Intense by C.M. Steele
Chapter Fourteen
Amelia
My head’s spinning, and I’m not all sure it’s from the injuries I’ve suffered. My mother and stepfather are sitting beside my bed, but I don’t see Roman. “Mom,” I croak out.
“Sweetie, you’re finally awake.” My mom’s eyes are filled with tears, face blotchy, and it hurts to see her like that, but all I can think about is where Roman is. He promised he wouldn’t leave me, but I don’t see him.
“Where’s Roman?” I shout louder than necessary, annoyed that no one has answered the question I’d only asked in my head.
“Here, Princess.” He comes out of the bathroom in my room and moves straight to the other side. God, he’s handsome even though he looks haggard.
“I’m sorry I freaked out.” He reaches me and cups my hand, bringing it to his lips.
“Don’t be sorry. You’re safe,” he promises, rubbing my forearm as he never breaks eye contact. “Now, say hi to your mother before she cries some more.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I couldn’t make it a full day without staying out of trouble.”
“I’m so glad to have you with us,” she says with tears and dread lodged in her throat.
“So, you ready to bust out of here?” my stepfather asks, lightening the tension.
“Sure. Who’s gonna carry me out of here?” I ask.
“Me, of course. I want that privilege.” God, he’s gorgeous and looks so ragged. There’s hope in his eyes. It strikes me that he believes it’s all his fault.
“I wouldn’t have anyone else. How bad do I look?” I ask my mother because I’m afraid of what Roman would say.
“You’re still your beautiful self,” Roman answers.
“Please.”
“He’s right.”
“You’re biased,” I insist. I can feel the bruising on my face and my head’s wrapped up. “I must look like a mummy.”
“I’m not saying you’re not bandaged like a mummy who ran out of toilet paper, but you’re perfect to me.” That makes me smile, which in turn makes Roman do the same. He’s about to say something when his phone takes that moment to ring.
“One second.” He steps away and says, “Yes, Grizelda, please bring it. Thank you.”
“Why is she coming?” My eyes narrow.
“Is she bringing food?” Theodore asks.
“Yes. She’s bringing us some food. I don’t know if you can eat, but Grizelda wants to bring us some dinner.”
“I don’t want your mistress’s meals,” I snap, slapping my hand to my mouth. I’m immediately mortified at the outburst. I don’t want him to know I’m jealous, but the look on his face is pure shock.
“Mistress?” Theodore busts out laughing.
Roman shakes his head and comes to the side of my bed again. “She’s my housekeeper, Amelia. I had no idea you thought that.”
“Housekeeper?” I say just above a whisper, feeling like an idiot.
“Yes, my older, married, housekeeper.”
“Oh.” I blush, and so does Roman.
“I think we’ll take a walk to the vending machines,” my mom says, getting up and dragging Theodore with her, who is still trying to hide his smile.
As soon as they close the door, Roman sits. “Amelia, I didn’t tell you before, but I was a virgin too that night.” My mouth pops wide open in surprise, but he continues talking, “I’ve never been able to get close to a woman before you. You’re the first and only woman to arouse me enough to actually let down my guard.”
“I can’t believe it. I’ve let myself be pissed this whole time. I heard you say for her to be ready for your return.”
He pauses for a moment, thinking. When he figures it out, he says, “In the car. I remember. I wasn’t supposed to be home, so she wasn’t going to have to make any meals for me, so I was just letting her know that I was coming back early.”
“Oh. I feel stupid.” I slam my eyes shut, hoping the bed will swallow me up.
“Open those gorgeous eyes,” he growls. I shoot them wide open, surprised and turned on by his tone. “Don’t. I think it’s fucking sweet and sexy.”
“Sexy, that I was mentally ripping these women’s hair out?”
“Women? Do you mean Inga too?”
“Yes. Sorry.”
“Enough apologizing. There is no one else for me but you, Amelia. If you’ll still have me.”
