- 3 6 -

- R O M A N - A N G E L O -

I jolt awake when I hear small sobs and sniffles and immediately turn on the bedside lamp and watch as Heather mutters something incoherent in her sleep.

I reach out to hold her but as soon as my hand touches her skin, she flinches and sits up abruptly, tears streaming down her face as she watches me with fear all over her face.

"It's me baby, Roman." I whisper to her gently, and watch as her face starts to relax a bit before another sob breaks out of her and I quickly take hold of her, pulling her into my lap as she straddles me with her face in the crook of my neck.

"It's okay baby, I'm right here." I whisper to her softly while her body shakes as she cries softly.

"I-I- didn't mean for it to happen.. P-Please, you have to believe me..." She mumbles, making me look at her as she pulls away from me a bit, but I don't let her go and tighten my hold around her waist.

"Believe what baby?" I ask her softly as she shakes her head.

"I-I swear I didn't m-mean it, h-he came in front of me, he gave up e-everything for me so I could live h-happily and it's all m-my fault. I d-didn't listen to him and I l-loved him so much. I loved him s-so much. It's all my fault, I'll never see him again." She spoke crying as I brought my hand to her face and wiped her tears away.

"It's okay baby, I believe you." I whisper to her, making her cry harder.

"I-I loved h-him so much but h-he's g-gone..." She sobbed and for some reason, something inside me tightened a bit.

Maybe it was because she was crying, or maybe because she was confessing her undying love for someone else.

I shook the thoughts away and pulled her closer to me, making her lay her head on my chest as I rubbed her back while she poured her heart out to me and for some reason I was glad I was here with her at the moment so I could comfort her.

"You'll be fine angel, everything will be fine." I whispered softly, running my hands through her hair and kissing her head as I felt her cries subsiding slowly, replaced by small hiccups every now and then.

Once I felt she had gone back to sleep did I carefully slide down onto the bed with her still on top of me.

I pulled the covers over us and just as my eyes were about to close, I felt her sweet voice ringing in my ears utter another name I was once very familiar with.

"I'm so sorry Anton."

- H E A T H E R - E L I A S -

Small rays of sunshine entered the dark room and made me open my eyes and squint in displeasure as I woke up surrounded by warmth.

Only when my gaze fell to the person who was half under me did my eyes widen slightly.

He looked so peaceful, so calm and without a care in the world. I lightly brush my fingers through his hair, earning a small groan from him as he stirs in his sleep slightly, making me stop.

"Don't stop." He says sleepily, making my eyes widen slightly at how sexy he sounded right now and continue running my hands through his hair, noticing his arms getting tighter around me until I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Roman." I squeak out, but he doesn't answer me so I stop moving my fingers, causing him to groan in annoyance as he buries his face in the crook of my neck and starts kissing it slowly.

"Roman." I whine, squirming in his hold as he grunts in displeasure.

"Stop wriggling around and go back to sleep." He grunts, making me sigh deeply.

"I can't breathe Roman." I tell him and after what feels like an eternity does his grip loosen on me and with the speed of lightning, I move from on top of him and practically run into the bathroom.

I quickly brush my teeth and wash my face, running my fingers through my hair and pulling them in a low messy bun and walk out, only to see Roman sitting on the edge of the bed, now fully awake as he types at his phone furiously.

He gives me a small glance, his eyes raking over my body slowly as he gets up and walks into the closet and returns later with a bag and holds it out to me.

"This is for you." He says, making me frown as I take the bag from him and look inside it to find a blue dress inside.

"Did you get this?" I ask him baffled, looking up and noticing him already with his eyes on me, giving me a small nod. I know for a fact that it's new because of the price tag that's hanging from it.

"Oh. Thank you, but you didn't have to. Maria already brought me some of her clothes." I told him, making him purse his lips in annoyance a bit before he walked closer to me, making my breath hitch momentarily as I stared up at his beautiful green eyes.

"Wear it for me. Please." He added the last part silently but I heard him and with the pleading look he was giving me, it was hard to refuse.

Darn it.

"Okay... I'll go shower." I said and without sparing another glance at him I went into the bathroom with the bag in my hand and quickly took the dress out, admiring it.

It was absolutely beautiful and matched the color of my eyes, with thin spaghetti straps, it showed very little of my chest and flared out at the waist, dropping just above my knees.

I quickly showered and just as I reached out for the dress, something else in the bag that carried the dress captured my eye.

I took it out and my eyes bulged out of their sockets when I saw the lingerie inside, matching the dress. What weirded me out more was how the hell he knew my size and why he knew it.

Maybe he checked the engagement dress I took off...

Pushing the rather disturbing thoughts from my head, I quickly put everything on and blow dried my hair with a drier I found in one of the drawers and made my way outside.

I wore my shoes that I wore at the engagement party since they weren't really that fancy and were actually quite comfortable for heels and also matched my dress.

Applying some cherry gloss that I had thankfully kept in my purse, I walked downstairs to the smell of coffee brewing.

Entering the kitchen, I was met with Roman pouring coffee in two mugs, lost in his own world. I looked over his attire and noticed he was wearing a matching dress shirt to my blue dress with black slacks.

His hair was combed back neatly and his sleeves were rolled up a bit, showcasing his muscular arms.

"So much tension I tell you. And to think they still haven't already slept with each other." Another voice snaps me out of my trance as Roman's head whips around to look at me, his eyes raking my body before settling on my eyes, I notice his satisfied face.

"And they're matching too!" I hear a fake gasp and this time both Roman and I turn to look at a smirking Enzo sitting at the island and watching us.

