Harley circled her neck and exhaled, her eyes closed as the elevator travelled down with them. This was too fast but there was nothing to do anymore, Roman’s parents were already there. She shook her arms a little bit to loosen her muscles. You can do this, you’ve been pretending for the last 3 years.
“It’s going to be fine,” Roman said softly as he reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. Her muscles tensed up again but she forced herself to let it go. It was funny how they fucked like savages and yet, a simple thing like holding hands felt too intimate. However, sex was just sex, physical, a need that had to be fed. “Listen, we could start looking at houses in Madrid.” He went on when he realized she wasn’t going to responde.
“Roman, it’s your house, you go and look for one, as long as you have enough space, spare room, mat, floor, whatever where I can put a blanket down, I’m fine.” She shook her head. Why would she have a word in what house he bought?
“Come on, pocket midget, you’re gonna be living with me for a year. I want you to like it, too,” he said with a smile as he tugged on her hand and she rolled her eyes with a smile.
“Fine, if we make it through this, we can look at places. Never mind you’re yet to find out if your plan works at all.” It was too early to tell if their marriage had any positive affect on his transfer plans or not.
The tabloids slowly started to publish the news of their marriage. Harley’d worked a little bit in the afternoon to get the story spread. She’d had her Instagram account set up, her user name “harleyburki”, a couple of pictures of her, of their engagement and some pictures of them together. She’d sent out a couple of anonymus tips with pictures of them, and some details about her, some syrupish story about how loved up they were with Roman.
“It works,” he stated as a matter of fact. She truly hoped that he was right because she’d hate to see what it’d do to him if they failed. She might have only known him for a few days but Harley genuinely started to like him. Roman was funny, understood her sense of humour, he was kind and in general a very good company, someone she had no doubt, she’d have a fun and chill year to wind down with. His determination to move on earnt her respect just as much as it earnt her pity.
She knew what it was like to try and work through something traumatizing, she knew what it was like to fear that you’d never be alright again. But unlike for her, there was still hope for him and she took pride in being part of the solution for him if things worked as he imagine.
The elevator haltered and the door slide open in front of them. She took a deep breath and circled her neck one more time to lose the tension. They were young, their story of falling crazily for each other was a good one, people did it all the time then they get a divorce when they realize it wasn’t love at first sight but lust at first sight.
“I love you, sugar bunny.” Roman looked at her with a sickening sweet smile on his face as they stepped out to the lobby.
“Too much.” She laughed out, felt her muscles loosening a little as her body shook lightly with her giggle.
“But it got you laugh.” He smiled and squeezed her hand lightly and they turned towards the quiet cafe area. “They are there. Are you ready?”
“I was born ready, shiny eyes.” She smirked at him and raised her chin slightly. She was going to nail this, for the sake of both of them.
They walked between the tables, most vacant, the majority of the guests already hit the night so besides an elderly couple and some girls who gave them curious looks, there was no one else in the cafe. Harley’s eyes settled on the couple with their back to them. A couple of more steps and she would have to pull her best act yet.
“Hey,” Roman welcomed them with a smile on his face as they stepped in front of them. He was the dead ring of his mother, Harley noted right away, same nose, same lips, same eyes, same hair, like a carbon copy just in male version. The body came from his father though, wide shoulders, strong jaws.
“Hey sweetheart.” They all hugged, there were the mandatory back pats between his dad and him. “And she is why we’ve all gathered here.” His mother turned to Harley. She scanned her quickly, and Harley straightened her back a little bit, fighting the urge to fidget under her gaze.
“Harley Conrad, I mean, Bürki.” Roman laughed sheepishly and Harley chuckled softly. Good job he could be naturally awkward and not had to pretend.
“Karin,” his mother shook her hand quickly. Harley could practically feel the tension radiating from her. Of course, she understood. She’d be suspicious as well if her wealthy son suddenly turned up with a wife she didn’t know.
“I’m Martin. Nice to meet you, Harley.” His father offered his hand with a clear of his throat.
“The pleasure is all mine, sir.” She smiled warmly and shook his hand so firmly his eyes travelled to her hairline.
“Strong hand.” He nodded approvingly.
“I was brought up on a ranch, working hands,” she explained, taking the chance for a conversation.
“So you’re a small town girl?” Roman’s mother asked, her eyes narrowed at Harley as they sat down.
“I grew up in a small town, yes. But I lived in New York for over 6 years now,” she replied, her hand resting on the arm of the chair, entwined with Roman’s.
“I see.” She nodded, her voice straight as razor. “What happens now? Are you moving back to the US or move to Dortmund? What about your job? Family?”
“Mum!” Roman groaned with a roll of his eyes.
“No, these are all fair questions, I’d ask them, too.” Harley told Roman before she turned her attention back to his mother.
“We plan to live together. I only have my grandmother and she’s more than fine without me being under her feet. I had a fall out with my best friend who was also my boss so currently I have no job…” She could see the flash in Karin’s gaze, the thought that she was a gold digger as she obviously suspected.
