Page 33 of The Editor’s Choice

“When you talked to me about her that night in the apartment, all I could feel was despair for everything you were going through. I wanted to fix it all. Take the pain away. Make it so nothing ever hurt you again,” he rushes, words flying out one after another as if he can’t speak them fast enough. “Although I would’ve never guessed you were actually the one to kill her,” a sly smile plays at his lips, “I wanted nothing more than to fix it and every other problem that came your way.”

Closing my eyes, I revel in the words pouring from him, trying to soak in the moment.

“The more time we’ve spent together, the more I’ve come to adore you.” The admission comes easily, seeping into the marrow of my bones. I can physically feel the weight of them as they settle in.

“So what now?”

Chapter Eighteen

Roman

“So what now?” Jade asked, leaving the question hanging in the thick air between us, eyes locked on mine.

I take in the sight of her, doing my best to memorize every tiny detail. From the curve of her eyelashes, to the natural wave of her hair, all accentuating her gorgeous face. She’s truly unlike any woman I’ve ever seen before.

The thought of this conversation being the last time I ever speak to her is enough to send me into a panic. She hasn’t run for the hills or flew into a rage and kicked me out, so that’s a good sign, but I’m not sure things have truly sunk in just yet either.

“Truly, I don’t know,” I answer, giving her the truth. I haven’t ever been this vulnerable and honest with anybody. This is all uncharted territory for me, and I’m not sure how to navigate through it, especially given the gravity of the circumstances.

“Well,” she says, a bit of pep back in her tone all of a sudden. “How about another glass of wine then? I feel like we probably have more to discuss and I don’t know about you, but I’ve done all the talking I can do without a little liquid motivation.” She plucks my glass from my hand, quietly walking to the kitchen.

The room feels different now. There’s still a slight tension but it feels lighter, like things might just be okay in the end. A small smile appears on my face at the thought, erasing some of the worry from moments ago, even if we do still have things to figure out.

Like how to make sure she never gets caught. The thought creeps into my head, drowning out the bliss for a moment before I’m able to stuff it back down into the depths of my subconscious. I’ve had enough worry for one day. I’ll spend my time worrying about that when I can actually do something about it. For now, I fully plan to immerse myself in her presence, forgetting everything else for the time being.

“How about something a little less depressing for the rest of the night?” she asks, rejoining me on the couch. She’s much more relaxed now, sipping her wine as she settles into the soft cushions.

“What did you have in mind?” I ask, eyebrow raised as my mind speeds through the possibilities. I can feel the heat coursing through my blood and I’m not sure if it’s from the alcohol or being so close to her. Either way, it’s definitely from an intoxication of one form or another.

“Let’s play truth or dare,” she suggests, a bright smile lighting her face for the first time all evening. This one actually reaches her eyes, furthering my intoxication to the point that a goofy smile stretches across my face. She’s nearly vibrating with excitement beside me, the energy contagious.

“Okay,” I laugh, giving in to whatever keeps her smiling and happy like this. Somewhere deep inside, I realize I will always do whatever it takes to keep her this happy. The thought is terrifying. “You go first.”

“Truth or dare?” she asks with a wiggle of her eyebrow, making me laugh out loud. I’ve never seen someone so cute.

“Hmm. Truth.” Her disappointment is instant.

“Loser,” she chides, rolling her eyes. “Umm.. what’s your biggest fear?”

Not being with you. “Heights, of course,” I respond, not at all the truth. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” The happiness is back, masking the earlier disappointment at my choice.

“I dare you to… do the thing you’re most afraid of right –“ Without a second’s hesitation, her lips are on mine. I don’t even have time to blink before she’s back in her seat, eyes filled with heat and temptation.

I don’t have a clue what I was expecting, maybe something to do with heights or spiders, clowns even. It absolutely was not that, and I’m stunned silent.

Without skipping a beat, she continues, asking the same question to keep the game going.

“Truth. Again,” I say, knowing the backlash I’ll get but unable to pick the risky choice.

Another eye roll. “How did you feel about that?” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, enchantment washing over me as I watch it. I glance at her eyes to find her watching me as I watch her.

“Surprised,” I respond simply. It’s the truth, but I don’t elaborate, keeping the answer short. “Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Well, how the mighty have fallen,” I joke, thankful she has released that lip now. “Tell me about your dreams of the future.” I watch as a wistful expression cloaks her features, like she’s being pulled into a happier time far away.