"Enzo. When'd you arrive?" I ask him, ignoring the pair of eyes that was currently burning me and making me extremely flustered.

"Just came in when I saw you eye-fucking Roman like he were a piece of candy. I swear I don't get why everyone thinks he's so hot." He mutters the last part to himself, just as my face flushes with embarrassment and I steal a quick glance at Roman who's sporting a smug grin.

"Anyway, I walked in to see you eye-fucking him-.." Enzo continued but I cut him short.

"I wasn't eye-fucking him. I was just appreciating uh...the fact that he was making coffee for me.. Yeah, that's it. I'm a very grateful person so I was doing that. Definitely no gawking on my part." I chuckled nervously, glancing at Roman to see his smirk at my rambling and then Enzo who gave me an 'oh really?' look.

"Anyhow, you weren't the only one darling, he was mentally undressing you once he turned around too." Enzo stated, making me blush furiously as Roman grunted in response.

Just then the opening and closing of the door was heard and in walked Gabriel and Maria with lots of bags in their hands.

"Hey guys." Gabriel said as he placed the bags on the island as Maria came to give me a hug before she settled down across me.

Roman walked over to me and set a coffee mug in front of me, sitting right next to me and making our knees brush in the process.

"So what are we doing today?" Enzo asks no one in particular before his gaze stops at me.

"I don't know. It's not like we can go out." I stated, making him nod.

"Which is why I brought stuff to bake. I heard you're an amazing baker Heather, so I thought we'd put you to the test and really see for ourselves." Maria said looking at me as I shrugged.

"Sure, why not. What would you guys like? Something sweet?" I asked them all as they nodded rather enthusiastically. Well all except Roman.

"And I can make pizza along with it, if that's fine?" I asked.

"Of course, we just want food." Maria said chuckling as she started to empty the contents of the bags onto the counter.

I quickly finished my coffee and went to her, helping her set everything up as the guys left to go work in the office.

"Do they ever not work?" I asked Maria while I was mixing the batter for the cupcakes, but she shrugged while she stirred the pizza sauce on the stove.

"Not really." She said, making me hum in response as I continued to mix everything, my mind wandering over to last night's nightmare.

One I hadn't had in a long time and yet I managed to see once again. Dread clawed at my bones and all I wanted right now was someone to hold me and tell me it was going to be alright.

As if on cue, two strong arms wrap around my waist as I'm pulled back into a string chest and feel someone kiss the top of my head. I don't protest, and instead sigh in contentment and close my eyes, reminding myself what Alex told me.

'It isn't your fault.'

"It isn't my fault." I whisper to myself as the arms tighten around me as I felt his hot breath fan my ear.

"It's okay, I'm right here." He says softly, making me want to grip him tighter and never let him go.

But I know none of that is possible as I slowly feel him moving back a bit and retracting his hands from my body, leaving me cold.

How I wish it could stay like that.

I continue making the cupcakes and after putting them in the oven, I start working on the frosting, all under the heavy gaze of Roman himself while I work, and he does too on his laptop across me on the kitchen island.

Once the frosting is done, I quickly put it in the fridge to chill and take out the now ready pizza and cut it into slices.

"Something sure smells good." Gabriel walks into the kitchen followed by Enzo and stops next to Maria, pecking her lips before his gaze settles onto Roman, and then at me.

"Is lunch ready?" Enzo asks me taking a seat on one of the stools and I nod at him as I take out the cupcakes and set them aside to cool.

"Yup, just give me a minute." I say as Maria places down plates for us and glasses of water.

I quickly decorate the cupcakes and set them alongside the pizzas on the island and not moments later, we all are digging into the food.

"This is really good." Enzo compliments me, making me smile widely as I thank him.

"But nothing can beat the cupcake though." Gabriel says with a grin as he decides to stuff his face with yet another cupcake I'm sure its his fourth one, and chuckle at him.

"Would you like a cupcake Roman?" I ask, holding out a dark chocolate cupcake in front of him and watch him stare at me intently.

"Roman doesn't eat sweet things. I really have no idea wh-.." Enzo starts saying but before he can finish his sentence, Roman grabs my wrist and pulls it closer, taking a bite out of the cupcake swiftly, making all our eyes to widen.

"It's good angel." He tells me after finishing, making me blush as I smile at him.

"Thank you." I tell him making it sincerely while he gives me a nod in response.

"I'm going to pretend like that didn't just happen." Maria said giggling, making us all chuckle at her.

The three of them stayed till late afternoon till they had to leave. I honestly had a lot of fun with them. We talked about movies, books, television shows and what not.

I stood on the balcony of Roman's room and enjoyed the light breeze that caressed my hair and closed my eyes, sighing in contentment as two arms wrap around my waist once again, making me lean my head back and look at him.

"You done with work?" I ask him as his eyes flit over to me and he nods, turning me around so that we're facing each other.

"Is something the matter?" I find myself asking him after I notice his tired face and cup his cheeks, almost as if on instinct.

My heart beats wildly when he sighs in relief, leaning into my touch when he closes his eyes.

"You look so beautiful today angel." He whispers huskily, our gazes locking as a blush creeps onto my cheeks.

"Thank you." I whisper, not mentioning my concerns about him knowing my size and all but I figured we could talk about that at another time.

Our eyes search each others with curiously and without warning or any hesitation, I lean in and slowly touch my lips with his, the small contact sending jolts of electricity down my body.

I sigh before fully placing placing my lips on his and kissing him slowly, sensually and savoring the moment as much as I can without any hesitation this time.

I don't know why I didn't hesitate, its like I wanted this. I wanted him.

And from that moment on, I knew I was in deep shit.

Just fucking great.