Page 7 of Revive Me

Lily kisses her on the cheek before turning toward me, a big smile on her face.

“Okay, let’s go,” she says sweetly.

And I can’t help it. I need to touch her. So before I turn to lead us through the crowd, I reach for her hand.

3

ROMAN

I take my time pulling us through the throng of people, toward the staff hallway, where I know the steps to the roof are located. We pass two employees on the three-floor trek upstairs, both nodding at me as they let us by. When we finally reach the top, I swing the door open and guide Lily onto the roof with a hand on her lower back.

“Wow,” she breathes out, slowly walking toward the railing. “Roman, this is incredible.”

I’m not sure if it’s the sound of my name on her lips, or the beautiful sight of her wonder-struck gaze that makes my heart stutter. But it’s enough to make me freeze in place and simply watch as she takes in the view of the Philly skyline.

I’m startled out of my reverie when she spins around and asks, “So is this another perk of the job? Getting VIP access to the most beautiful spots in the city?”

I grin sheepishly and shrug. “The owner is a big UFC fan,” I say by way of explanation.

With a knowing smile, she turns back around and looks out at the skyline again. “What’s it like being a celebrity, really? So far, I’ve seen you get free drinks and exclusive entrance into a literal garden paradise.”

I walk over to stand beside her, leaning my forearms on the railing. “It’s nice, right?” But when she only waits expectantly, I sigh. “Okay, in all honesty…it’s pretty amazing. It’s everything you’re probably thinking it is. And more.”

She hums thoughtfully, and I can see her mulling over my answer. Trying to decide if I’m just being a hotshot. And I don’t say it out loud, but…Iamtelling the truth. The money, the connections, the respect—it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

Thankfully, she doesn’t press me on it. Something about my tense posture must clue her into the fact that, despite answering her honestly, I don’t exactly want to talk about what fame feels like. Instead, she turns to me and says simply, “Tell me something about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.”

I think for a moment, then answer, “I’m one fight away from becoming one of the greatest fighters in the entire history of the 205-pound division.”

She takes that in, but she quickly moves past it. “That…doesn’t tell me more about you.” Her tone is flat as those pretty eyes look into mine. “I could’ve guessed you were a great fighter just by our interaction tonight. Give me something deeper.”

I search for a different answer, I really do. But every fact I could give, every story I could tell…has to do with fighting. And all of them boil down to me being a great fighter.

“I think the fact that you can’t think of anything else to say is the most telling answer you could give.”

I frown at that, but before I can say anything else, she says, “Okay, how about this. You said you were sixteen when you started at the gym? Give me a memory from before that. What did you like?”

I say the first thing I can think of. “Girls.”

She blinks, then sighs. “Honestly, I set myself up with that one.”

Chuckling, I look out over the city.What was my life like before fighting?

“What is it?” Lily asks, sounding excited, seeing the answer on my face. She must also see my hesitance because she grins. “It’s the opposite of girls, isn’t it?”

I sigh. “Pretty much.” When her grin grows, I let out an even heavier sigh. “School. I was a huge nerd in high school. Nobody knew because I hid it.”

“That’s exactly the kind of fact I was hoping for,” Lily says with a content exhale. Then she becomes more serious. “Did you go to college before you went pro?”

“Only for a semester. Fighting professionally isn’t super conducive to making a person want to do homework.”

She nods, but before she can ask more about fighting, or my non-existent college career, or anything else that doesn’t have anything to do withher… I quickly say, “Okay, your turn. Tell me something about yourself.”

Turning innocent eyes toward me, she asks, “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Anything that gives me a better idea of who Liliana is.”

I watch her think for a moment. But for some reason, I’m not even a little bit surprised that it only takes her a second.

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