Soulmates & Twin Flames

20 - The Waiting Game

Shame. Panic. Feeling exposed.

None of it matters when you're caught red handed.

Adrenaline rushes through your veins, and you act upon instinct... Fight or flight.

Unless you're me. Or Roman.

Then you freeze.

"Roman..." I whisper, gazing at the door. The woman behind it knocks again, and I finally find the strength to push Roman away. "Rome, stop."

Why am I whispering? The lady behind the glass must have heard everything since I entered the office, anyway. Our argument, my moans, the trembling of the wall...

Still pressing against me, Roman turns to the shadow behind the door, then slowly sets me down. I hadn't realized that I was on my toes until my feet touch the ground.

"Mr. Rhode?" a woman's panicky voice calls. His secretary. "Your eleven o'clock is ready in meeting room three."

I take a deep breath and hold it as I quickly fix my dress. My legs feel shaky, and my heart... I swear it's a raging beast and not a human heart in this moment.

Roman quickly checks his belt's buckle and steps away. His hand runs through the creases of his shirt before he tucks it in.

"Mr. Rhode?" his secretary calls once again. "Do you want me to—"

"Be right there," he replies coldly, then whips a warning gaze at me. "Wait. Here."

I touch my heated cheeks. The wires in my brain are still short-circuiting. Fried. I can't process anything that happened in the past hour. Like, why was I here in the first place? Was I supposed to be angry at Roman? No—infuriated.

Now, all I can think about is his tongue trailing the curve of my neck, and our fingers between my legs.

What the actual fuck?

Before I can say anything, Roman opens the door and leaves the office.

"Are Carters here? I don't want any problems," he warns his secretary as their shadows disappear from the other side of the wall.

Tiffany is a Carter. Does this mean Roman's meeting her family? Is he going to tell them about us? That he's leaving their daughter?

Perhaps I'm reaching too far.

"Business, Abby. He's meeting them for business," I whisper, tucking some hair behind my ears.

Great. Now, I'm talking to myself like a lunatic.

My gaze flies across the empty room.

My bag is lying on the floor—I grab it.

My dress is hanging from my shoulder—I fix it.

Let's be realistic. I got what I came here for, right? My paycheck. And I listened to Roman before we started to...kiss the soul out of our bodies. The memory of that heated moment gives me goosebumps.

Focus, Abby.

A part of me wants to stay and wait, just like Roman said. But what would that make me? A pitiful bitch who is hungry—no, starving—for the slightest piece of Roman's attention. Do I want him to have that kind of power over me?

I take my phone out of my bag and start typing.

'Call me when you're single. For what it's worth, I still love you, Roman.'

Then I hit send, fling open the door and leave Roman's office. If he loves me, he'll come for me.

He won't let me get away this easily, right? I saw it in his eyes; it's a mutual feeling! I'm worth the chase.

I believe it.

I have faith.

After all, who doesn't believe in finding true love? Especially when it's so close, within your grasp. All Roman needs to do is grab it and claim it for his own.

So I go home and wait.

Roman's going to knock on my door any day now. He'll sweep my feet off the ground. And we'll start our happily ever after.

A day passes.

Then two, three, four...

Days turn into weeks and I start withering. Because Roman doesn't call.

'I'm worth it. I'm worth the chase,' I keep telling myself.

Until one morning, I wake up and see the tabloids: 'Rhode and Carter families are proud to announce the engagement of Roman and Tiffany.'