How can he be so sure?
We’ve barely even started; we’re only weeks into this, how does he know? I’ve never been in love. Is it that light kind of feeling you get when you’re with them? Is it the safety you feel when they have their arms around you and the way they make you forget all the hurt you’ve felt? Because Roman does that for me, he makes me feel all of that and more. He makes me excited to wake up and to come home. He makes me want to stop time just to last in a moment for a little bit longer.
Isthat love?
My heart beats faster whenever he is near, and the idea of not being near him, not seeing him is a physical pain I feel in my chest, a fist around the organ keeping me alive. I don’t know when it happened, when things changed.
I don’t want to give him words I don’t truly understand, not until I’m sure, but I also don’t want him to believe I don’t want him as desperately as he wants me.
He has his back to me, washing away the day, so I slip out of the bathroom and into my bedroom, picking out a pair of denim cutoffs with my boots and a cropped tee, finishing it all off with the hat I’ve had since high school. I don’t wear it often, but it’s fitting for the theme of the music tonight, and I think Roman will like it. As I get ready, I listen to him doing the same across the hall. We’ve been sleeping together every night, but my things are still in here, and maybe it’s good to have this small amount of space between us.
He may have just given those words in the heat of the moment, we’ve been together a lot, and then today at the falls…
His knuckles tap against the door. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He calls through, “You want a drink?”
“Sours?” I call back.
He chuckles, “I’ll have it ready.”
He steps grow quieter as he moves through the house and I finish getting ready for our date, curling my hair with the curling iron and then apply a little bit of makeup, mascara to darken my lashes, some glitter for my cheeks and then a bright red lip that I love wearing but go nowhere to warrant wearing it. Securing my hat on my head, I leave the room, heading down to whereRoman is playing the same music he was listening to before. Soft and soothing, the melody hits right where it’s meant to, in the center of your chest.
He stands with a whiskey in hand, staring out the window at the fiery sky, the clouds orange and red wisps as the sun sets the mountains ablaze, making everything around it almost dusty looking. He’s in a tight pair of Levi’s, a red and black flannel shirt tucked in with his boots, while his hat sits resting on the back of the couch.
“Hey,” I call to him.
He looks over his shoulder in a passing glance but snaps it back, eyes widening as he takes in my outfit. He rolls his lips before swiping his hand across his mouth.
“Fuck,” He growls, that deep, gravelly tone skating over my skin.
“What?” I look down at myself with a frown as he heads toward me.
“I thought I liked the dress,” His fingers hook into the bottoms of my cutoffs, “But these?”
I feel my face lift into a beaming smile. “You like them?”
“I want to rip them off you.” He rasps, “Leave you in just those boots.”
“You’re insatiable,” I tease, stepping out of reach before I let him do just that.
“You make me a needy man, sweetheart.” He shrugs and reaches for the sours sitting on the tray, condensation rolling down the sides of the glass. I take a sip and groan, still slightly envious he makes better sours than me.
“I’ve booked us a cab,” He tells me as I settle on the arm of the couch, enjoying my drink.
Nodding, I turn my attention to Pumpkin as she hops onto the seat behind me, butting her head against my back for attention. She’s doing so much better now, growing bigger every day, and her weight is now healthy. She’ll have freedom to roam the ranch as soon as she’s a little older, but she seems happy to have the house to herself.
Roman pays the cab driver and then offers me his hand to help me out of the back before he settles it at the base of my spine and guides me through the doors of my bar. It’s already rowdy and loud, the band we hired getting ready to start their set. They come back every year, and they always draw a big crowd, from the locals to the tourists visiting. Ashley is at the bar with her husband, his arm around her as she says something to him that has him throwing back his head and laughing.
We join them and order a couple of drinks, Roman staying close to my back, which is where we stay for at least an hour.
“Behind the falls!?” Ashley whisper-hisses, flicking her eyes to the guys who seem to have hit it off.
“Shh,” I laugh, “Yes.”
“Likenaked!?”
“Well, how else would we have been?”
“In the woods!? What if a bear found you!? Imagine being found like that.”
