Relax

Time flew by more quickly and things were back to normal — even though there would never be normalcy for me until I could hold Jennie in my arms and tell her how sorry I was for doubting her love.
School was hectic. The stares and murmurs I got when I wheeled myself around the hallways— if not Melissa — made me uncomfortable. I was the subject of immense speculation.
Zoe was put out with me. She wanted to know how I got to this state and Jennie's arrest made the headlines of newspaper front pages. It was huge. My family was a scandal.
Things between Roman and Isaac were... okay. At least he was allowed to visit during Thursdays, a typical boys night with Anton and his younger brother Rob.
Kate and Julius were treating me like a daughter. It was easy to forget everything when I was with them. They were a comforting formality.
And then there was Ruth. She was still the 'old hag' I'd met all those months ago. It didn't bother me... much that she didn't like me as much as I liked her. At first it was scary, she'd actually took to the trouble of showing me the bullet she'd gladly engrave between my eyes should I hurt her Roman. Didn't she mean my Roman? But now I found it cute, her protectiveness. Even though I probably should've stuck to fear.
I threw my head back and laughed. Wondering if Roman really had the guts to do what Anton had dared him to. I put my weight to my arms and dragged my dead lower body closer to the head rest.
"Ooh, this is exciting," I said with a chuckle, my eyes watching him with interest.
"Anton is going to pay for this," he said grimly, his eyes narrowing.
I grinned. "Oh, stop complaining, you'll be perfect, I promise."
Roman watched me with disappointment and uncertainty. "Or we could just pay him."
I pretended to deliberate. "And lose?" That horrified me. "If we lose, who knows how much money he'd extort from us?"
Roman was shaking his head before I was done talking. "This is a bad idea."
I furrowed my eyebrows at him, unimpressed. "Don't be a spoil spot."
My eyes met his, narrowing as I took in his icy blue. He was mad. And I rolled my eyes. Typical Roman.
"You're over thinking this," I told him with a smile. "Overreacting as usual."
He ignored me and pulled his dark jeans on before asking for my opinion between a blue sweater or white t-shirt.
"Blue — always blue — it matches lovely with your eyes but for tonight. I want nothing that will conceal those muscles. I'd rather you walk shirt-less out there."
He disappeared behind his enormous closet and came back wearing a hat — the ones that police officers usually wore. My breath caught. Even now, despite what was about to happen, I still thought he was the most beautiful person on earth.
"Once I go out there, there's no turning back," he warned me.
I couldn't answer, Anton stuck his head through the door and smiled. "Ready cowboy?"
Ever since my incident with Nikolai, Anton had been... understanding, friendly, he even introduced me to a couple to his 'lady friends'. Most never made it back after the initial introduction day. Except Isabel and Zine, she was fun, willowy, blond, and life poured freely out of her. Roman's decision was firm on Isabel. I was still conflicted. I liked them both, equally the same.
Roman made an angry hiss under his voice and grumbled, "As I'll ever be."
Anton appeared fully around the door and glanced nervously between Roman and me. "You go on ahead, I'd like to talk with Nuru, please."
Roman hesitated, watching me. This too hadn't stopped. He hardly let me out of his sight, always afraid that something bad might happen.
"Five minutes," he finally agreed.
Anton nodded and Roman glanced at us one last time before leaving, he looked like he was having second thoughts.
"You don't think he's really going to do it, do you?" Anton asked moving towards me on the bed, he pulled my arm around his shoulder, wind an arm around my small waist and carried me to the wheelchair. "I can't imagine Reeves stripping in front of anyone but you."
Once he sat me down and positioned my feet, I smiled up at him. "He'll do it alright. He listens to me."
"Doubt he'll be very happy with you when he learns you and I placed a bet on whether he'd actually strip dance tonight."
I cringed but managed a smile. "As well as I know Roman, he's just taking us for the ride, he already knows."
"If he already knows, why would he do this then?" his eyes were curious, his voice soft. "I just know it won't end well for me."
"Yeah well... better me than you huh?" I said with a quick smile. "Now tell me, why did you want me alone?"
He glanced down to look at my anxious gaze and then quickly glanced away, guilty.
He cleared his throat, his eyes troubled, apologetic. "I wanted to talk to you before you regained feeling to your leg... so I can run and you won't catch me and hopefully by the time you're able to walk again, you'd have forgiven me."
I sensed his panic and didn't bother to laugh at his desperate attempt to lighten the mood.
Anton paced, starling, uncomfortable. That made me more anxious. These kind of conversations never end well.
"Anton. If you don't say something now, your five minutes are running out."
Anton stopped mid stride and walked back to me, he lowered himself to a squat in front of me and took my hand. Thankfully, my broken bones had recovered completely but my usual tan was yet to return.
I heard his breath stop. "Promise you won't be upset, please?"
"Okay," I mumbled impatiently. I didn't want to promise. His breathing started back up again.
He looked up, warily sweeping my face with his dark eyes. "I just want to say this beforehand — I'm sorry."
"No matter what it is I'll forgive you... eventually."
He looked away, ambivalent. He hesitated for a second before he spoke. "It's about Regina."
My stomach twisted uneasily at her name. I tensed. "What about her?"
He still didn't look at me. "When she broke up with Roman, she was pregnant."
I shivered, narrowing my eyes on him. And I was very still, remembering rather vividly the day after I woke up from the coma, when Roman had told me why he wouldn't have got back with Regina even if I wasn't in the picture. "He told me."
He glanced up at me, unwillingly... choosing his words with great care. "She was already pregnant. It made me curious. I had questions. "
I stared at him blankly, successfully hiding my brewing anger. "What sort of questions?" My voice was sharp.
His hands trembled for a second under my touch. "Like, what if it's Roman's, the child she's carrying..." His voice was wistful.
"And?" My voice broke, my breath shortening. I was afraid of the answer.
Neither of us spoke for a moment, then Anton looked at me.
" I met up with her and asked for a DNA test?"
"When was this?"
He shook his head. His eyes drifted, then focused on my face. We looked at each other, motionless. "In March."
My jaw was strained tight, my lips curled back from my teeth. I was suddenly furious, the anger boiling within me. I wanted to slap him senseless. My fists balled and he leaped to his feet backing away. Anton stared at me, his eyes widening with terror.
"You're so terrifying." He gulped. "I don't know how Roman manages to tame you."
I ignored him. "You did what?" I asked, unwilling. Was he crazy?
He paced silently back and forth across Roman's room while I watched with growing irritation. It drove me nuts when people did that. "I had to know."
"And she lost the baby because of you?" I was livid. Roman might not have fathered Regina's baby but Isaac would've been a great dad. "What kind of fool asks for a DNA test in the first trimester? I'm sure you were made aware of all the complications she might face."
"What?" He crossed his hand over his heart. "I swear she didn't miscarry. When she found out it wasn't Roman's and she had a ten million dollar modelling contract on offer, she chose to abort."
"Oh?" I mumbled in disbelief. I relaxed my posture.