Ronny's Little Secret
LILIANA’S POV
The sharp sound of Ronny’s ringtone kept echoing in the room, breaking the air still heavy with the aftermath of what we’d just shared. My body was still trembling, my lips swollen, my skin flushed, when he finally leaned over the nightstand and snatched his phone up.
He didn’t look at me at first. He just pressed the screen to answer, his jaw tight, his brows furrowed.
“Yeah,” he said, his voice rough, the echo of what he had just been doing to me still clinging to his tone. “We’re upstairs. Give us a minute.”
A pause. A low grunt. Then he hung up and dropped the phone back onto the nightstand.
When his eyes met mine again, I saw a flicker of something—conflict, maybe. Something he wanted to say but couldn’t, not now.
“My friends are here to see you.”
My heart stalled. “What?”
“They’re downstairs.” His mouth twitched, the ghost of a smile pulling at one corner. “They wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re doing okay.”
I sat up in a rush, clutching the sheet to my chest as my eyes went wide. “Like… right now? Downstairs? As in, they’re waiting?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God.” I threw the sheet off and scrambled for the edge of the bed, heat rushing to my face. “I can’t go down there smelling like—like—” My cheeks flamed even hotter. “Like sex.”
Ronny chuckled, that low, warm rumble that always seemed to curl straight down my spine. He leaned back on his elbow, watching me with those stormy eyes of his like I was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. “Relax, sweetheart. They’re not going to sniff you.”
I glared at him, though it lacked any real venom. “That is not funny, Ronny!”
He just smirked, completely unbothered, while I dashed across the room and into the bathroom.
I had never in my life taken a shower so fast. My hands were shaking, my hair dripping, and I nearly tripped over myself trying to towel off quickly enough. My mind spun in every direction—his friends. His real friends. The people who knew him before me, who mattered enough for him to let them in.
And now they were waiting for me.
The pressure made my stomach twist, but under it was something else—excitement. Hope. Maybe even a little pride that he wanted them to meet me.
I barely gave my reflection a glance as I hurried into the walk-in closet. My fingers skimmed over dresses, rejecting anything too formal, too revealing, too stiff. In the end, I chose a simple dress, something soft and flowy that didn’t scream look at me. Neutral, safe, but still enough to feel like myself.
By the time I stepped back into the bedroom, Ronny was already dressed. Dark jeans, a fitted shirt, his hair slightly damp from running a hand through it. Effortless, casual, and unfairly gorgeous. He was pulling on a watch when his eyes lifted to me.
The way his gaze lingered—slow, deliberate—made my breath catch. “You look perfect,” he said simply.
And I believed him.
We walked downstairs together, his hand brushing mine every so often, grounding me when nerves threatened to rise again.
Two figures stood waiting in the living room, and the moment their eyes landed on us, their faces lit up with knowing smiles.
Hardin was tall, broad-shouldered, sharp-eyed, the kind of man whose presence filled a room without him having to say a word. Beside him, Jess looked softer, warm and elegant, her smile genuine as she stepped forward with a bouquet of flowers in hand.
“We heard you got discharged,” she said warmly, extending the flowers toward me. “We just had to come see you.”
I blinked at the bouquet, at the kindness in her eyes, before taking it with both hands. “Thank you. That’s… really sweet of you.”
Ronny guided me to the couch, his hand settling on my lower back in a quiet, protective gesture that made my heart swell. We sat together, his thigh pressed firmly against mine, while Hardin and Jess sank into the opposite seats.
Jess leaned forward, her eyes searching mine. “How are you doing? Really?”
I smiled faintly, adjusting the flowers in my lap. “Better,” I admitted. And it was true. Sitting here, with Ronny beside me and his friends welcoming me—it felt like another kind of healing.
Hardin gave a short, dry laugh, his lips quirking. “Yeah, yeah. I can tell.”
Something about the way he said it made my cheeks heat instantly. Like he knew exactly what Ronny and I had been doing before they arrived. I ducked my head quickly, hoping the flush in my face wasn’t too obvious.
Jess shot him a look before rolling her eyes playfully. “Don’t mind him. He likes to pretend he’s observant, but really, he just states the obvious.”
I laughed nervously, but the warmth in the room settled some of my nerves.
Then Jess tilted her head, curiosity sparking. “I’ve been dying to know… how did you two meet?”
I glanced at Ronny instinctively, but he didn’t answer—he just raised a brow at me, like he was daring me to tell the truth.
So I did. “Actually… I asked Ronny out first.”
Both Hardin and Jess froze for half a beat before Jess’s face broke into a triumphant grin. “I knew it! This stubborn man, hiding his feelings forever. I swear, if you hadn’t made the first move, he probably would’ve died lonely.”
I laughed then, the sound bubbling out of me in a way that felt easy, natural. “That’s exactly what I thought too.”
Ronny muttered something under his breath, shaking his head, but there was the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
Then I noticed it—Jess giving me a look. Subtle, but unmistakable. A signal.
My pulse quickened. She wanted to talk. Alone.
I rose slowly, setting the flowers aside. “Excuse me for a moment,” I murmured, heading toward the corner of the room. Seconds later, Jess followed, her heels soft against the floor.
She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the guys weren’t listening before lowering her voice.
“Ronny’s birthday is in two days.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
She nodded, her expression solemn. “He doesn’t like celebrating. Every year, when his birthday comes around, he disappears. No party, no calls, no gatherings. He just shuts down.”
I swallowed, the information hitting me harder than I expected. “Why?”
“Because…” Jess hesitated, then sighed. “We all grew up in the orphanage. It was rough, Liliana. Really rough. For Ronny, birthdays always felt like a reminder that his family didn’t want him. That he wasn’t wanted at all. So he built walls around the day, and he’s kept them up ever since.”
My heart clenched painfully. I could almost see him as a boy—alone on his birthday, pretending he didn’t care while inside it tore him apart.
“He deserves better,” Jess said softly. “And with you in his life… we’re hoping maybe this year can be different.”
I blinked back the sudden sting of tears, my throat tight. “I didn’t even know his birthday was in two days,” I whispered.
“You weren’t supposed to,” she said gently. “He doesn’t tell anyone. But I thought you should know.”
I nodded slowly, emotion swirling in my chest until I could barely breathe. “Thank you, Jess.”
A smile broke across my face then, soft but determined. Because in that moment, I made a silent vow.
This year, Ronny wasn’t going to hide. He wasn’t going to feel unwanted or forgotten. This year, he was going to feel loved.
Loved in a way he never had before.
And I was going to be the one to give that to him.
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