“Eden only loves men who will tear her apart.”
And what a sad reality that is.
Why is it that we can't let those who rip us to shreds go?
We all stare as he walks away from the table, our eyes remaining on him until he’s back in the restaurant and out of sight.
Eden downs my martini before grabbing water. She takes light sips but sucks her cheeks in deeply for the man at the table next to us.
“You’re a terrible person,” Sage says, eyeing the woman sitting across from him, hoping his wife doesn’t catch him eye-fucking Eden.
“Not my fault he has wandering eyes.”
I suppose she’s right.
Marcus comes back a moment later, a steaming platter of calamari and the most delicious bread resting in his hands.
“Here you go. Anything else?”
“No, thank you,” I say politely, hoping he walks away before Eden toys with him any further and brings more attention to our table.
Once he’s out of earshot, the conversation picks up again, but this time, the only thing interrupting us is the aggressive vibration of my phone rattling in my purse.
“Excuse me,” I say, springing from my seat as I watch Roman’s name flash across the screen. A picture of us lying in bed bringing a smile to my lips as I let the phone ring.
“Hello?” I say, stopping by the rose bushes, away from everybody enjoying their meals.
“Where the fuck are you?! You leave without saying a fucking word? No goodbye!? What the fuck, Amira! Are you okay?”
I knew leaving without saying anything was a bad idea… I just knew that the moment I heard the concern in his voice, it would only keep me home, and I was already battling my own reasons to stay.
“Sorry. I didn’t want to wake you up. Sage came by and offered me out on a girls’ day with her and her friend Eden. You can come to get me if you want?”
I hear his sigh on the other end of the line. I can picture the fatigue on his face as he swipes his hand from the crown of his head to the nape of his neck.
“Are you okay?” he asks after a minute.
“Yeah. I am. It’s nice to be out and away from the house….” I’m worried by saying that he’ll think I mean it's nice being away from him, but I should know better by now. Roman will always know what I mean.
“Do you still have that money I gave you?”
I finger the stack of cash in my bag, nodding my head as I mumble yes.
“Enjoy your day, angel. Now go back to the table. I’m not hanging up until I hear other voices.”
His demand is a sweet one, and I do as he says, walking back to my table of girls giggling quietly inside when listening to Roman’s rough tenor whisper loving words in my ear.
“OOOH! Who’s got you smiling like that?” Eden says, waggling her eyebrows as she and Sage give me beaming grins.
“I hear you’re back with them. I’ll let you go, but fucking text me, yeah? Don’t let me worry here with only Ash to keep my company.” I hear Ash shout a large fuck you before I agree, ending the phone call with flutters tingling my belly.
“Was that Roman?” Sage asks once I take my seat.
“Who’s Roman?”
My heart.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
