Page 76 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

I walked back into the chateau and looked upward, where the bedroom hallway was several floors above me. I hadn't noticed it earlier, but Romeo's door was shut. He was staying at the end of the hallway, furthest from everyone else.

I knew he had to be inside. Quickly, I made my way to the door, knocking on it. “Ro?” I said.

It was so quiet inside; there was no way he was in there.

After a few knocks, I was only met with silence. I’d have to look for him later. I needed to find those rings and make it back in time for the rehearsal dinner. Ro wouldn’t be mad once I talked to him… right? He’s a great listener; he’s patient and so understanding.

I started to walk away.

The door creaked open. I looked back to see Romeo, his hair disheveled and parted down the middle. “Hey, wait!” he answered, a little frazzled. “Shit… Sorry about that. I was asleep.” He leaned in the doorway, his hand fiddling with the brass knob.

My smile widened. “Oh, I’m glad I caught you. I need to talk to you about earlier. Can I come in?” I asked.

Romeo looked behind him for a few moments. He hesitated and stared down at his watch. “Umm… yeah. Of course.” He was paler than usual. Ghostly even.

“Are you okay?” I asked, searching his face. “You look sick.”

He stepped aside to let me in, staring at the floor. “Yeah. I wasn’t feeling well earlier, so I came up here to get some rest.”

“Seriously! Oh my god, what happened?” I asked, reaching up to his face. I stood on my tippy toes and placed the back of my hand on his forehead. He was warm, but not hot. “Is it your stomach? You didn’t drink the spiked apple cider, did you?”

Romeo laughed, wringing his hands.

“No. It wasn’t the cider. Just a headache.” He shook his head. “It’s fine, though. I’m being weird; don’t mind me.”

His eyes flickered down at his watch again. I contemplated calling the kitchen staff to bring him some chicken noodle soup.

“I’m really sorry about my mom earlier. She can be kind of brash,” I said, looking around his room. His suite was a tad smaller than mine, and he had a couple of suitcases open. We sat on his bed together, and the sun fell through the window and onto Romeo. He was glowing like a saint. “I really wanted to carve our pumpkin together. That whole situation out on the patio was… I don’t know. I should explain⁠—”

“I know about Antonio, Ivy Jade,” Ro said assuringly, chewing at the corner of his mouth. “You mentioned him before, and Tallulah was talking about it to the group outside.”

“Oh,” I murmured. I felt the instant need to explain the whole agreement with my parents. My conflict. My feelings. But how could I explain that my family didn’t approve of Ro? Did that even matter, considering what I felt for him was real?

“I get it,” he said quickly. Ro nodded his head. “Honestly, you don’t have to explain. I know the situation you're in.”

“It’s just that… lately I’ve felt like my family is a bit intense. Well, more so my parents. They’re particular about certain things, and it’s starting to feel a little two-faced, you know?”

“Two-faced?” Romeo looked up quickly, his whole attention on me.

“Yeah. My mom is one way in front of everyone, and she’s a different person when it’s just her and me. Whenever I go along with her demands, my life is so much easier. I guess it’s hard to explain. But it’s getting harder to trust my own decisions and myself around them. Sometimes I feel like they don’t understand me, and I’m just now realizing that.”

“And do you trust them with Antonio?” Ro asked quietly, like he wasn’t ready for an answer.

I didn’t know what to say. When it took me a while to respond, I started to feel ashamed of myself. To some degree, it did matter. It mattered that my life as I knew it would be totally different than anything I ever experienced before. Was I brave enough for change? Could I let it all go for something potentially better?

“I’m not sure. Yes? No?” I looked away, struggling to respond. “I know what I feel right now. Sitting here with you. I just want it to be like this forever…”

“But my forever looks a lot different than yours,” Ro said, his hand landing softly over mine. I hated that he thought that. I couldn’t accept that answer. Not from him.

“It doesn’t have to look so different though… I mean, you've worked hard like Gustav. You make your own money. That’s not even a concern⁠—”

“I’m sleeping on my sister's couch right now, Ivy Jade.” Ro stopped me, holding my hand.

I was so surprised I laughed.

“What?” I asked.

“I quit my job months ago, and I live with my sister. I don’t even have my own place,” he said evenly, spitting it out like it was stuck inside him. I waited for him to give me that stupid smirk of his. It never came.