Page 1 of Rome: The Ballerina

PROLOGUE

4:00a.

“Mmm.”

With precision, my hand landed on the top of the clock to silence the alarm. My eyelids sagged with exhaustion. My lips curled upward with excitement. I brought my knees closer to my chest and submerged myself in the darkness of the covers.

Solitude.

Gratitude.

Elation.

Exhaustion.

Apprehension.

Anticipation.

I was feeling a plethora of things at once. The mixed emotions kept my body planted and my thoughts wondering. White noises that serenaded me during rest hours added to the displacement, temporarily crippling me. The plush new mattress and finely threaded sheets held onto my frame, making my departure a bit more conflicting than I’d anticipated.

Bzzzt.

Bzzzt.

My vibrating cell alerted me of an incoming call. Its location was quickly identified by the intensity of its movement. The device ran the length of my fingers. I swiped across the screen, uninterested in confirming the identity of the caller.

My heart knew who was calling.

My head knew who was calling.

My logic knew who was calling.

“Teddy,” I yawned, finding the strength to push the covers from my body and toss my feet over the edge of the bed.

“Up and on your feet, baby.”

“I am,” I confessed, standing up straight. “I am.”

“Good.”

Silence coated the line as my heart flipped in my chest a hundred times.

I miss you. Already.

So much.

I had so much to tell him. I hadsomuch I needed to tell him. But, I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. This was our fresh start. Mine. His. Roulette. Roaman. Royce. Rather. Range. Rugger. Us all.

I shook my head as I approached the full-length mirror in my bedroom. The tear that managed to escape my eye, I caught with my shoulder. It soaked the sleeve of my silk pajama top.

A sigh fell from Chemistry’s lips.

Oh, how I miss you.

Dearly.

Tenderly.

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