Roman. I try to say his name, but I just end up coughing. My eyes don’t sting as much anymore though and when I open them, Roman is there.
He smiles down at me. “Hey there, Firebird.”
I wet my cracked lips as he undoes the ropes around my wrists. Behind Roman, the barn burns wild, flames engulfing the whole structure. “I set the barn on fire, again,” I croak, and Roman laughs, even as sooty tears mark his face.
“You can set as many barns on fire as you want, Firebird. So long as it brings you home to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Roman
Hey Roman, it’s so nice to meet you. Anything you want or need you just say, okay? This is your home too now.
- Pippa Ford to Roman, age 15
It takesLola seven days to get over the worst of the smoke inhalation. Seven days of me carrying her back to bed every time she tries to get up and do something because my woman apparently doesn’t know the meaning of rest. I’m tempted to bring in more plants, so she has extra oxygen to breathe, but the place already has more greenery than wood at this point.
“I have a coffee shop to run,” she argues, as I carry her back up the stairs after finding her getting ready to leave.
“Skyler is looking after it just fine.”
I set her down on the bed and she sits up on her knees, resting her arms on my shoulders. “Roman, I love you to bits, but I’m bored out of my mind. I feel fine.”
My hands settle on her hips, and I fiddle with the soft cotton of the T-shirt she’s wearing. Lola may feel fine physically, but she’s only just started sleeping through the night without waking up screaming and sometimes she gets this blank look on her face, like she’s lost in her own mind.
Thankfully Mase and I got to her pretty quickly, so the damage from the smoke inhalation isn’t too bad but the scars on her mind are another matter. Scott may be locked away, but we still have to deal with the whole trial and Lola has to process all the fucked up shit she’s been through.
She runs her thumb up and down my neck, her shoulders softening. “I need something to do Roman, something to stop me thinking about how my best friend turned out to be a psychopath who’s been obsessed with me for the last five years.”
My hands spasm around her hips, just the thought of Scott and how close he got to taking Lola from me, making my blood boil. I understand Lola’s need to get back to normal, but I’m terrified to let her out of my sight again.
I press my forehead to hers. “I just… I want you here, where I can keep you safe.”
Understanding floods Lola’s gaze. “Roman…”
“I almost lost you, Firebird. He took you and I couldn’t stop it. I should have stopped it.” All the panic from that day rears its ugly head, thrashing inside my chest.
“Hey, hey.” Lola trails her hand up to my face and cups my cheek. “I’m okay. I’m right here. Roman…” She kisses me softly then captures my eyes. “I don’t need you to save me. I just need you to love me.”
I draw in a shaky breath because I’ve fought to be loved for my entire life but loving Lola is easy. All she needs to do is exist. And it hits me then, that maybe that’s all I need to do too.
“I can’t promise I won’t still be an over-protective caveman,” I warn her, and she laughs, the sweet sound crashing over me.
“I think I can deal with that,” she says as she tugs me low for a kiss.
“Tomorrow,” I murmur against her lips. “Skyler’s planned a redo for the shop opening. You can work until you’re too tired to stand and then I’ll carry you home.”
Lola bites down on her smile. “Deal.”
“For today though, you’re all mine,” I say, making her squeal as I lift her up and lay her down on her back.
The second shopopening goes off without a hitch. Mase has gone off to rehab, but Lola’s parents hover the whole day, bringing her water and making sure she rests.
It’s even busier this time with almost everyone in Pine Rock stopping by to check in on Lola and try the apple fries which have fast become the talk of the town.
By the time everyone’s gone, and Lola and Skyler have finished shutting up shop, she’s dead on her feet but smiling a mile wide. She’d planned on staying in her apartment above the shop tonight but the thought of saying goodbye to her threshes me.
I lift a hand to Skyler as she leaves and then take the cloth out of Lola’s grasp and sit her on the counter.
