and the baby died. He hasn’t allowed anyone in there since it happened. The room wasn’t even cleaned, it’s locked, and only he has the key. He sees their death as a punishment for anything and everything he ever did wrong in his life… past, present, and future.”

  “So, he goes into that room to relive the worst moment of his life as a punishment?”

  “Yes, dear, he does. It’s best to leave him alone and let him get it out of his system. When he’s done, he will come down.”

  This is insane. How can they just sit down here while he’s up there miserable and suffering over something that was a tragic accident? He had nothing to do with their death. Millie stepped onto that step stool full well knowing she was pregnant and shouldn’t. If anyone is to blame for Roman’s pain, it’s her.

  I stand, pushing back my chair with too much force, and it scrapes along the tiles with a shriek. “Where is the nursery? I can’t sit down here knowing he’s up there punishing himself for things that are out of his control. It’s not right.”

  “I don’t think that’s wise. Leeza took that stance once, and he was terribly upset,” Julia says, alarm in her eyes.

  “I don’t care if he gets upset. It’s not healthy, and I won’t let him continue to do it. If you won’t tell me where the nursery is, I’ll open every door until I find it.” I stand up and cross my arms over my chest trying to look as defiant as possible. I’ll search every corner of this mansion if I have to, to keep him from this sick, self-loathing ritual.

  Leeza sighs picking at her cuticles. “It’s across from your library and his upstairs office,” she says.

  I know exactly which room she means. I’ve tried the handle more than once wondering why it’s locked but not feeling it was any of my business to ask.

  I march through the house to the foyer and up the stairs. When I’m standing in front of the door to the nursery, I pause unsure of what I am going to say to him. I can’t come up with anything other than are you crazy sitting in here beating yourself up for nothing. I can’t say that.

  I’ll wing it. In the past, I’ve given my best advice when I’m winging it. I hope today’s one of those days.

  I turn the knob and open the door a crack to listen. When I hear nothing, I open it far enough to peer inside. The lights are off, and the room is lit only by a streak of sunshine that cuts through the crib giving it a heavenly glow. I search the shadows while my eyes adjust until I see Roman kneeling on the floor in front of what looks like a giant stain on the carpet. His back is to me, he doesn’t know I’m here.

  I stand stone still for a moment watching his shoulders gently shake as he cries. My heart shatters in my chest witnessing his pain. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders and for what? An accident that wasn’t his fault? A cut on my neck from a crazy stalker?

  He has nothing to feel bad about, and I can’t stand by and watch my strong, powerful man crumble in front of my eyes.

  I push the door open, and it squeaks alerting him to my presence. His back stiffens, and his shoulders still. “Leave me,” he commands.

  “No.” His body becomes even more ridged when he hears my voice.

  “This doesn’t concern you, Aria. Leave this room.”

  “No. It does concern me if you’re up here punishing yourself.

  “I want to be alone.”

  “You may want that, but it’s not what you need.” I cross the room and wrap my arms around his waist pressing my cheek against his back. “Roman, I love you. This wasn’t your fault and neither is what happened today. I left your protection to go off and follow a hunch. It was stupid, I should have come to you first, but my stubbornness wouldn’t let me. I got myself into that mess, not you, so quit punishing yourself.”

  “I let you walk away when you were upset. I should have followed you and talked it through instead of going into my office.”

  Loosening my hold, I move around to face him. I take his face in my hands and look him square in the eyes. “Roman, I am a grown woman, and I make my own decisions. Sometimes they are stupid, sometimes not. You can’t be there twenty-four hours a day seven days a week to catch me when I fall. Today, I’m grateful that you were there for me, but you won’t always be. That’s just life. All bad things can’t be prevented. I will, however, promise from this day forward, to consult with you on serious issues. But this idea that you have to be constantly on high alert is going to kill you and ruin our relationship.”

  I let go of his face and gesture around the room. “And torturing yourself about the past isn’t going to further your future. What happened with Millie was a tragic accident that just happened to occur when you weren’t home. We can’t move forward until you let go of the past.”

  His eyes go to the stain on the floor at my feet, and I realize that it’s a bloodstain. Millie’s blood that has never been cleaned, so that he can continue to feel the pain of that moment forever.

  “This,” I point down. “This isn’t healthy. You should concentrate on the good memories you had of your wife, her pregnancy, and the baby instead of the worst. If she truly loved you, and I believe she did because you’re a wonderful man, she wouldn’t want you to remember only this. She would want you to remember the smiles, the laughter, planning for your baby’s arrival, decorating this room, loving each other so much that you wanted to extend that love to a child and make a family.”

  I reach out to wipe a tear from his cheek, and he pulls me into his arms. He holds me like a man who’s been floating around alone in the ocean for years desperate for a life preserver.

  “I love you, too, Aria, so much. The thought of going through all of this again guts me.”

  “I know, but life doesn’t come with any guarantees. We do our best and let go of the rest.”

  His grip tightens. “I would give up everything I have for that guarantee, to be sure that forever it would be just you and me,” he whispers over my head into the dim, dusty room.

  “Have faith, Roman, and enjoy what we have right here, right now. Worrying about the future is a waste of the present. Let’s love each other as much as possible and celebrate every moment as it’s given to us.”

  “I’ll try, but only if you’re serious about communicating better. Don’t run off half-cocked putting yourself into danger without discussing it with me first.” His tone is serious with a touch of playfulness. Relief washes over me. He’s going to try. He’s willing to give a little, and that’s all I need to help him see that our future together can be bright.

  20

  Roman

  I guide Aria out of the nursery and lock the door for the last time. I will not put myself through that misery anymore.

  I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. “Let’s go to our room. I want to be alone with you for a while.”

  “I left your mother and sister high and dry in the drama department. I think we should go down and set their minds at ease first, or they will be knocking on our bedroom door.”

  “You’re probably right. Did they tell you where to find me?”

  “Yes, I knew something was off with you, and I told them I wanted answers.”

  �
��You sound like me.” I nudge her shoulder with mine.

  “I’m learning from the best, Bossiness 101,” she says with a chuckle.

  I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. I still have every intention of looking after Aria and making sure she’s safe, but now that the stalker has been caught, and she’s vowed to be more reasonable about communicating, I feel as if I can breathe a little easier.

  We enter the kitchen, and the three women turn their attention to us looking panicked.

  “Oh my God, we were about to send out a search team,” Leeza says getting up to join us. She hugs us both at the same time and looks up into her brother’s eyes. “You’re smiling.”

  “I am not,” Roman says.

  “You are, with your eyes! Look, Mom, Mufasa’s smiling!”

  Roman gives her a playful shove, and we all sit down at the table where tea has been served.

  “Coffee, sir?” Ella asks knowing Roman won’t stand for tea.

  “Yes, please, Ella. Thank you.”

  “You’re most welcome, sir. I’m glad you’re both home safe.”

  “Yeah, and we want to know what happened like, right now,” Leeza adds.

  “I’ll go first since it’s kind of my fault. I was upset with Roman for being intrusive in my life before I met him and for breaking into my phone, so I hitched a ride into the city with Ella and went home to my apartment.”

  “Even though it wasn’t safe? You must have been really mad.” Leeza says, giving me a look. I shoot her one right back. It feels like we’re back in the third grade, and she’s going to launch a spitball across the table onto my face.

  “I didn’t think. It was stupid. I should have stayed here where it’s safe.”

  “Yeah, but then you wouldn’t have caught the stalker. Who was it anyway?” Leeza asks, her curiosity clearly getting the best of her.

  “It was my ex-best friend’s brother who, as far as I knew, was in prison. He had it in his head that it was my fault that his sister is miserable and alone.”