Paradise
The ocean was an emerald green. The wind was hardly stirring, so there weren’t waves of any size, and the sound of the birds and other wildlife calling from the jungle behind her were almost as calming as the vision in front of her. Waking up to step out onto the sand every morning, to take a dip in this heavenly sea, to know that she and Rome were completely safe, that Mary and Gus were not far away and equally safe and happy, was a dream come true for Ella. She never could’ve imagined a remote island in Thailand could be so perfect.
“What are you looking at?” Rome asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his bare chest.
“Heaven,” she said. The feel of his lips on her neck made her rethink her answer. Maybe heaven was behind her. She turned and let him envelop her, resting her head against his chest. He was so much more tan now than he had been before. They both were, which was saying something for Ella since she was naturally darker, thanks to her mother’s French heritage. A month in a tropical paradise had changed both of them for the better in so many ways. She could stay here forever.
The house they’d rented was more like a cabana. It was one room and a bathroom, but it was right on the beach, and it was quaint and lovely. Waking up every morning with Rome’s arms around her and the jade colored sea in front of her was the sort of life most people dreamt of. As much as she’d loved her job, she didn’t miss it at all now.
But Rome missed his. She could see it in his eyes. He’d spoken to the lawyer several times and found out that he had been cleared from everything associated with Tim’s death. His lawyer had also brought up charges against Monty Verona for kidnapping Rome, but in order for the district attorney to do anything about it, Rome would have to come back. He was the only one who would testify against his dad. Of course, if he decided to do so, so would Ella and their friends who had helped them. But he’d have to make the first move.
And every day she feared it would be the day he said he was ready to go. They’d talked about how they could keep her identity, possibly even her existence, a secret from everyone. It would be hard. Someone like Rome was constantly being watched and evaluated by more people than he could even count. If they were seen in public together at all, people would want to know who she was. There could be speculation. If her father saw her, he might recognize her and would wonder if she was really alive, and since she was buried in a mausoleum, it would be easy for him to go and check to see if she was still there, should he be moved to do so.
“What if we bought a place on the beach in California, just like this one?” Rome asked her as they ate fresh fruit for breakfast.
“I don’t think they make places just like this in California.” She smiled, hoping to tell him it wasn’t completely out of the question, but she didn’t think she was ready to leave their paradise. Not yet.
“Okay, so maybe not exactly like this, but close. We could find a place near the beach, make sure it had a big pool. It wouldn’t have to be too large of a house, right? As long as it had great security?”
“Right,” she agreed. “I could get on board with that. I just… don’t know how we’ll keep the fact that I’m alive from my dad.”
“I know. And I don’t want you to alter your appearance either, not much, anyway. Maybe just your hair. Even that… I don’t like.”
“And we have to be sure that your father won’t continue to chase you, too.”
“I have been thinking about that,” Rome said. “Now that we’re sure all of the charges he thought I’d be facing have been dropped, maybe he’ll calm down. Maybe my mother can convince him to leave me the hell alone so that he doesn’t run me off again.”
“Bart says they’re still searching for you, though,” she reminded him.
“But that’s because he doesn’t know where I am. If he knew, maybe he’d stop.”
“Maybe he’d drug you again and haul you back to Europe.”
“I’d definitely have to make sure that wasn’t a possibility before we return.” He ran a hand through his hair, and she felt so bad that he was facing all of this. It would be so much simpler if they could both just return to life as they’d known it before. But that wasn’t a possibility.
“I’m sorry, babe,” Ella said, meaning it. His life had been so much less complex before she’d met him.
“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” He leaned across their tiny table and found her lips, and Ella tried to let all of their worries melt away and remember they were in paradise, at least for now, and that’s all that mattered.
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