Page 63 of Ruthless Contract
“Honestly, Romeo, with everything going on in my life, I don't know when we'll be able to see each other face to face.”
She wasn't saying no. But she wasn't saying yes either.
“Do you want that?” I asked. “Do you want to see me in person instead of behind a screen?”
Silence greeted me. At first, I thought she might dodge the question. Then her voice came through the speakers. Soft. Almost fragile, even with the modulator disguising it.
“More than anything,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Every muscle in my body tightened. I leaned closer to the laptop despite knowing it wouldn't bring me any closer to her.
“Then let's make it happen, Juliet.”
“That's easier said than done, Romeo.”
“Let me handle it. I'll make it happen. Just tell me where you are. I’ll come to you. Wherever you are, I’ll get there.”
“The time isn't right, lover.”
Damn it!
I dropped back against my pillow and released a frustrated sigh. I was getting tired of screens. Tired of mystery. Tired of talkingto a woman I couldn't touch. A woman I couldn't take to dinner and eat as my dessert.
A woman I couldn't look in the eyes while telling her exactly how happy I was that she’d chosen to hack me. I glanced to my right, to the empty space in my bed. I was tired of staring at that space and not finding her there.
“I heard you sigh,” she whispered. “I know I'm frustrating you. I’m frustrating myself, too. I shouldn't have reached out. I really shouldn't. I just... I really needed to hear your voice tonight, Rome.”
Rome. She’d called me Rome.
Not Romeo. Not Lover.
She’d called me Rome.
And just like that, the frustration vanished. Gone. Replaced by concern and a need to shelter this woman from whatever storm she was facing.
“Are you okay, baby?” I asked.
“I am. I just... didn't want to be alone tonight. I wanted to at least hear your voice. That’s selfish of me, huh?”
My chest tightened. There was something in her tone. Something sad, defeated. I’d never heard her sound like this before. Something happened in her life that made her feel low. And she’d come to me, needing me to make her feel better.
Needing to hear my voice to keep herself afloat. Without thinking about it, I reached over and turned off my voice modulator. The next words left my mouth in my real voice. No distortion. No disguise. No barrier. Just her Romeo. Her Rome.
“You can listen to my voice for as long as you need to, baby.”
Silence.
Then...
“Rome...” she whispered, and I could hear the tears in her voice.
“I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.”
Fuck. I wished I knew what had her sounding like that. What happened? Who'd upset her? Who was making her carry around whatever weight I heard in her voice? More importantly, who did I need to kill to put a smile back on her face and lessen her worries?
“What can I do to make you feel less stressed, baby?” I asked, starting to feel panicked.
I hated that she needed me, and I couldn’t be there for her. Her sniffle broke my heart.