“However, his wealth is safe, I signed a prenup that in case of divorce I get nothing.” His parents’ eyes widened as the words left her mouth.
“I understand you’re concerned for him. I would feel the same way because this all seems so rushed. But I promise in no shape or form I’m going to break your son’s heart or harm him.” Harley said with a firm voice. There, she didn’t even have to lie.
She couldn’t harm him. There was only friendship between them, they had no history, nothing, like a new start and it was safe for both of them. This forwardness was clearly not what they expected, Harley thought as silence fell over them.
“You of all people should understand. You always say you looked at each other and just knew it right there, right then,” Roman said with a smile as he looked at Harley.
“I looked at her and just knew it. Even Marco saw it. He said I had the dad look.” He laughed but Harley’s eyes were set on his mother.
“I have no doubt about that.” His mother nodded and Harley forced a smile on her face. She felt like the woman could see through her and it bothered her. She didn’t like the idea of being transparent.
The evening had gone way better than Harley’d expected. They’d fallen into a casual chat quickly, talking about Roman’s plans, about preseason, the challenges of moving if it happened. It’d been all fine but Harley simply couldn’t get through to his mother. On the surface she’d tagged along as well but Harley could tell that she couldn’t win her over.
She’d tried her best to charm her, she’d pulled all her tricks, all her mothers’ dearest daughter in law moves but Karin seemed to be unphased by all of them. It hadn’t been obvious but Harley had seen it, her doubt, her suspicioun that something was not right.
“You seem to be a kind girl, Harley,” Karin started when Roman and his father walked off to get some champaign for all of them.
“But?” She asked as she tilted her head to the side. She knew there was going to be a ‘but’, she could practically hear it.
“But I don’t want you to use my son to cover whatever you’re dealing with.” It was a simple statement and yet, it left Harley mute for a moment.
“I’m not sure what you mean, ma'am.” She ran a hand over her hair, and glanced away for a moment before she turned her eyes back to Karin.
“Darlin’, that moment just now when you hesitated for a second, that was your first honest reaction.” Karin shook her head lightly. Her voice was soft, this was not an attack but simple statement again. Harley swallowed hard, and was about to reply but his mother held her hand up to stop her.
“Roman is a good boy but he’s blind, always been like this when it came to people he loved and Marco was not wrong to say he has his father expression when he looks at you.” Harley’s limbs tensed by her words. They were just faking it, Roman had no look, he was faking as well. But she couldn’t tell this to his mother, she couldn’t tell her that she had nothing to worry about because this was all just a giant fat lie.
“I have good eyes though and when I look at you, I see nothing but emptiness and a young girl struggling to show the world otherwise.” Her words shook Harley to the core. How could she see through her like that? She’d done everything perfectly as always. The only person who could see through her was her grandmother. Memories of the last hour and a half played back on her mind, she tried to find the moment when her act had slipped but there’d been none.
“Whatever happened to you, I’m sorry that it made you this way. But I don’t want my son paying the price for it.”
***
Roman looked at Harley from the corner of his eyes. She’s been quiet ever since they’d seperated from his parents. He asked her if everything was alright, asked if maybe his mother’d told something to her while he hadn’t been there but she kept brushing him off with claiming she was tired.
“Where is this from?” He asked, his index finger stroking over her chin where there was an 'x’ shaped scar.
“Flew out of the swing, twice in a month,” she said with a small laugh. “See this one on my palm?” She lifted her left hand in front of their face, a deep and thick white line across her palm.
“There was this guy who got his kicks out of torturing his horses. One time I stood between the horse and the whip was already flying through the air.” She was a crack fire. Roman wasn’t even surprised she’d do such thing.
“This one was from when I stepped into broken glass,” she explained as she pulled her leg up, the bottom of her feet decorated by yet another scar.
“Got into a fight on the beach, the bitch who started it looked worse, don’t worry.” She smirked at him and dropped her feet back to the bed.
“What about this?” He asked, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. There was a scar at her hairline, a faded little line that disappeared under her hair.
“I fell off from the horse. It was such a cliche, Thunder got startled by a snake, then stumbled, and I flew off, head first, right into a rock.”
“Damn,” he exclaimed, images of her laying in the middle of nowhere made his heart clench.
“I was knocked out, they had to organize a search party,” her voice went soft as she explained and Roman could see her zoning out for a moment again.
“And this?” He hooked his finger into the necklace and watched her face close off immediately.
“It was my mum’s,” she said and sat up, pushing his hand away. Roman regretted asking it and yet he was surprised by her reaction. When Harley’d mentioned her mother before she’d seemed to be way less affected. “We should get some sleep.” She swang her leg over the bed but Roman caught her waist lightly.
“Come on, Harls, you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”
“It’s either that or I don’t sleep. And you want me to sleep or I’m gonna be a cranky bitch.” She pulled away from his hold.
“I’d just put you over my knees and spank the crankiness out of you.” He called after her as she walked to the living room.
“Good night, Roman.” She chuckled.
“Good night, pocket midget.” He sighed and turned on his back.