Chapter 164 She's An Adult Savannah My foot wouldn’t stop tapping against the floor. It had been doing that for the past twenty minutes, keeping pace with the rain that lashed against the windows. Roman had called earlier, his voice low and tired, saying he’d be late—some endless contract signing that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. It wasn’t unusual, but tonight my heart was pounding like the thunder outside. Every drop against the glass echoed the rhythm of my nerves. From the living room, the sound of a horror movie drifted down the hallway—Lizzie’s choice, of course. It reminded me that the house wasn’t just Roman and me anymore. Reese was living here too, and now Lizzie had claimed the couch like she owned it. And me? I was in our bedroom with three unopened pregnancy test strips shoved under the suitcase in the closet. Hidden away like a murder weapon. I hadn’t tested yet. Partly because I was afraid, and partly because I wasn’t sure I wanted to know at this moment. If I was pregnant, there would be no undoing it. And if I wasn’t… maybe I’d feel relief—and guilt later for feeling that way. Mostly, I was terrified of Roman’s reaction. He might yell. Accuse me of trapping him, deceiving him, forcing a future he wasn’t ready for. I’d seen flashes of his temper before—uncontrolled, uncontained and sharp enough to make me careful. And so, the safest choice in my mind was simple: don’t test. Don’t know. Don’t deal with it. At least for now. But another part of me, a smaller, more honest part, was almost certain. The mood swings. The delayed period. The way my body felt off-kilter. My instincts screamed that the tests would come back positive. And if that happened, everything would change. For good and for bad. I was still lost in that thought when I heard the click of the door. Roman walked in, shoulders tense, tie dangling from his hand, his shirt slightly damp from the rain. He looked exhausted, but when his eyes landed on me, a slow smile tugged at his lips. “My love,” he breathed, like the word itself loosened something heavy in him. I pushed the panic away, wiping my palms on my thighs and trying to look normal. “Hey.”In three strides, he closed the distance and pressed his mouth against mine. The kiss was fierce and unexpected—like he needed to remind himself I was real, that we were still here. Together. I gasped, but he swallowed the sound, deepening the kiss until all I could taste was him. And only him. When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, breath warm. “One more second in that blasted discussion and I would’ve added arson to my résumé.” I let out a small laugh. “Really now?” He didn’t smile. “I wish they’d dared me.” That earned another laugh out of me—louder this time. “How was your day?” He groaned. “Horrible. I fucking missed you.” His voice was low, muffled as he rested his head on my chest. “If I’d had a gun, I’d have shot them all and called it self-defense.” That comment made something cold prickle under my skin. A flash of Kingston crossed my mind, that whole nightmare we didn’t talk about anymore. I shoved it aside and smiled anyway. “Wanna wash up? I’ll run you a bath.” He glanced up at me, eyes softening. “Aren’t you tired?” I shook my head. “No. I want to do this.”A slow grin curved his lips. “Aren't you the sweetest thing? I really hit the jackpot with you, Sav. You better believe that.” “I thought that was my line,” I teased, brushing a kiss against his jaw. He kissed my forehead in return, holding me close for a beat too long, like he didn’t want to let go. “Where’s Reese? Didn’t see him on my way in.” “He left earlier. He said he was going to see Penny.” Roman snorted. “He’s probably… working right now.” “Working on Penny,” I said, biting back a grin. “Yeah. Working overtime,” he added, waggling his eyebrows. I shook my head, laughing as I walked towards the bathroom. I turned on the faucet, adjusting the water temperature until steam started to rise. Roman’s voice carried from the bedroom. “That reminds me, I ran into Lizzie downstairs. Nearly had me calling the police. I thought it was someone else.” “Sorry, honey. I forgot to mention. She’s staying over for a while,” I called out, testing the water again.He cracked open a bottle of water. “Oh, that’s lovely.” “Yeah,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips. “She’s here to fuck Reese.” The thud that followed made me whirl around. Roman was bent over, coughing violently, water spluttering everywhere. “Roman!” I rushed out of the bathroom, half-laughing, half-panicking. “Oh my God, are you okay?” He was clutching his chest mid-cough, red-faced. “What the fuck, Sav?” he wheezed. I grabbed the bottle from the floor and pressed it into his hand. “Here. Drink.” He took a sip, blinked at me like I’d just confessed to arson myself. “Are you serious, my love?” I nodded, trying not to laugh. “I’m serious.” “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, setting the bottle down. “What was she thinking? What were you thinking letting her come here for that?” I shrugged. “She’s an adult, Roman. I can’t exactly ground her for wanting someone.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Yeah, but it’s Reese. My brother. He’s not—he’s not the best person for her, baby.” I crossed my arms. “Well, she’s not asking him to spend forever with her. She just wants one night. That's all.” His face twisted in disbelief. “This is concerning, my love. I can't believe you're going along with this. This is crazy.” “Why? Because your brother has a dick and my cousin has hormones?” “Because,” he said sharply, “my brother isn’t exactly… responsible.” “And Lizzie’s not exactly a saint,” I shot back. “She knows what she’s doing.” “She’s a child, Savannah.” “She’s twenty-two, Roman.” He sighed, frustration crackling around him. “Look, he’s going to hurt her. I know Reese. I know what he’s like. I know what he’s into. Regardless of anything that’s happened between us, he’s still my brother. And I know what he’s capable of. She’s not going to come out of this the same. Please, talk her out of it. I beg you.” I hesitated, then dropped my voice. “She’s not a virgin, Roman, if that’s what you’re worried about.” His eyes widened. “What?” I groaned. “God, now I’ve told you Lizzie’s secret.” I smacked his arm lightly. “This is all your fault. Now quit being such a dad.” He looked flustered—actually flustered. “Oh. Well… I see. I completely understand now. She can, uh, do whatever she wants.” I stared at him, narrowing my eyes. “You’re so awkward right now.” “I’m respecting privacy,” he said, face and ears pinking as he scratched the back of his neck. I smacked him again, laughing. “You’re ridiculous.” He grinned, relief softening his expression. “But you love me.” “Unfortunately,” I said, pushing him toward the bathroom. “Now come on. Bath’s ready.” He laughed as I nudged him forward. “Bossy.” “Efficient,” I corrected. As he disappeared into the steamy bathroom, I sat back on the edge of the bed for a moment, my heart still thrumming. The laughter lingered in the air, warm and fragile. For a second, everything felt okay—safe, even. Then my gaze flicked toward the closet. To the suitcase where I’d shoved it earlier. Underneath it where those three little test strips waited like tiny verdicts, ready to rewrite everything I’d just laughed about. Roman’s voice floated out from the bathroom, low and teasing. “You’re not joining me?” I forced a smile he couldn’t see. “In a minute.” He hummed, water splashing. I sat there for a while, listening to the rain, the steady patter against the glass, the occasional sound of him humming a song I recognized. For a heartbeat, it almost felt normal again. Almost. But normal had been slipping through my fingers for a while now, and deep down, I knew the truth. Laughter wouldn’t last forever. Secrets had a way of catching up. And when they did—when that little strip turned pink—Roman’s world and mine would collide in ways we couldn’t come back from. We'd either become happy parents. Or strangers. Still, I smiled. Because tonight wasn’t about truth. It was about pretending things were fine, pretending the air between us wasn’t thick with what I hadn’t said. So I stood, peeled off my clothes, and walked toward the sound of his humming—toward the steam, the warmth, and the fragile peace we’d built. And as I stepped into the light, I told myself that tomorrow could wait. For now, I just wanted to be his. Completely.