Rome’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion as he tried to make sense of the situation. Why was he in bed with Jess? Why were Phoenix and Neo standing and screaming in his room? And why the hell was he naked under the sheets?
—
As Rome’s mind raced, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of uncertainty surrounding what had transpired between him and Jess. He remembered the intense arousal he had felt, followed by their passionate kiss. But after that, everything was a blur. Did they actually have sex? The evidence suggested they did, considering they were both naked.
Jess continued to apologize profusely, but Rome couldn’t entirely blame her. He could have pushed her away, but he didn’t.
“Thank you,” he muttered to Neo, who seemed to be eyeing him suspiciously.
Rome knew Neo would have plenty of questions, but he didn’t have the answers himself.
Meanwhile, Phoenix’s voice broke through his thoughts as they headed towards the car.
“You were not early,” she pointed out once they were seated.
“Yeah, I know,” Rome acknowledged, fastening his seatbelt.
“So…?” Phoenix prompted, her gaze fixed on him.
“So what?” Rome replied, starting the car.
“No apologies or what?” Phoenix pressed, her tone expectant.
“If I was the one, I would apologize,” she continued.
“Well, you’re always late, and I’m just late once in a lifetime. You need an apology? Just keep waiting,” Rome retorted, his pride evident.
“Lord, you’re so proud,” Phoenix remarked, but Rome remained silent, unwilling to engage further.
“You’d rather be in bed with some girl than be where your child wants you to be,” Phoenix observed pointedly.
“I’m just going to ignore that,” Rome muttered, but Phoenix only scoffed in response.
~~
Rome glanced around the location Phoenix had brought him to, puzzled by their purpose there. It had taken three hours to get here, and he was beginning to wonder if it was worth the journey.
After parking the car, he walked over to open the door for Phoenix, his curiosity growing with each passing moment.
“Where is this place?” he inquired, following behind her as they approached the security checkpoint.
“A place,” Phoenix replied cryptically, stopping in front of the security guard.
“Do you have a reservation?” the guard asked.
“Yes, I do,” Phoenix confirmed, showing him a card.
“Welcome to G. grande,” the security guard said, opening the door for them to enter.
The interior of the place was spacious and beautiful, and Rome and Phoenix made their way into the hall, where they could see other people already seated.
“That’s our seat number,” Phoenix informed him, walking faster towards their designated seats.
“Be careful,” Rome cautioned, trailing behind her.
“As if you care,” Phoenix retorted, earning a scoff from Rome.
They both settled into their seats, waiting patiently for the event to start.
“When are they going to start?” Rome asked, growing impatient.
“Whenever they want,” Phoenix replied dismissively.
They waited for what felt like an eternity until finally, someone entered the stage.
“They’ll provide entertainment for now while we wait for the necklace and other jewelry,” the announcer declared.
“Now this is boring,” Rome muttered as some people began to dance.
“Trust the process, dumb-dumb,” Phoenix replied, her attention focused on the stage.
But Rome couldn’t shake his discomfort. He checked his watch and realized it was past 9 PM. There was no way he was driving home at this hour. He glanced at Phoenix, who seemed engrossed in the entertainment.
“So sorry for the delays,” the announcer apologized.
“But the binding won’t be happening today, it will be tomorrow at 8 AM,” he announced, eliciting groans from the crowd.
“But… there are rooms prepared for you all for today, so you won’t be late. We are so sorry, but the necklace was not delivered today,” the man explained.
Phoenix’s frustration was palpable. She had never planned to stay here; she just wanted the necklace and nothing more. She looked at Rome, who appeared visibly irritated. Well, she expected as much.
“I guess we have to stay here,” Phoenix said, trying to lighten the mood with a smile.
“Oh, you think this is funny?” Rome snapped, his irritation evident.
“I never said it was… Are you staying or driving home tonight?” Phoenix asked, breaking the tense silence between them.
“I am driving home and never coming back,” Rome declared, standing up and starting to walk away. But as he glanced back, he saw that Phoenix was still standing there.
If only Phoenix wasn’t carrying his baby, he would have left her here alone.
“You’re not coming?” he asked, turning back to face her.
“Yeah, but you can go, though,” she replied with a smile. Rome knew she was aware he couldn’t leave her alone.
“How mature of you,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Hmm… I’m tired. I need food,” Phoenix sighed deeply, changing the subject.
—
Rome set out to find food for both of them while Phoenix waited in the room they were going to share. He couldn’t believe he was going to be sharing a room with her; it irked him to no end.
Returning with food and fruits, along with extra clothes for both of them, he wondered if Phoenix would even appreciate what he got for her.
As he approached the room, he opened the door slowly and paused when he saw Phoenix standing in front of the mirror. She was usually clad in baggy clothes, but this time she was only in her underwear.
He watched silently as she gazed at her growing bump, his desire to touch her stomach conflicting with the animosity between them. He knew she wouldn’t allow it, as she despised him just as much as he despised her.
He waited until Phoenix had gone into the bathroom before entering, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable by letting her know he was watching.
Placing the food on the nightstand, he patiently waited for her to finish using the bathroom.
When she emerged fully dressed in her previous clothes, a wide smile adorned her face. Rome hardly ever saw her frown.
“You’re good sometimes,” she commented, taking the food from the nightstand and digging in.
“I got some clothes for you,” he informed her, passing a bag over.
“Wow, so thoughtful of you,” she remarked, accepting the bag gratefully.
“You should try them on if they fit,” Rome suggested, and Phoenix was about to get up.
“When you’re done eating, the baby has to eat,” he added abruptly, stopping her in her tracks.
She nodded and continued eating, and once finished, she took the clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
Rome ate quietly while she changed, and when she returned, she was smiling widely. The pajamas he had chosen for her fit her perfectly, a small victory in his quest to make her comfortable.
“You have little fashion sense,” she teased, examining the clothes.
“I’ll ignore that,” he replied, standing up. He then went into the bathroom with the clothes he had bought for himself.
After a refreshing bath, he changed into his pajamas and returned to the room. He found Phoenix already lying on the bed, having used some pillows to divide their sleeping areas.
“Okay, you’re here,” she acknowledged, sitting up straight.
“So, this is your part of the bed, and this is mine,” she explained, smiling. Rome walked over and settled onto his designated spot.
“And if you come closer to me, I would stab you with a knife,” she joked, making him scoff.
“I would rather go broke than even think of getting closer to you,” he retorted, earning an eye roll from Phoenix.
“Fine, so be it,” she replied, lying back on the bed.
—
Rome groaned softly in his sleep as he felt a leg on his, a smile spreading across his face as he thought about Georgia. This was how they normally slept, and his hands instinctively went to her waist, pulling her closer to himself.
His hands paused at the bump, feeling the softness of it, before moving up to something else, giving it a squeeze.
Phoenix, still half-asleep, felt something on her breast. Was this another dream about her crush? She smiled in her sleep, feeling the hands give her another squeeze. But as the touch became more aggressive and possessive, it didn’t feel like a dream anymore.
She opened her eyes to see Rome’s hands on her, touching her inappropriately. He was the one touching her, not some figment of her imagination.
“Arghhhhh!” she screamed, her voice piercing the air.
Rome’s eyes snapped open at the sound of her screams. They widened in horror as he realized what he was doing-his hands were on Phoenix’s breasts.
“Ewwwwwww,” was all he could manage to say, recoiling in shock and disgust.
TBC…