Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
It's been two days since I fell down the stairs, and Roman is honestly starting to drive me a little crazy. He won't let me do anything for myself. As soon as I move, he's right there, trying to do everything for me. It's really sweet, but I'm not used to being taken care of. I'm not used to needing help. It's making me cranky.
I'm also unbelievably horny. He's constantly touching and kissing me, but he won't give me any relief. I'm ready to explode, and I know he is too.
"I'm okay," I tell Tahani, flipping aimlessly through TV channels. There's nothing to watch, and I'm bored out of my mind. Roman finally left me in peace to go pick us up Chinese for lunch. Now that he's not here, though, I miss him. I've gotten so used to him being in my space that it feels strange when he isn't.
"I'm really glad my dad was there when you fell," Tahani says.
"Me too," I murmur, trying to ignore the guilt her comment sends washing through me. I'm in love with my best friend's father. How do you even start a conversation like that? I don't know, so I just pretend everything is fine when she calls. I hate lying to her, but I also hate the thought of her hating me. And I'm terrified she will hate me when she finds out the truth.
"Is he being nice to you?" she demands. "I know he can be a big bear sometimes."
"He's been fine," I whisper.
"Something's going on with him."
My heart sinks, fear pumping through me. "W-what do you mean?"
"He's acting strange. He won't tell me why he's there, but I know something is wrong. He never leaves in the middle of a case. Every time I ask him what's going on, he just says everything is fine, fine, fine." She sounds exasperated and scared at the same time. "I know he doesn't like to tell me about his job, but I'm worried about him, Mila."
"I think he's okay," I say, treading carefully so I don't say too much. I understand why he doesn't tell her anything about his job…it's scary and dangerous…but Tahani's as perceptive as he is. She knows when something's wrong. I can't tell her that he's hiding out here because he had to kill someone, though. She's his daughter, and he wants to protect her. It's not my place to take that choice away from him. "He seems fine. Maybe he just needed a break."
God, I hate lying to her.
I'm not very good at it, and I don't think she believes me, but she doesn't push anymore.
"Yeah, maybe," she sighs instead. "I gotta go. Tell him hi and that I love him."
"I will. Bye, Hani."
"Bye, Mila."
I drop the phone into my lap and tilt my head back against the couch, groaning loudly. I stay like that for a minute before lifting up to flip through the channels again.
When nothing catches my interest and Roman still hasn't made it back ten minutes later, I say screw it, and drag myself to my feet. My rib still hurts, and I'm stiff because of the bruises across my back, but the pain isn't as bad today as it has been. And if I have to spend another minute in the house, I'm going to go insane. I'm willing to tolerate a little discomfort if doing so gets me out of the condo.
Deciding to go down to the beach for a few minutes since Roman isn't here to stop me, I make my way into the kitchen. Once I've got my Kindle and a bottle of water, I go out to the deck and carefully make my way down the steps to the beach. As soon as my bare feet hit the warm sand, I take a deep breath of the ocean air and then sigh happily.
Roman means well, but I've missed the feel of the warm sand beneath my feet and the sun beating down on me. Since I've been here, I've grown to love being so close to the ocean. I love being able to look out the window and watch the waves roll in. I love how peaceful and quiet it is here. I'm going to miss being here when it's time to go.
I stand on the beach for a long time, just drinking it in. The sky is a cloudless, perfect blue. Gentle waves crash against the shore. Further out, boats bob up and down in the water. Seagulls circle overhead, looking for early afternoon snacks. Aside from their soft caws and the sound of the water as it reaches shore, it's silent.
The longer I'm here, the more I begin to understand why Roman loves Santa Cruz so much. It really feels like we live in our own little world here, far from other people and in the daily grind.