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Before I even open my eyes, I know I’m alone. It’s not that I don’t feel Roman pressed up against me, nor that I don’t hear the soothing tempo of his deep voice in the room as he talks on the phone, which he does a lot. It’s something else. It’s like the room around me just feels empty.
Blinking my eyes open, I lift my head off the pillow and shove my hair out of my face. Even with the curtains closed, enough light is still coming through to easily see around the room, and the amount of relief I feel when I see Roman’s bag still open on the luggage stand is startling.
Since he told me he was coming with me, I’ve never once thought about him just leaving me without saying something, so I don’t know where the fear of him taking off without a goodbye comes from.
Sitting up fully, I prop my back against the headboard, then reach over and grab my phone. It’s nine, so it’s early—or I consider it early, seeing as we were out until after three this morning. Glancing around, I see his sneakers missing from where he left them by the door, so he must have decided to go for a run when he got up this morning.
With no text from him letting me know where he went, I start to pull up his number to send him a message and ask if he’s okay but stop when my cell phone rings.
“Hi, Kandi,” I greet after sliding my finger across the screen and putting the call on speaker.
“Hey, Elora, do you have a few minutes to talk?”
“Sure, is everything okay?” I ask, looking toward the door when it opens. I watch Roman step inside, wearing only a pair of shorts but holding an iced coffee with the paper still covering the top of the straw. Kicking off his shoes, he walks toward me.
“Everything is great. I just wanted to talk to you about your closing date scheduled for two weeks from today. Do you think you’ll be able to make it here?”
“Oh.” I look up at Roman, who comes around to the side of the bed to kiss me before he passes me the coffee. “Do I need to be there?”
“You don’t have to be here; we can do everything from wherever you are. The buyer is from out of state, so they won’t be there to sign in person either.”
“I still need to figure out where to put all the stuff from my mom’s house. It might be good for me to come back and do that at the same time.”
“If that’s what you want. But the buyer has already let me know there is no rush for you to move since they won’t be able to make it to the property for a few months. You will probably have to pay them rent for the time you are still occupying the property, but we can sort all of that out before we close.”
“I think I’ll plan on being there. I’d rather have everything done,” I say, even as my heart hurts and my stomach fills with dread.
“Sounds good. Then I’ll plan on you being here for closing.”
“Thanks, Kandi.”
“Any time. We’ll be in touch soon. Have a great day.”
“You too.” I hang up after saying goodbye, then look at Roman when he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “Thank you for the coffee.”
“Are you sure you want to go back for the closing?” he asks instead of acknowledging my gratitude.
“I don’t know that I want to, but it would be good to spend some time at my mom’s house. Plus, it will take me some time to sort through the things that I want to keep and what I should get rid of.” I rub my lips together, then add quietly, “We’re already here in Vegas. The Grand Canyon is a day trip, and New Orleans was next. I planned on staying there for a while and getting a job, so I can just find a place to store my van and fly home after instead.”
“What about the rest of the circles on your map?”
“I’ll get back to things after I’m done. I’m sure you’ll also need to get back home.”
His jaw clenches. “I’m not going back to New York without you, and I’m not letting you go to Wyoming without me.” Taking my eyes off his, I look around the room at his things mixed with mine.
“What are we doing, Roman?” I ask softly after a long moment.
“What do you mean?”
Tossing out my hand, I motion between us. “I mean… what is this? What are we doing?”
“I don’t know what this is.”
Darn, my heart should not hurt from that statement, especially when I don’t even know what this is, nor even know what I wanted him to say. A declaration of love would be ridiculous to want, given the short time we’ve known each other, but part of me wishes it was that easy.
Taking my coffee, he sets it on the side table, then wraps his hand around my ankle and tugs me down in the bed, making me gasp. As he crawls up between my legs, my heart pounds as he looms over me.
“I don’t know what this is, Elora.” He leans in, kissing me softly. “But I know it feels right.” His hand smooths up my side, where my tank top has ridden up, his thumb stopping at the underside of my breast. It takes everything in me not to arch, not to seek more of his touch. His lips brush against mine while his fingers find their way into my hair. “I also know the idea of you being in Wyoming or anywhere else that isn’t with me makes my chest feel tight.” His eyes wander over my face. “Can that be enough for now?”
