We were back in Belmar. I was just coming back from a walk when I saw Anna and Asher together. They were standing side by side, their hands intertwined. I was about to keep going when I saw him kiss her.
By the time I got home, I couldn't manage to stop smiling. I was glad they're together. They're the perfect pair. I went upstairs and took a quick shower. Roman was getting out of work in a few hours and he supposedly has a surprise for me. To say I was excited would be an extreme understatement.
As I looked at myself in the mirror after my shower, I realized how much I've changed in the past two months. The dark circles underneath my eyes faded slightly. my scars weren't as prominent as they were before. I looked much healthier than I did. Hell, I was even smiling, even though it was faint. I seemed to have gained a bit of weight, but it suited me. For once, I felt and looked happier and healthier than I did before.
I slipped on a pair of shorts and a white lace spliced loose-fitting chiffon tank top. For the first time in a long time, I didn't wear anything that covered my arms. Since my scars were lighter and practically fading, I felt as if it was okay for me to let free. I brushed my wet hair and blowdried it at the same time. Once it was dry, I put it into a french braid. I added some eyeliner and mascara before grabbing my flats. I made my way downstairs.
It was nearing six in the evening. My aunt usually got back at five unless she's having a long day; my uncle comes home at seven. For a while I just watched television. I didn't have much else to do. Roman usually got back the same time as my aunt. I decided to wait for her to come home before I left. For the past couple of days, I've been constantly letting them know where I was going. They never required me too but I felt like I should ─ it was the right thing to do.
I was chipping the nail polish off my pointer finger, watching reruns of the Simpsons when the front door opened.
"You home Abby?" Aunt Leah called out.
"No," I replied. I heard her chuckle as she came into the living room.
She kissed the top of my head. "You look nice," she commented. She put her bag down on the table and sat down next to me.
"I'm supposed to go meet Roman in a few minutes," I informed. "He said something about a surprise."
"Well have fun baby," she said.
After a few minutes of making small talk, I began making my way to Roman's. I rang the doorbell, waiting patiently on his front steps. I was surprised to see his mother opening the door.
"Hi sweetheart!" she greeted, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Hi Mrs. Carter," I replied, returning the hug.
"Oh Abigail, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Moira, or at least mom," she teased. I couldn't help the blush that formed on my cheeks. "Roman's upstairs. I'm about to leave though. I'll see you soon."
"Of course, Mrs. ─ Moira. It was nice seeing you," I said. She squeezed my arm briefly before leaving.
I made my way up the stairs slowly. I wasn't in a rush and considering Roman was in the shower ─ I could hear the water running ─ I figured he wasn't rushing either. I made my way into his room. His uniform for work was scattered on the floor. I chuckled at his messiness. I crawled into his spacious and comfortable bed, hugging his pillow as I waited. His bed smelled so much like him ─ woodsy with a mix of Axe perfume. I was playing Soda Crush ─ don't judge me ─ on my phone when Roman appeared wearing nothing but a towel.
"Well if this was your idea of seducing me after my shower, you could have at least taken your clothes off," he teased, coming over to me. I rolled my eyes but returned the kiss he placed on my lips.
"What's the surprise?" I asked, sitting up as he disappeared into his walk-in closet to change.
He came back wearing a pair of grey sweatpants. "The whole point of a surprise is to not tell you," he said, grabbing my waist as he pulled me to him.
"What's the fun in that?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pecked my lips softly.
"Everything." I rolled my eyes.
For a while, we just stayed in his bed. He told me about his day at work. He works at the ice cream parlor nearby. In my opinion, that's the best job in the world. I mean, who doesn't love ice cream? Think about it, ice cream is the best dessert in the world. Working at an ice cream parlor gives you the opportunity to sneak in (into your stomach, I mean) as much as you want. Sure you might have to end up quitting because you fall into a sugar induced coma, but it's worth it, right?
"You're not wearing a sweater," he said after a few moments of tracing my arm with his fingertips.
"I'm doing better," I replied. He grinned, kissing my lips eagerly.
"I'm so proud of you babe," he murmured. "I love you."
"I love you, Roman," I responded, kissing him just as eagerly.
After a while of just making out and cuddling, the two of us got up to get a snack. "So when do you want your surprise?" he asked, tapping my bum. I stuck my tongue out at him as I heated up some leftover pizza.
"After we eat," I told him, bumping his side. He grabbed my waist, pulling me to him. His fingers sneakily slipped underneath my top and I was being tickled. "Ro-man!" He laughed, continuing to tickle the hell out of me. "S-stop! I-I'm go-gonna pee!"
I was suddenly hoisted over his shoulders. He carried me towards the living room where he practically dumped me onto the couch. I could faintly hear the microwave beep but I was too busy focusing on my shirtless boyfriend. I bit my lip as he stared at me with a smirk on his lips. He crawled on top of me, pinning me to the couch. His head dug into the crook of my neck, kissing my skin. My legs wrapped around his waist almost automatically as his fingers lifted my top until it was right below my breasts. The skin of his stomach pressed mine as he bit my neck gently, eliciting a moan from my lips. He slowly grinded his body against mine, leaving absolutely no space between us.
"Roman," I moaned. He gripped my waist tightly, cursing underneath his breath.
"Abigail," he breathed, his hands running down my body as he cupped my ass. "You drive me crazy." I kissed him in response.
"I love you," I murmured against his lips. We were both breathing heavily, his head resting in the crook of my neck as he laid on top of me.
"I love you," he responded, kissing my jaw.
"Come on," I said, shoving his shoulder. "I'm starving." He chuckled and helped me up.
After we ate pizza, he led me back upstairs. He held my hand as he led me past his bedroom towards another room. I've noticed that room before but never questioned it considering it was none of my business. He squeezed my hand and opened the door.
