Page 65 of Roman & Olivia
“But you’re supposed to protect her.”
Roman couldn’t contain the scowl that spread across his face. He hated himself for not being able to do just that. Hadn’t he tried? Hadn’t he told Olivia that she was making a mistake? “She won’t listen,” he said, letting his hands fall to his sides. “She’s stubborn, and until she sees a problem, she’s not going to change her mind.”
“Then make her see the problem.”
“It’s not that easy,” he snarled, getting to his feet.
Camilla didn’t react to his fury other than to fold her arms and scowl right back. “What are you doing, Roman?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m trying to drink my coffee in peace so I can get to work before Mateo lectures me for being lazy.”
“No,” she clarified. “What are you doing with Olivia?”
When he didn’t respond, she continued.
“We all know you’re madly in love with her.”
He scowled, tearing his eyes from her and turning them to the picture of a beautiful, smiling couple in the newspaper. “It doesn’t matter. It’s too late.”
She scoffed. “It’s never too late. Have you told her how you feel?”
Yet again, he didn’t answer.
“Roman!” she snapped.
He didn’t bother looking at her.
“Seriously! I can’t believe you’re sitting here moping around acting like you don’t have a shot when you never took it in the first place.”
“Maybe I’m not right for her. Have you considered that?”
Camilla made a disgruntled sound. “You’re better than that guy.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“And if Olivia can see that, don’t you think she’d want you to at least try to win her over? If she doesn’t know how you feel?—”
“How could she not?” he barked. “With everything we’ve been through—” He cut himself off when he got a good look at Camilla. She stared at him smugly, her arms folded and her head cocked to one side.
“She loves you, too. You know that, right?”
His mouth hung open, and Camilla let out a laugh before rolling her eyes.
“Come on, Roman. Think about it. Why would she ask you to help her? Why would she go through the whole charade with you? I mean… look at her.” She pointed to the picture in the paper. “Does that look like someone who is in love with the man at her side? I’ve seen happier smiles on a blobfish.”
Roman snickered in spite of himself. Then he leaned closer to the paper and looked at Olivia—truly looked at her. Camilla was right. The woman in the picture, while smiling, wasn’t actually happy. Something was wrong. It might have been the evening, or it might be something else.
Or someone else.
He frowned, his finger tracing her face.
“You have to help her,” Camilla said quietly again.
His furious stare returned. “I tried. She didn’t want to listen.”
“That isn’t an excuse, and you know it. When we love someone, we do everything in our power. And by my count, you have forgotten one very specific thing.”
He lifted his focus to her again.
