Page 264 of When a Soul Cries

“I don’t know. Do you want them?”

“Yeah, I want kids.” He leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze lingering on me long enough to make me suspicious. “Just gotta be with the right woman.”

I narrowed my eyes when that little smile stayed on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Rome.”

His quiet laugh only made me narrow my eyes more.

“I’m just answering your question, Sol.”

“Mhm.”

He reached for his drink, still watching me. “But if you asking whether I can see myself having a family one day, yeah. I can.”

There was something about the way he said *family* while looking directly at me that made heat creep into my cheeks.

“You doing too much now.”

“I ain’t said nothing.” He took a drink, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“You didn’t have to.”

Rome chuckled under his breath, and I shook my head as I picked my fork back up. But before taking another bite, I looked at him again, my expression turning more serious.

“Well… I just hope you take it serious.”

The smile faded from his face—not because he was upset, but because he understood exactly what I meant.

“I do,” he said quietly. “Trust me. I do.”

I held his gaze for another second before nodding.

That was all I needed.

I reached for my phone beside my plate.

“Speaking of you…”

Rome had been reaching for another piece of food, but his hand stopped. He narrowed his eyes at me with immediate suspicion. “What I do now?”

I unlocked my banking app and turned the screen toward him.

“Fifteen thousand dollars, Roman.”

He glanced at the screen, then back at me. Instead of looking even slightly guilty, he calmly took another bite of food.

“Oh. That.”

I stared at him. “Oh, *that?* Who sends somebody fifteen thousand dollars to furnish a townhouse?”

Rome finished chewing before answering, his eyes briefly moving toward the living room. “Somebody who knows you still got things you want for the place.”

“I can buy my own furniture.”

“I know you can.”