Page 170 of Rome: The Ballerina

“Yes?”

“Dry your eyes. You did exactly what you were supposed to do tonight. I just don’t want you to ever do it again. Because it breaks my heart.”

“How can I fix it?”

Teddy sucked the skin of his teeth and lowered his head. He swiped his palm down his freshly cut hair.

“You can’t. Only I can do that.”

“H– how?”

“Kill everything.”

“Che–”

“Everything she loved and shared blood with deserves death. And, I’m going to give it to them…down to the fish.”

His back was the next thing I saw. I unraveled, unable to withstand the weight of it all. Chemistry left me in the bedroom holding on by a thread. Still, I managed to carry the heavy load I was bearing into the shower.

Fully undressed, I stood underneath the showerhead. Blood combined with the water, washing down the drain beneath me. I slid my hands through my hair, witnessing my curls form in real time. It wasn’t exempt. I needed a thorough cleansing from head to toe, and I had eight more minutes to get it done.

I flipped over the bottle of peony and peach scented body wash and squeezed a generous amount onto the towel. My hands came together, scrubbing until suds formed. After acquiring anice lather, I ran the towel across my skin, scrubbing away my sins.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

And, a fourth.

I rinsed and repeated the same process four times and then stepped out onto the heated tile with a towel wrapped around my body. Droplets of blood splattered against the floor, forcing me to halt my stride.

It’s happening.

Roaman had been clear with her instructions. I tucked the towel underneath me to catch whatever was preparing to escape me. Kneeling near my cabinet, I opened it and gathered a handful of washable sanitary cloths that had been tailored to fit my frame. Before standing on my feet, I grabbed the pain meds as well. According to my sister, I’d need them.

I used the filtered hydrant water to fill the glass I rinsed my mouth out with in the morning and after meals to keep my teeth in pristine condition. The cap of the pain meds slipped off with ease. I removed two, tossed them back, and washed them down with water.

I, then, pulled on the leakproof panties designated for menstrual days. In the seat of them, I laid the cloth pad and snapped it onto the panties. It rested against my vagina like an ice pack, soothing me on contact.

Deep brown joggers, a plain white t-shirt, fuzzy socks, and a hair tie was all I needed. No bra. No jacket. No jewelry. Nothing fancy. Just enough clothes to keep me comforted during the natural process my body was enduring.

I didn’t have the strength to take the stairs. Instead, I settled for the elevator. When I emerged, Chemistry was waiting downstairs. He grabbed me by the hand and led me out of thefront door. Just as he opened the door of the SUV that Koen was at the wheel of, he stopped.

“What’s the matter, baby?”

I shook my head, “The baby– the baby is passing.”

He nodded, enclosing me in his arms. As quickly as he’d wrapped me up, he let me go and helped me into the SUV. My head rested on his shoulder the second he settled inside.

“Easy on the bumps, Koen. We’re in no hurry.”

“Say less, Boss.”

Chemistry held onto me, comforting me in my time of despair. Helplessly, I clung to him, anticipating the very moment he delegated the task to my person.My Saint.

I didn’t have to wait long. In twelve short minutes, we were pulling into the driveway. The gates opened, welcoming us inside. Koen pulled alongside Saint's car. He’d just gotten home himself. He waited until the SUV came to a complete stop before rushing to the back door, expecting to find me waiting. Instead, he encountered Teddy.

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