AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The next morning, Romeo’s side is cold beside mine. The house is silent. My steps echo as I walk into the kitchen. Every nerve in my body is agitated and is on pins and needles.
Each spoonful of coffee is louder than normal. The sound of my coffee pouring into my cup is too. Even the old fridge has stopped making its rattling humming sound.
I’m drawn outside with my cup of coffee. Outside is beautiful. Half the sky is black from the early morning thunderstorm, while the other half of the sky is a bright blue.
I take a drink of my coffee, overly aware of my soft slurping sound while testing its temperature. The pigs are all lying down, content, not making a sound. It reminds me of the calm before the storm.
Each sip tastes like acid that settles in my stomach. I place my cup on the wooden railing and go in search of my stitch kit. It’s what Ma always did when she was nervous and knew something bad might happen. She would prepare for the battle the only way she could.
Romeo’s loud steps echo on the porch. It has my heart beating in overtime. “Morning,” he greets me.
“I missed you this morning.” The words slip out. I close my eyes, breathing his crisp, woodsy scent in. I can’t be leading him on when I plan to leave.
His arms wrap around me, and he places a gentle kiss on my neck. It’s too soft, with no aggressiveness that I’ve come to be used to.
“That was sweet.” I turn in his arms.
He stares down at me. He’s watching like he knows something he shouldn’t. Each second that ticks by, I can feel my secrets unraveling, disappearing from me and heading for him.
Breaking eye contact, Max is watching us from outside.
“What’s wrong?”
I force a smile at his question. “Nothing.” My fingers reach out to touch his face, but his hands grab them, and he nips at each fingertip. He doesn’t believe me. I can see it in his eyes.
The tension coils around us. The air is stagnant and humid. The combination causing my throat to contract, suffocating me. I swallow again, hoping to breathe easier.
He places one finger deeper into his mouth, his tongue rolling around it before he takes it all in and sucks on it.
When my finger leaves his mouth, he asks, “Do you trust me?” His eyes are warm, looking at me almost lovingly. My heart thumps hard twice. It feels like a sword is being pushed into it, agonizingly slow.
“Yes.” The real question should be if he can trust me. Before last night, he could have. Maybe he knows, and that’s why he doesn’t ask if he can.
“I promise, you will not be hurt. I will fight for you the entire way.”
“What if I’m not worth it?”
“You’ve always been worth it.”
That knife twists, the pain radiating down to my toes. “I miss my family, Romeo.” My voice is gruff and breathless.
“They’ll come around.” He’s undeterred. Confidence radiates from him. I wish I had the same self-assurance.
“You really aren’t afraid of dying,” I mutter.
“For the first time in my life, I have a solid reason to stay alive. But no, I’m not afraid. When men worry about living or dying, it’s when they lose their edge.”
I now understand old tales about empires falling because of love. Romeo is blind or too stubborn to think rationally.
“Promise me you won’t take the easy way out. Promise me you will do everything to live,” I demand.
“Where is this coming from? You sound like war is at our doorstep.”
“Has my father made any contact since Alfonso returned?”
His eyes turn hard at my ex’s name. His lips purse, and for the first time, he looks away from me. “Yes.”
I wait for more of an explanation. Our seconds tick by, neither of us talking. The silent void is like chalk in my ears. I have to ask, “What do you get for returning me?”
“You get to marry Alfonso. And your life returns to normal.”
My leg rattles constantly. I’m petrified of returning home. But I refuse to be deterred from finding a way for Romeo and me to be together. “I’m not asking about me.”
He refuses to answer. “It doesn’t matter.” He bends down, kissing my lips. It’s soft and controlling. He sucks the air out of my lungs, refusing to let go until I become faint. Only then, he pulls away. Neither of us says a word as he stomps off the porch.
My eyes return to Max, and he’s shaking his head, looking disappointed in me.
