Page 40 of Loving Roman
They bathe me in warmth and happiness.
This man loves me, and IknowI love him, even though I’m terrified of losing him. Deciding it’s better to have him in my life for even a short while than not at all, I take the plunge. “I love you. So much.” It feels so freaking good to say the words out loud instead of in my head.
He moves back in, kissing me roughly, and I feel the relief pouring off both of us that we’ve finally said those magical words. The words I’ve only ever said to one other man and my family.
“C’mon. Let’s feed you.” He grasps my hand, pulling me away from the wall and down the street. We’re both smiling like loons as we walk toward my favorite sandwich shop. We order lunch and then take it across the street to the park to enjoy the sunshine while we eat.
On the way back to work, I feel an almighty pull on my arm as someone snatches my purse, pulling me backward until I lose my balance and fall on my backside with a heavy thud.
It all happens so quickly.
Before I can look up, Roman’s running down the street after the thief. He cuts through parked cars in pursuit, and I lose sight of him.
A stranger stops to help me up just as I hear the sharp squeal of tires on asphalt and a sickening thud. People shout and scream, and my breath gushes out of my lungs as my heart ceases to beat. Panic claws its way swiftly through my body, and time stands still as I get to my feet and turn toward the commotion. My feet move forward of their own accord. Step by step, faster and faster they carry me until I’m running forward, chanting—“No, no, no, no, no”—the entire way.
Cars are stopped on the street at all angles, car doors hanging open left and right. A significant crowd has gathered around the scene, blocking any chance I have to see whathappened. With legs of Jell-O, I push my way through, my gut plummeting down to my feet, my world spinning as I lay eyes on the denim-covered legs of a prone body sprawled on the asphalt. I drop to my knees, and my lunch makes a reappearance as my body shakes and tears stream from my eyes. Violent shakes take over, and I struggle to hold in the sobs that are desperately trying to escape.
I’m so lost in my grief, I don’t notice who’s picking me up. A hand cradles the back of my head, gently guiding my face into a hard chest. Fresh citrus fills my nose, and I sag into the comfort this embrace offers me.
“Shhh, shhh, shhh, Tesoro. You’re okay.”
The shakes that overtook my body begin to subside, and my breathing settles as I suck his familiar scent deep into my lungs. Clutching on to him, he holds me upright on shaky legs. “Y-you’re a-live!” I stutter out on a shuddering breath.
He cups my face, studying my eyes closely. “Yeah, Tesoro. I’m alive. I’m fine. I promise.”
I run my hands over him everywhere I can reach, checking for injuries—finding none. “I … I … thought—” I turn to look over my shoulder, but Roman cups my face to stop me. “I thought he was you.”
“It wasn’t me. I’m okay. I promise. The person you saw on the ground is the guy who stole your purse. He ran right out in front of a car. The driver couldn’t stop in time and hit him pretty hard.” He rubs his hands up and down my back, comforting me. “There was a doctor nearby, and she stepped in to help. Someone called 911, so the ambulance is on the way. He’s moaning now, so I think he’ll be?—”
I rise up, holding his face in my hands and press my closed mouth hard against his, then pull him back in tight to my body, listening to his heart thumping in his chest. His hand comes up to caress my hair as he kisses the top of my head.
We stay until the police and ambulance arrive to take careof the thief. He’s taken away in the ambulance as the police take statements from eyewitnesses. They return my purse to me, and we walk back to the office. I’m still shaky and feeling unsteady from the shock of thinking I’d lost Roman. How quickly my life could have changed again. One minute we were enjoying a lunch date and the next I thought I’d lost him. Life’s just so fragile.
As we step into the building, Gloria comes out of her office and stops dead in her tracks as she notices my face. I’m certain I look a mess.
“What the hell happened?” She moves forward, looking between the two of us for an answer.
Roman shuffles me forward, sits me in a chair, and I wince as my butt connects with the seat. Now I know Roman’s safe and things have calmed down, the pain in my shoulder and backside is making itself known. Roman explains what happened, and Gloria insists I spend the rest of the day at home.
“I’ll see you on Monday.” She hugs me. “Take care of yourself.”
21
–alice–
Walking in my front door,Roman takes me straight into the bathroom and strips me down. He starts the shower, and I wish the space were bigger so he could join me. I haven’t stopped touching him in one form or another since the awful incident. I can’t bear the thought of being separated from him. Not even an inch.
I thought I’d lost him.
Those terrifying, gut-wrenching moments.
He helps me into the shower and remains outside the stall. He soaps up a loofah with my favorite vanilla body wash and washes my body with gentle, loving care. There’s nothing sexual about this moment. It’s purely him looking after me, loving me, showing me he’s still very much here with me.
Roman washes my hair, then follows with conditioner. Once I’m cleansed to his satisfaction, he helps me out of the shower into a waiting towel, which he uses to methodically dry my body from head to toe. Towel-drying my hair as much as possible, he gently combs the strands and then plaits them into a simple braid.
“C’mon. Let’s tuck you in.” Bending down, he picks me upand carries me bridal style to my bedroom. Carefully, he lays me on the bed before tucking the covers around me. His gentle care and concern for me fill my heart. He makes a move to leave, and my heart speeds up in panic.
Reaching out, I grasp his hand. “Please don’t go.”
