By the time I land on the Merged roof, I expect Roxy to get out and run away.
She stays.
It’s not telling meI love you. It’s not yelling at me about the proposal. It’s so much more.
It’s her silent agreement to try. It’s not forgiveness. It’s not even trust. It’s… tolerance. A toe in the water. A chance.
And I’ll take it like it’s oxygen.
Or that’s what I’m projecting, because if this woman doesn’t conquer her fear, I’m fucked.
When we get into the town car I reserved, I ask the driver to pull up the partition and break the silence.
Not pressuring her. Just sharing, so she can learn to trust me.
“When I was sixteen, I ran away from home.”
Roxy looks at me, her eyebrows raised. The corner of her mouth twitches, like she’s deciding whether to mock me or listen.
“Not in a scandalous, teenage-rebellion way. My friend Noah wanted to visit Guatemala, so we went. His dream, my money.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And my arrogance,” I add because it’s true.
“The friend who passed?” Roxy echoes the unfinished conversation we had in the garage.
Her remembering propels me further. “We somehow ended up volunteering on a project to build houses in impoverished areas. Frankly, I didn’t care about the altruistic nature of the adventure.
“Working with my hands, outside, was so much more rewarding than being fed with a silver spoon and groomed for the boardroom. The sun. The dust. Blisters on my palms. It felt… clean.”
“A taste of freedom,” she whispers, the understanding palpable. Shared. Mutual.
She doesn’t say it like a metaphor. She says it like she recognizes it. Like she’s been starving for it.
I nod. “My parents tolerated the rebellion, and we returned two more times. Best memories of my life, really.”
“You miss him.” She reaches for my hand, and I almost recoil. I want so much more from her than pity, but I let her touch me.
She’s still here. By my side. Reluctant. Confused. Scared. But here. And if it’s only compassion she can offer now, I’ll take it.
I haven’t earned more yet.
“When we were getting ready to go again, my father locked me in. He told me it’s time to show up for my family. Noah went without me. He was kidnapped.” I swallow around the searing lump in my throat, the memory as hurtful as ever.
“Local thugs noticed our presence the previous year and thought we were both rich Americans. But, of course, Noah’s parents couldn’t pay. By the time I forced my father to act, Noah had escaped. And…” Even after a decade, I can’t say the word.
Roxy squeezes my hand.
“I should have been there with him. Or I should have stopped him from going, since I stayed like a coward, catering to my father’s demands.” The confession tastes like metal. Like blood.
“Liam, look at me.”
I snap my head to her, shocked by the steel in her voice.
“What happened wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your father’s fault either, as much as it helps you to blamehim. It was a horrible tragedy. You blaming yourself took you on a path of revenge that defined your life.
“But you’ve showed me layers of the man you could be… smart, observant, and fair. Dominant, but also understanding. Don’t taint Noah’s memory with anger.”
Her words hit like a slap and a bandage at the same time.
She might not be ready to say she loves me. God knows she might never let her guard down, but the way she sees me… it’s unsettling, and grounding at the same time.