“I love you too, Roman. I’m not going to let you get off that easily.”
“Good. I don’t want to be.” He bends down and presses his lips to mine. It’s gentle and oh, too brief, but it causes my heart to race.
A minute later there’s a knock at the door, and it’s the doctor. “It’s good to see you awake. I hate to do this to you, but the police requested that they speak to you. The other woman in the vehicle is claiming she’s the victim and you assaulted her.” Roman’s body stiffens, and he looks like he’s about to kill someone.
I respond before he goes apeshit on these guys. “Please have them come in. I’m ready to speak to them.”
“She just can’t stop making my life miserable,” he sighs, shoulders dropping with an air of disappointment.
“It’s going to be okay, Roman,” I say, giving his much larger hand a squeeze.
“As long as I have you.”
Our parents come into the room along with a grizzled-looking detective. “Hello, Ms. Reeves. I’m glad to see you’re awake. I need to ask you a few questions.” I nod. “I’m going to record this so it’s easier to review. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” He pulls out a recording device and holds onto it as he moves next to me, taking the seat my mother was in.
“So let’s get started. Do you remember what happened today?”
Roman tenses, blaming himself for his mother’s actions. I could never be mad at him for this, but I also can’t let that wench get away with her crimes. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. My morning started off shitty.” I explain about my phone and then the trip to the bookstore. “I was tired and thinking I really should have taken your offer to lend me your driver, and then as I approached my dorm building, she stopped me. Played a recording of you believing the image was real.”
“That’s bullshit. I can’t say I wasn’t shocked, but I know her. She’s lied to me my entire life—why would she suddenly have the urge to tell me the truth? Besides, I didn’t believe you would do that to me.”
“Oh. Well, at first, I wondered, but then I thought better of it. I was going to call you, but since I figured she was here after seeing you, then it must be bullshit. I rushed to get away from her and ran straight into that asshole guard you hired. He’d been following me for days, so I thought he would help me, but he pulled a gun on me.”
“What happened in the car?” the detective asks.
I go on to explain what happened, and everyone gasps when they admitted to trying to kill me. “I did what I had to do to give myself a chance.”
“That’s very brave,” the detective says.
“Is it really, when it’s the only choice I had?”
“Yes. Many would beg for their lives or something.”
“Thank you. I didn’t know where they were taking me, but I found the first chance I got and took it.”
“That’s incredible. It’s probably the only reason you’re alive.”
“Yes, if she knew you could testify against her, there’s no way Anna would have let you live. What I don’t understand is her motives?”
“I think I do. When she came to my office, she screeched about you ruining her relationship with the love of her life.”
“How did I do that? After she and I divorced, I fought her for you, but when they said I wasn’t able to get you because I wasn’t your father, I threw in the towel. I never spoke to her again.”
“What happened with her lover?”
“He left her for another woman when I was seventeen.”
“And she blames me?”
“I think she’d blame everything on you if she could. Her hatred for you made no sense to me until today. It really has to do with me. She wanted Amelia out of my life. I realize I resemble my sperm donor. When I cut her out of my life, she blamed you. I told her it was all her, but she’s fucking delusional.”
“What happened to the other guy? Why doesn’t she hate him?” Rachel asks.
“He died of a heart attack, ironically, with the other woman, leaving me his company when I was nineteen. He said he made mistakes, and not giving me the life he gave his other kids haunted him. So he left it to me. I built it up and sold it, giving my half siblings a big chunk of the sale.”
“That’s generous.”
“It’s not. It should have been theirs to begin with. He was never my father. He abandoned them after claiming to love them. Damn, my lineage is really fucked up.”
“It’s time to start over.”
“Oh my goodness. Speaking of, Ms. Reeves. We need to speak in private.”
“I don’t think there’s anything you can’t say here.”
“Actually. Our blood tests in the lab took a while longer because we have two people out sick, but we need to inform you that...” The doctor takes a long pause. “You’re pregnant.” I shoot my eyes straight to Roman, afraid of what he’s going to think.
