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He looks down at me again, lust still in his eyes. Yet, when I look closer, I see a look of regret on his face.
Biting his bottom lip, he acts as if he wants to say something, but no words come out of his mouth.
Say it, I beg of him internally. Tell me what’s on your mind.
He doesn’t. Instead, he climbs off me and stands up, instantly breaking the spell he had me under. He sighs heavily before fishing around for something on the floor.
Then my shirt flies through the air, followed by my bra, landing on my chest. “Thanks,” I whisper as I hold it close to my body, unsure how I should feel right now.“Hey, Rome,” I say and he shoots me a glance. “I don’t want to offend you or anything, but you’re clean, right?”
“Of course I am. Just got tested last month. Papers are in my top drawer if you wanna see them.”
I nod, knowing I don’t need to. I believe him.
This was everything I thought it would be, but the emotional aspect is lacking. I always imagined lying in bed, laughing and cuddling after my first time. But Rome isn’t like that. I shouldn’t even grieve that part of this process because it shouldn’t have been expected with him.
With his clothes in hand, Rome heads to the door, his firm round ass on full display. “I’m gonna shower,” he says before leaving the room, not even a glance back in my direction.
I scoot up on the bed, my heart breaking, and I don’t even know why.
Rome got what he wanted and I have to admit I got something out of it too. For just a few minutes he made me believe he wasn’t a heartless monster, only to remind me of the kind of person he really is.
I take my time standing up, weirded out by the stickiness between my thighs as I rush to my bathroom.
As I step under the spray of my shower, I wonder if Rome will just drop me like everyone says he does when he’s finished with a girl.
It would be better that way. Even if it breaks my heart.
CHAPTER 22
ELODIE
It’s been four days since I went to the movies with Gage, only to leave with Rome and give him something I’ll never be able to give again—my virginity.
I’m still feeling the ache between my thighs from his brutal delivery. Rome was gentle at first, which I appreciated, but as things intensified between us, he was violent and unwavering. Yet, I loved every second of it.
What I don’t love are the twin bruises on each of my breasts from him sucking so damn hard. Fortunately, no one will ever see those. They will eventually fade, just like the memory of my first time. It has to. Rome is my stepbrother and this can never happen again.
Not that I think Rome would want it to. He's been avoiding me since that day, and I’ve made no attempt to ask him why.
Rome started this shit between us, and if he wants to talk or yell or fight, then he can take the initiative.
Pushing those thoughts aside, I focus on what needs to be done today. My mom is going to work in a few minutes and I told her I needed to talk to her before she left.
As hurt as I am by Rome’s countless cruel actions, I still feel the need to try and help him.
I walk downstairs to find her in the kitchen with a mug of steaming hot coffee in her hand and some papers laid out in front of her.
“Good morning, honey.” She takes another sip then sets her mug down beside the papers. “Sleep well?”
I shrug. “Not terrible.” The truth is, I haven’t been sleeping well. Every time I close my eyes, I see Rome. I lie in bed and dream of him touching me again. It’s both a blessing and a curse.
“What was it you wanted to talk about? It sounded important.” Her concerned face makes me anxious. My mother cares a lot about me and has always created a safe space for me to tell her if anything happened in my life. I don’t want to upset her or make her feel like any of this is her fault.
“It is,” I tell her. “Can we sit?”
“Of course.” She grabs her coffee and we round the kitchen island to the row of barstools on the other side. “What’s going on, Elodie?” I can feel the worry in her tone and it makes me even more nervous for what I’m about to tell her.
“I need to talk to you about what happened when we visited this town a year ago.”
