Page 29 of Breakaway

But more than anything, I want to help him.

Weirdly enough, being married to him doesn’t trouble me the way Travis’s ring troubled me. With my ex, I knew I didn’t want to get married to someone who wasn’t right for me. With Roman? It doesn’t feel like that. I was agitated by his mood swings, with the realization that he didn’t reciprocate my feelings. But other than that, it feels right. As if he’s?—

“I’ll totally understand if you want an annulment. It’s your life, and I don’t want to ruin it for you.”

Staring at Roman, I keep silent. The chatter, music, and noise of the busy streets fade into the background. A small smile forms on my lips, one I’m not even trying to hide. Withoutoverthinking or dwelling on the consequences of my answer, I tell him, “You won’t. We’ll make it work. Don’t worry.”

Roman’s gaze wanders over my face, falling on my lips and lingering there for a moment. I can barely breathe, and my heart beats so loudly. Something happens between us, like the air itself becomes charged. Hot. Powerful. Intoxicating. It reminds me of the anticipation of my first kiss, when all I could think about was how it would feel to be kissed by someone I like. He cups my face with his big palms. Our eyes are glued to each other, as if communicating on their own, in a language we don’t understand. Lowering his head, he presses his lips to my forehead, his thumbs gently caressing my cheeks.

“Thank you, Nevaeh,” he whispers hoarsely, leaning away and crooking a smile.

A few heartbeats later, he twirls me around gently, so I’m facing the fountains. His arm is wrapped around my shoulder from behind when he inches toward my ear, his lips grazing my earlobe.

“Let’s forget about this whole marriage disaster for a few more minutes. We can discuss everything in our room, or at dinner.”

“Dinner sounds nice,” I say, reveling in the warmth of his embrace.

“Then dinner it is.” He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. “Enjoy the show, Malyshka.”

1 ???????. — Well done.

Chapter 12

More like a Wife

ROMAN

“Are you sure that’s everything?”I ask, putting two boxes on the floor beside the bed. Straightening my back, I meet Nevaeh’s gaze as she pulls jean shorts from her suitcase on the floor.

“You saw my car,” she replies with a shrug. “That’s all I have.”

My gaze travels around the room, counting six boxes and her suitcase full of clothes. Rubbing the back of my neck, I feel weird. This reminds me of a fucking circus. Except the circus left town, and now only one clown remains…me. What’s happening right now still doesn’t make any sense.Chert?1.

“Do you need my help with anything?”

“No, I’m good.” Removing more clothes from her suitcase, she presses the pile to her chest and stares at me with an arched eyebrow.

Right. “I’ll be in my room then. Find me when you’re ready for dinner.” I take a step back, stopping in the doorway of my guest room. “But if you don’t want to eat with me, that’s fine.”

A small grin lifts her lips as she walks to the walk-in closet. “I don’t mind your company. Plus, we need to get used to each other. We’re going to be stuck together for a while.”

“Cool.”Cool?How old am I?

Huffing, I turn around and head to my bedroom. I better use this time to unpack and take a shower. My body is too tense and rigid. I don’t think I’ve been able to relax for even a second since Nevaeh and I came to an agreement aboutoursituation. And considering that, on top of it, the resurfacing memories about my brother and my horrible sleep schedule are the definition of a shit show, I feel doomed.

I have no idea what I’m doing.

My phone buzzes, and I take it out of my pocket as I step into my bedroom. Smirking, I answer. “I’m alive, don’t worry.”

“You think that’s the only reason I’m calling you?” Colton laughs.

“Of course not.” I sit on the edge of my bed, tracing the pattern on my blanket with my fingers. “How are you, Colt?”

“Good. We’ll be home on Wednesday. Ava is planning a second birthday party on Saturday, and we want you to come. Do you have plans?”

“No plans. I’ll be there. Just tell me when, where, and what to get your wife.”

“Books,” he replies casually. “I’ll send you the link to her wish list, and you can choose which one to get her.”

---