“Pregnant?”
“Yes, but it’s very early. Your numbers just reach that level. We’ll want to do another test before we release you just to measure the levels, but we’re fairly certain that you aren’t far along.” On our one night together, we didn’t use any protection.
“Oh…goodness.”
“I’m going to be a grandma!”
“I’m going to be a grandpa!” They both cheer happily, but I’m looking at Roman who looks stunned, almost frozen in place.
“I’m tired. I would like to sleep, please.”
They all file out but Roman, who stops. “I’m sorry, Roman. I know this isn’t what you expected.”
“Amelia, we weren’t careful. And although I should feel bad that I got what I wanted, I don’t. I love the idea that you’re pregnant with my baby. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“You want me to have your baby?”
“Of course. I mean, I would have liked a little more you and me time before then, but I love you, Amelia. You make me want things I didn’t know I needed.”
“So we’re having a baby.”
“Do you not want it?” The absolute look of horror on his face nearly breaks my heart.
“Of course I do. I would have just done everything I could to raise the baby alone.”
“Over my dead body, Princess.” He reaches out and presses his hand to my stomach. “You’re my world. The both of you are.” He bends and kisses my lips. He’s tender and careful.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Amelia. I’m not a man who changes his mind. I wanted you from the first day we met, and that’s what made me an asshole. I’d never felt that way before. I almost lost you. You have no idea how much my world felt like it was crumpling. You’re lucky if I ever let you out of my sight again.”
“Good. Because I really missed you.”
“Me too.”
I sigh and then yawn. There’s a knock at the door. “I’m sorry, but we’re here to bring Ms. Reeves her dinner.”
“Oh.”
“My housekeeper is bringing us dinner.”
“Not for her. I’m sorry, sweetie, but for tonight, dinner is our menu. Until the doctor gives the approval, you’re on a bland and light diet.”
“Okay. I won’t argue.”
“I wish it was that easy,” Roman grumbles.
“I like bickering with you,” I sass, smiling up at him.
“Can we come in now? Grizelda dropped off the food and we’re hungry.”
“Take that to the lounge. Amelia can’t have any, and I don’t want her to be upset.”
“Oh, sorry, sweetie,” my mom says, giving me a slight hug. I forgot about the hospital meals. “We’ll be back in a bit.”
“Go ahead and eat with them,” I tell Roman.
“No.” He turns to the nurse and asks, “Can you bring me one of the hospital meals?”
“Yes, I can.” She smiles and walks out of the room, leaving us alone again.
“Are you really going to eat the bland food for me?”
“Yeah. It’s my fault you’re in here in the first place.”
“It’s not.”
“But it is. I hired that asshole, and that rotten bitch gave birth to me.”
“I’m not going to argue with you because I’m too tired for it, but I still think you’re wrong.” He bends down and kisses me hard, slipping his tongue inside when I moan.
“You’re so beautiful, Amelia. Even when you think you’re right.” I want to kiss and punch him at the same time. We kiss once more before two nurses come in with the trays. Roman helps them set up on the wheeled-bed table and then they leave us alone.
“Let’s see what they have for us.” He lifts up the tray and holds back the look of disgust on his face. It’s not terrible, but from the color of everything, I’m betting it tastes like cardboard.
“Our first date in New York,” I tease.
“I was hoping to make our first date here memorable. I guess I’ve made it infamous.” He helps me sit up a bit to eat because one of my arms is banged up.
“At least I didn’t have to get all dolled up.”
“I don’t know. I do find that gown quite revealing.” He teases, reaching for it.
“Behave yourself, Mr. Edwards, or I’m going to eat your Jell-O.”
“If I get to touch you, I’ll buy you all the Jell-O you want.”
“Promises, promises.” He nods, and I have a feeling one day I’m going to find myself with so much of it I won’t know what to do.
