Anna Et Romy

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" I asked him, my chin wobbling as I gripped his hand. Romy looked me in the eye, after much grappling with himself. He took his hand back to sign. My own throbbed, a painful sensation to my numb skin.

'Didn't want to worry you.' He signed setting his jaw. I shook my head, tears forming again behind my eyes.

"Romy, you don't have to worry about 'worrying me'. I'll be here for you when you need me. I thought you liked me. In order to really like someone, you have to trust them." I said shakily probably speaking so fast he couldn't understand me. But he responded as soon as I finished.

'I don't just like you...' He started, fumbling for what to sign next. 'I trust you...I want to prove that I am okay. I don't...want to be broken material. Half of a boyfriend.' That was the first time he said 'boyfriend', and my heart fluttered just a bit at hearing it.

"You would never be half of anything to me." I said putting a hand on his face. He looked away.

'I'm...broken.' He signed not even looking me in the eye. I tried to catch his gaze.

"Well if you're broken and missing a piece, I'll fill it for you okay?" I said standing on the tips of my toes to kiss him. He held a hand at the back of my neck so our faces could meet. We broke away, only to come back together, kissing with more understanding. I had never done this before, but with Romy, it felt right.

His hands trailed down my sides as I skimmed mine over his lean chest. We stopped for a moment, his fingers lingering over the buttons on my flannel. I exhaled, so close to him I could feel his heat rolling off in waves. I nodded as he undid the buttons on my pajamas and we began to kiss again, only this time more desperately. I pulled his shirt over his head and Careful not to wake Lux, we inched towards my bed. We tossed our discarded shirts to the ground including my glasses, not breaking the kiss.

I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling his face so close to mine, we could have been conjoined. Not even ashamed or embarrassed when he saw me in my plain grey bra, we finally stopped and looked at eachother.

I couldn't help but laugh at his funny expression.

"You look amazed or intrigued." I said not caring that he probably couldn't see me talking. But it was true, his face was so focused and determined. When I said EVERYTHING was new to Romy and his sister, I guess it included this. But then again it was new to me too.

He smiled biting my lip and tugging at it, like a puppy with a chew toy. This was the one time I wouldn't want to capture with my camera. Developer, photopaper and good angles couldn't express this moment properly.

We laid on our backs, hand in hand staring at the ceiling. He still didn't have a shirt on and I could now see his planed chest rise and fall as he breathed. Inhale...1.2...exhale. Inhale...1.2...exhale. I rested my head on it, listening to the faraway echo of his heartbeat.

I suddenly couldn't imagine life without him. If anything had happened to him, I'm not sure what I would do. I curled up against him as he drew lazy shapes across my back. Eventually, I fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
I woke up the next morning, groggy and confused. I looked around seeing that Romy was gone. The imprint in the bed still smelled like him, it felt as if he should still be here.

My alarm clock read 8:30, I slid from bed picking up my glasses and putting them on checking my bathroom and the main area of the apartment. Tugging my flannel top back on and buttoning it up, I realized that it was just me in the loft. Lux had cleaned up after herself so good that ir didn't even feel like they were here at all.

Everest had a not attached to his leg as he pulled at it with his beak. Chirping gaily as I approached, gently sliding the tied note off. Lux did this, I thought remembering how she was admiring Everest yesterday. I unfurled it smiling.

"You said out by morning! Wish us luck as we face-off the viscious beast that is our mother! Thank you again, and please tell Mia that too."
-Lux M.

I shoved the note in my pocket as the doorbell rang. I walked to the door, my sister ALWAYS forgot her keys and it drove me nuts. I thought shaking my head and flinging the door open.

"Come on Julie, you need to..." the words died on my tongue as I realized that it wasn't my sister.

"M-Mrs. Mitchell." I stammered. She looked me up and down disapprovingly.

"My son and daughter never came home last night. And the gardner claimed to have seen you and a friend creeping around the property." she said wrapping her fur coat tighter around her body. I was starting to get mad. She came to MY house to accuse ME of doing things she IMAGINED but weren't true. I mean...in retrospect she was probably right...but still!

"How did you find my apartment?" I asked crossing my arms. She narrowed her eyes.

"My husband is one of the wealthiest men in New York. He owns every building on this block. All I had to do was ask. We know what your sister does for a living. And we certainly know about your parents. So don't go thinking you can just take advantage of my son and use his money-" i cut her off confused.

"Wait wait hold up. You think I'm using your son for money."

She gritted her jaw. "Girls like you do things like that. My Romy fortunately hasn't been exposed to hussys like you and I don't plan on him doing it now." She said stuffily. I clenched my fists.

"If you 'know' what my sister does, then you would know that she makes a lot on her own." I growled. Mrs. Mitchell scoffed.

"A stripper doesn't make THAT much money." my blood boiled, so hot that it was beginning to burn under my skin.

"Get the HELL away from my apartment. Get your Elizabeth Taylor wannabe ass away now." I said calmly pointing to the elevator. I probably made a mistake in terms of Romy. But family comes first, I thought watching Mrs. Mitchells jaw drop. She just crossed the line. Big time. She snapped it back up pointing a manicured finger at me.

"You just stay away from my son. Don't call him. Don't see him. And if I see you at his end of tour concert tonight, I WILL hunt you down." she hissed turning for the elevator.

"Yeah whatever, go take a laxative!" I yelled behind her slamming the door. As soon as I closed it, I began to shake violently. The doorknob reverberated against my back as I slapped my hands to my face.

Did I really just do that? She thought I was after her family money?

"What a BITCH!" I screeched, genuinely angry for the first time. The doorknob turned just as I walked away, I whipped around, my eyes wild as my sister came in carrying a backpack she kept in the car for emergency stops at hotels.

"Um hi?" she greeted hanging up her coat and rubbing her hands together to warm them. "There was a crazy old woman who almost knocked me down the elevator shaft." suddenly, I just couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay Julie, I don't want to fight. But let's just clear this up. I'm almost old enough to be making decisions myself, and my first decision is to do what I WANT to do." She opened her mouth to reply, but I put a hand up. "I appreciate you and everything you do for me, but truth is. I adore Romy, and I want to be with him. I adore Lux and I love having her as a friend. As my sister, the least you can do is support me." She was quiet.

"So I'm guessing the old woman i didn't get a good look at that almost killed me was Romy's mom."

"She thinks I'm after her money and basically threatened me if I showed up at Romy's last concert tonight." Juliet dropped her backpack running a hand through her hair.

"We've gotta get you to that concert tonight." She said shakily taking her phone out of her pocket.

"What are you doing?" Her as she began to text and walk to her room.

"I'm texting Earl. Apparently he's been taking care of Romy while his parents have been going out for gallery openings and ribbon cuttings. I feel bad that I might be the only exciting thing going on in his life and I haven't been making the effort to go after him." My heart went out for Earl, that's why he looked so tired and beat.

"I'm going to get dressed." I said going to make myself as beautiful as I possibly could for Romy.