The walls were painted blue. Not normal blue, but different shades of blue. It was a massive painting of the waves. It covered the whole perimeter, even the ceiling. The left side of the walls showed the beach during a regular sunny day. There was a painting of a sun near the top corner of the wall. The waves were all different shades of blue. As I turned towards the opposite side, I saw it gradually changed into a darker grey. It took me a moment to realize that this painting was from day to night, from light waves to a gruesome storm. I stepped closer, touching the wall. Some of the paint was sticking out from the wall. It was a low relief painted room. I craned my neck up, looking at the ceiling. This painting was of the sky from sundown to sunrise.
The whole was basically a panorama of the beach during different times and weather.
I looked over at Roman who was staring at me. "Rome, this is beautiful," I murmured. He smiled, coming over to stand next to me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, kissing the top of my head.
"After she passed, I came in here all the time. This was the only room I could keep," he said, looking around. "I still think about her. All the time. This room is basically the only thing I have left of her."
"I know what you mean," I murmured, clutching my necklace as I leaned my head against his shoulder. We stood there for a few minutes, just basking in each other's presence in this room. "Thank you, Roman."
"Anything for you baby," he replied, "Anything for you."
"Anything?" I asked, fiddling with his fingers.
"What's on your mind?" He looked down at me but I kept my eyes on his fingers.
"Why did my uncle call you a delinquent for so long?"
I waited for him to push me away or to tell me he wouldn't answer that. That kind of response never came. When I looked up at him, he was staring at the wall, his jaw set.
"You don't have too," I murmured when I still didn't get a response. He shook his head, sighing.
"No, I should tell you," he stated. He ran his fingers through his hair frustratedly. "It happened two years ago. I was going through a...rebellious phase, I guess if that's what you wanna call it. It was the same time that my parents decided to come back into my life after Gram's death. I was at some party a couple towns over." He paused, gritting his teeth as he stared above my head. "I wasn't really as drunk as everyone else, but I wasn't exactly sober. I was getting a headache so I went upstairs to find a room to crash in for a while.
"That was when I saw Tommy, one of the guys that goes to my school, was harassing a girl. He had her pinned down on the bed and she was crying and thrashing and screaming for help. Tommy was beyond drunk. He was trying to...rape her. I just got so pissed off that I grabbed him and pulled him off of her. I beat the shit out of him. I just saw red. I kept beating him over and over again and then he was unconscious. I guess the girl called the police or something. When they saw what I did to him...god Abby, I couldn't even believe I did that.
"I put him in a coma. I never hit his face or anything. I just punched him in the stomach and stuff and I guess, when he fell, he must have hit his head. The police couldn't arrest me because I was a minor at the time. But they took me home and told my parents everything. I guess word got out but it was totally misconstrued. They said I was trying to rape her or that I was trying to kill him or something. I swear, I really wasn't Abby. I was ─ I just...I didn't mean for it. He w-was trying to fight back and I just reacted."
I was silent as I processed everything. Roman had his eyes shut tight as he looked up at the ceiling. Instead of saying anything, I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him.
"You're not a delinquent Roman," I murmured. "You saved her life. If you didn't step in, he would have raped her and god knows what could have happened."
"I put him in a coma Abby," he repeated, his arms still at his side. "Granted he woke up a few months later."
"See baby," I said, cupping his cheeks as I forced him to look at me. "He's okay now. You're okay now. And I'm sure the girl is too." He hugged me tightly, digging his face into the crook of my neck.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
I shook my head, kissing his temple. "I didn't tell you about my issues from the start so you don't need to feel bad about that."
After a few minutes, we decided to leave. He closed the door as I made my way to his room. Roman wrapped his arms around me. I faced him, our stomachs pressed against each other. He cupped my cheek, staring deep into my eyes. I read every emotion in them: love, happiness, and lust.
And suddenly, we were kissing. It started off as slow, gentle kisses; it gradually became much faster. His hands were everywhere, igniting a fire deep within my body. It felt like I couldn't get enough of him. I needed more. We tugged on each other's clothes. Our fingertips brushing against the skin of each other's bodies.
In a matter of moments, Roman had me pinned down on the bed. His lips were fierce, rough against mine. Somewhere along the lines, my shirt came off. The feeling of his bare chest against mine sent jolts of electricity down my body. I could feel him harden and that only made me want him even more.
His lips were, suddenly, everywhere. He kissed down my body, pulling my shorts off. My breathing was rapid; his was just as fast as mine. He paused once he slipped them off. He looked at me as if he was trying to read me. I sat up, cupping both his cheeks. "I love you," he whispered.
I kissed him.
Eventually we removed all our clothes with him on top of me. "Tell me if you want me to stop," he murmured. I simply nodded, caressing his cheek as my fingers tangled in his soft hair.
It took us a while to find our rhythm. He was hesitant at first but I reassured him.
He fell asleep a while afterwards but I stayed awake. His arms were wrapped around my waist with one of my legs wrapped around him. His lips were slightly parted, soft snores escaping him. In the dim light, I could make out his scar, the one right above his left eyebrow. I traced it absentmindedly. He, suddenly, clutched me tightly, mumbling incoherently. I chuckled a little before nestling into his chest.
"I love you too, Roman."
A/N: It's appalling how people don't take racial issues seriously. Just because slavery ended, does not mean that racism does not exist. Why did Dylan Roof get a bullet proof vest while Michael Brown get shot without any form of protection? It's been three months already and we still don't know what the hell happened to Sandra Bland. Ahmed, a 14 year old student, brought in a homemade clock to school to show his talent. But how did that turn out?
Racism is still real in today's world and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can say or do to disprove it.
stay strong xo