Rome took a step forward. “Bec,” he tried to interrupt, but I just kept on going.
“I hate not having control, and when I’m with you, I have zero control. I hate it! I hate what you do to me, but I don’t want it to stop because it’s like a breath of life…”
Rome stepped closer again, and I ran my hands through my hair. “I can’t lose control. I have too many people depending on me. I spend all day thinking about it, aboutyou, which is bad because I’m trying to run this company, and I should be focused on that. But all I think about is you, goddamn it! It’s annoying!”
“At least I’m still annoying you… that hasn’t changed,” he interrupted. I shot him a glare at the intrusion, and he just laughed.
“See, you’re obnoxious and annoying, and you make me want to pull my hair out. But you also make me smile, and laugh, and actually relax. I feel likemearound you, not this stupid Ice Queen, but Bec. I just feel like I can be…” I sighed, realizing he was now directly in front of me. “...You make me feel safe.”
I finally stopped rambling… my chest heaving from the exertion.
Rome smirked, that godforsaken smirk. “Okay.”
“Okay?” I asked in confusion. “What the hell doesokaymean?”
“You’re rather vulgar tonight. I like it. What it means is, we can be more.” He was resolute, leaving no room for argument.
His hand brushed across my cheek, first cupping my face, then weaving through my hair. His other hand wrapped around my back, and he pulled me flush against his body. He pulled at my hair, forcing me to look up at him. The tension stinging my scalp, and the sensation sending butterflies to my stomach. I steadied myself, splaying my palms against his broad chest. I could feel his heart beating rapidly under my palm, and a small, familiar silver chain.
“You still have the necklace? The R?” I asked.
He smiled, “Of course. Had to make sure everyone knew who my girlfriend was.”
“Girlfriend,” I mumbled, almost to myself.
He leaned forward, his lips nearly meeting mine before stopping. I couldn’t help the whine that crawled up my throat, “That’smorethan a friend, right?”
Finally, he kissed me. This is what our months together had been leading to.
This moment, on the street, the only lights were the street lamps around us. Just he and I.
He kissed me like the world was ending and this was the only way to survive. We were plastered to one another, our mouths moving in sync, as we finally gave into the tension pulling us together since the moment we met.
He pulled away slightly, just enough that I could see into his eyes, but we were still tightly connected and intertwined. His chest was heaving… his dark eyes widely dilated.
Rome smiled, not his usual smirk, but a genuine smile. “So, that happened.”
I laughed softly, “This is breaking so many rules.”
“Well, thank God you’re the boss,” he said with a wink. “You make the rules,vita mia.”
I sighed and leaned into his body, my forehead resting above his heart. “What does that mean,vita mia?”
His breath hitched, “I hadn’t even realized I had said it…” His words were quiet, as if he were speaking to himself. “My dad wrote to my mom when he was deployed, before he died. He always addressed her asvita mia.”
I leaned back, my arms still wrapped around him. “Italian, I’m assuming?”
He nodded, his eyes wistful as he spoke about his parents. “He always told my mom that she was the love of his life. It meansmy life. It was his way of telling her he would love her for all of his days… and he did.”
“He’d be proud of you, Rome.”
Rome shrugged, not believing my words. But I would convince him of it, show him he wasn’t the failure that he believed himself to be.
“I feel like I should warn you, your brother is glaring daggers at me out the window,” Rome explained. I turned in his embrace, my back now to his chest, to see Will, Jackie, and my mom all peering through the window.
Jackie at least had the decency to pretend not to be spying as she dropped from view when I made eye contact. My mom was throwing me a thumbs up, but Will was, in fact, glaring at Rome. I laughed at my brother and did what any little sister would do… I flipped him the bird.
Rome laughed behind me and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Wanna get far away from here?”
