The room fell silent for a heartbeat.
“Lizzie?” I raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto my lips as I watched her flounder in the chaos she had stumbled into.
“Oh. Oh no. I didn’t see anything. Carry on. Act like I wasn’t here,” Lizzie declared, her hands flapping dramatically as she began to back away, her eyes wide with mock horror.
“Lizzie, we-” I started, hastily scrambling off Roman, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.
“Nope. Nope. Doesn’t matter, I can’t even see. I don’t have my glasses on,” she insisted, squinting exaggeratedly into the room, her expression comically bewildered. Then, with a flourish, she pretended to fumble along the doorframe, her fingers tracing the wall as if she were truly lost.
“You literally walked in here, Lizzie,” Roman pointed out dryly, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Details!” she shot back, feigning a stumble over her own feet. “Just two sexy shadows wrestling. Could be yoga. Could be crime. Who’s to say?” Her playful tone lightened the mood, even as she made her way to the door.
Finally locating the exit, she turned around with all the flair of a dramatic actress in a telenovela, proclaiming, “Tell Chloe her cousin walked in on live amateur porn. Also, you’re both super hot. Even a blind girl can tell!” With that, she slammed the door behind her, leaving the air thick with laughter.
I stared at the closed door, still processing the absurdity of it all. “Did my cousin just bring a fish as an emotional support offering from my sister?” I mused aloud, shaking my head in disbelief.
Roman nodded solemnly, his gaze fixed on me, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. “While I was being ridden like a mechanical bull for educational purposes.”
A laugh burst from my lips, and I collapsed against his chest, the weight of my family’s eccentricity lifting for a moment. “God, I hate my family. They’re absolute maniacs.”
He grinned, his fingers running soothingly down my back. “Remind me to get them all something for Christmas. Preferably therapy.”
Suddenly, Chloe’s voice pierced the air, booming from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready! Savannah! Roman! Get your ass downstairs!”
I reluctantly slid off Roman, feeling the warmth of his body leave mine.
“I’m gonna need a moment,” Roman groaned, rolling onto his side, clearly not ready to part with the comfortable cocoon we had created.
“I’ll wait for you,” I replied, a smile still lingering on my lips.
The dining room was aglow with a warm, inviting light, the rich aroma of rosemary chicken and wine wafting through the air, mingling with the tension that always accompanied family dinners. The long cherrywood table gleamed, polished to perfection, adorned with Chloe’s meticulous touches: peonies in a pristine white ceramic vase, her monogrammed napkin rings, and a seating chart that had mysteriously placed Dean directly across from me and Roman. Strategic, as always.
My mother raised her glass, the clinking sound echoing in the room. “To Chloe and Dean,” she announced, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “A perfect match.”
I forced a smile, clinking my glass against hers, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily on my shoulders.
Roman’s wine remained untouched, his expression unreadable as he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear. “How long do I have to keep pretending I don’t want to throw him through that bay window?” he whispered, his tone a mix of humor and genuine irritation.
I smirked, my heart racing at the playful challenge in his voice. “At least until dessert.”
I took my seat next to Roman, naturally. My parents sat across from us, Aunt Janice positioned further down the table, and Alyssa nestled by Roman’s right side. And to my left? Him.
He looked far too comfortable in a collared shirt, as if he hadn’t torn my heart to shreds two years ago and handed it over to my sister in a Tiffany-blue box. Chloe’s previous ring had been replaced with a larger one, boasting an even bigger pink stone, and she couldn’t stop tucking her hair behind her ear every few seconds, a nervous habit that only amplified my irritation.
Throughout dinner, she beamed with such brightness that I contemplated using my fork for something more sinister, just to elicit a different reaction from that annoyingly perfect smile of hers.
Under the table, Roman’s hand found mine, his fingers intertwining with a casual intimacy that sent shivers down my spine.
“So,” Chloe began, swirling her wine with a theatrical flourish, “how long have you two been together?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Roman was quicker, his voice steady and confident. “Three years. We’ve known each other for five years, but we’ve been a couple for three years.”
Chloe’s brow raised in surprise. “Oh. That long?”
Roman nodded, a playful glint in his eye. “She played hard to get. But once she kissed me, that was it. I was done for.”
His words hung in the air, a sweet reminder of our journey, even amidst the chaos of family dynamics.
Dean’s jaw tightened, the muscles working beneath the surface like a coiled spring ready to snap.
“That’s odd,” Chloe remarked, tilting her head ever so slightly, her brow furrowing in curiosity. “Because when I called Savannah last year on her birthday, she didn’t mention anything about a boyfriend. Not even a fiancé.”
“Maybe I just wasn’t worth mentioning,” Roman replied, his tone smooth yet laced with a hint of thorns, a subtle reminder of the complexity beneath his charm.
I couldn’t help but grin at the banter. “No, it’s not that at all. He was just too good to share, right? Remember what happened the last time I introduced you to my boyfriend, Chlo?”
The sound of Dean’s fork clattering against his plate echoed through the room, a sharp reminder of the tension that lurked beneath the surface.
“Yeah, I think we all remember,” I said, a playful smirk dancing on my lips.
Roman’s hand slipped beneath the table, settling on my thigh with a warmth that radiated possessiveness. It was a dangerously intoxicating gesture, one that sent a thrill through me. I dared not look at him, afraid of the intensity in his gaze.
“You’re in finance, correct?” my mother inquired, her smile polite and welcoming, yet I could sense her curiosity bubbling beneath the surface.
“Yes, ma’am. Mergers and acquisitions,” Roman replied, his charm cranked up to a level that could light up the room. “But Savannah is truly the impressive one here.”
I blinked in surprise. “I-I am?”
“Absolutely,” Roman continued, his eyes shining with admiration. “She basically runs her department. Smartest person in the room. Most days, I just try to keep up.”
Aunt Thelma made a thoughtful sound, her approval evident in her expression.
Dean’s voice broke through the moment, casual yet laced with an undercurrent of something else. “I remember you always had a knack for numbers, Sav.”
I didn’t meet his gaze. “And I remember you always had a penchant for secrets.”
A soft cough escaped Chloe, breaking the tension that hung in the air.
Roman’s thumb brushed against my thigh, a subtle yet comforting gesture that felt possessive in the best way.
“So, when’s the big day?” Lizzie chimed in, her voice bright with excitement. “You both seem pretty eager for the part that comes after the wedding.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.