REIGN (A REVERSE HAREM)

65. Arabella

He was looking out of his window, "What?"

"What did you mean, Roman?"

"You're confusing." He looks at me, pouring some more whiskey in his glass.

"How?"

"You sleep in my bed, you play with my hair, you tattoo the shit i draw onto your body, you hug me, kiss me, tell me to be safe, get mad when i hurt myself; yet you still don't love me Arabella. You wear my ring, you make sure everybody knows i'm your husband but you refuse to love me?" He says with his tone a little sharp, his eyebrows furrowed.

I can care about someone without loving them, can't i? i mean... i don't know.

"Roman you said yourself that you can't make me love you if i don't."

"Then what does it mean?" He raises his voice. "Because you're doing what you do with Ash and Luca, you love them-"

"Roman just because i care about you doesn't mean i love you."

I could have swore i heard his heart dropped

"Please leave me." He points to the door.

"I..." I don't even know how i can make that sound any better.

"Don't Arabella. Your feelings are clear, the tattoo is beautiful, but go away."

"We do this all the time Roman." I sigh, tears threatening to leave my eyes. "All the time."

"I'm aware." He looks back out of his window, his jaw clenching.

"So let's not-"

"Arabella." He sighs, "Arabella, this is easy for you. You are a normal person with normal emotions. I am not. I am trying my hardest, love. All i want is for you to love me. That's all i want, and i'm doing everything i can to try and do it, but it's clear it will never happen. I don't want to talk about this, and i don't want to see you."

I wipe my eyes quickly, "Love doesn't work like that-"

"I don't know else you want me to do!" He raises his voice, his voice breaking. "I'm doing more than Asher and Luca have done and you still see me lower. Is what i'm doing not enough? What else can you possibly want from me?"

I groan because i don't even know. He does a lot for me but it's not the stuff i want him to do. I can't change how i feel over night.

"Now leave Arabella." He holds his throat, "Go."

"I appreciate what you're doing Roman." I wipe my eyes again. "I'm... I'm really thankful that you're trying."

"No you're not, love."

That hit me hard in the chest.

"You would love me if you were." And there's the manipulative side.

"Fuck you, Roman." I walk out of the room, up the stairs.

I push my way into Luca's room and he looks at me, two boys in his room, "Uh... pants, princess."

"Who is this?" I grab a pair of his sweatpants, pulling them up over my hips.

"This is two investors i'm working with."

"In your bedroom?" I raise an eyebrow.

He just kind of looks at me weirdly.

I dismiss myself, walking back down the stairs and into the living room where Asher's family sat.

Bai, Asher's mother, gives me the dirtiest look.

I sigh, "You can set your face straight." I roll my eyes at her, grabbing my phone and Romans laptop. "I'm leaving."

"Arabella?" Asher raises an eyebrow.

"I'm going to the dock." I walk out of the room.

"Her attitude is horrible." I hear Bai say.

I ignore the comment, sliding on my shoes and making my way out of the back door and across the grass, onto the docks.

I sit down, flipping the laptop screen up.

I ignore what Roman was doing and open Netflix, i lean against the side, clicking on Lucifer.

I read a book on my phone while the show plays in the background.

Half way throughout the episode, the laptop pings and a notification box appears in the corner.

'hello arabella'

I look at it again, thinking i didn't see it right.

Another ping.

'i can see you'

I lean back, startled but pretending not to be. It's an unknown emailer.

I type to the group chat quickly,

ARABELLA: some weirdos messaging me on the laptop, someone come outside

ROMAN: busy

ASHER: I can see you from here

LUCA: i'm busy princess

Fucking men.

ARABELLA: you all annoy me so much

ping

'stop pretending you don't see my messages, pretty girl. ur boys won't save you now'

I close the laptop over, pushing it away. I keep leaned against the side, the rail digging into my back a little.

My phone vibrates in my hand.

'poor girl, your boys don't like you that much. must be how needy you are'

I sigh.

How did they get my number?

I take a screenshot, then send it to the group chat.

ROMAN: the land is surrounded by men, stop being paranoid

ARABELLA: fuck u roman

ROMAN: stop giving me attitude

ARABELLA; stop being a sour bitch

ROMAN: is this how it's going to be?

ARABELLA: i'm scared and ur just acting like a dick.

ROMAN: the house is protected.

LUCA: can you two take ur arguments out of the group chat please

ASHER; it's funny

ARABELLA: this is serious and u all just don't care

ROMAN; you're not the centre of everyone's universe Arabella

ouch.

ARABELLA: u don't make it seem that way roman

I turn the phone off, throwing my head back.

There was a series of more pings, more vibrates and i just let it blow up.

I walk over to the edge, letting my feet dangle over the edge as i watch the ducks swim around.

I named them all, they're all named after characters from the 100. Octavia is my favourite.

In the reflection from the lake i was looking at, where the trees were sectioned on the other side. I could see a figure.

It grew larger on the ripples.

I look up, my eyes landing on a group of about five men.

I stay seated, looking at them. I don't know what i felt. I was intimidated, but i wasn't scared.

I'm more worried trying to figure out how many men they killed to be able to get in here.

One raises a gun, one of the big sniper guns.

I stare at him.

Then a second later, something pierced through my shoulder.

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Ffs i cba to check through this so tell me if there's any mistakes

word count: 1635