I sipped at my wine, having given up my late-night binging months ago now. I felt better. Everything was incredible now that I let a little sunshine into my life.
I smiled as Sasha wiggled in her seat while chewing.
“Like it?” I called out.
“It’s so good. This is incredible, Roman. I may have lost my job to you.”
I laughed at that. She was back to being in the house with Sophia, but now she slept in my bed, and I put her name on a joint account for us. She could take as much or as little as she wanted, and she knew it.
She wasn’t my employee. She was my girl, plain and simple, and we were becoming a family with Sophia.
I was doing everything I could to prove to her that I was here for the long haul. I’d even had dinner with her and her friends, which wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. In fact, I got along with the guys pretty well and was going to hire Lance into my finance department after he graduated in a few weeks. The guy was good with numbers and had his shit together. I could seea long, happy future with him behind the helm. Sasha said he’d started dating a girl, which only made me happier for him.
We chatted for a bit as we ate, everything so seamless and free-flowing. Conversations with her never ceased to amaze me. She always had the most incredible things to talk about. Especially art. She loved art, and while I didn’t know shit about any of it, I could listen to her go on and on for hours about it.
Which was leading me to my next event for the evening.
I lifted her plate after she finished and took it to the dishwasher with mine.
“So then I said…” her voice trailed off, and a faraway look came over her face.
I returned to her and kneeled at her side. Gently, I placed my fingertips along her delicate jaw and brought her attention back to me.
“I forget.” She winced, her cheeks darkening.
“You were talking about Addison and Parker. A party they were planning for spring break.”
She breathed out and smiled at me. “Right. I said they’re nuts if they think I’m going to Florida for break and dealing with their drunken shenanigans for a week.”
“You should go,” I said softly. “It’ll be fun.”
She widened her eyes at me. “You want me to go?”
“I think you’ll have a blast. You will graduate soon. It’ll be one last college adventure.”
She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
I smiled at her before lifting her into my arms. She let out a little laugh and rested her head against my shoulder as I walked us upstairs.
When we bypassed our bedroom, she finally spoke.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I murmured, going to an empty room at the end of the hall. I reached out with one hand, still holding her in my other arm, and opened the door.
I stepped inside and placed her on her feet.
Her eyes widened, and she stepped forward into the art studio I’d made for her. I’d done all the work while she slept, and when she went out with Monica and Sophia for impromptu shopping trips or while she was in classes.
Her hands flew to her cheeks as she gaped at the easels, paints, sheets, canvases, and so much more.
I went to my knee and pulled a ring from my sweatpants, which I’d rushed off to put on before I cleared the dinner table and scooped her into my arms.
“Roman, this is incredible,” she choked out. “Oh my god. I love it so much. You didn’t have to do all this—” She turned to find me on bended knee, holding the large diamond ring out for her.
Her mouth opened in surprise, her green eyes wide.
“I know I didn’t. I wanted to, though, because I love you,” I said thickly. “And you don’t have to say yes to me, but I’d really fucking love it if you did.”
