Stubborn Love
Chapter Four
One Week Later
"Asshole," Lizz grumbled as Roman walked her out of the doctor's office. "I fucking told you that I was NOT ready to know if it was Seth's or Dean's. And what did you do?"
"God shit done," Roman said as he led her back to his SUV.
"I would have done it eventually! I'm gonna stick a fucking needle in your stomach to see how you like it, jackass," Lizz hissed".
"Stop being dramatic!"
"No! I missed an important meeting today and I have to swing by my shop because good help is hard to find," Lizz said, annoyed. "I have at least three different dress orders for clients and I'm pretty sure that I have feelings for two different men that I grew up with, one of which is the father of my child. Don't tell me not to be dramatic, Roman."
Roman glanced at her as the light turned green. "Since when do you have a shop?" Lizz crossed her arms and stared angrily out the windshield.
"I started selling my designs in college so I didn't have to resort to stripping. Paid pretty good, too. Sent Ryland and me to Mexico for spring break. Two years now, I think, though," she finally said.
Roman looked thoughtful and nearly impressed for a moment before he had an epiphany. "Dean went with you to Mexico, didn't he?"
"He may have been there and he may have bought all our booze," Lizz said."Either that or it was some guy that looked just like him. I was pretty drunk, so there's no way to tell."
"You hate me. That's why you date my friends, isn't it?"
"It helps that they're attractive." Roman rolled his eyes. "'Specially Dean." Lizz sighed and if Roman wasn't gagging at the thought of his sister and friend, he would have felt bad for her.
"Should I take you home?"
"Yes, please. I have a lot to do and no time to worry."
Roman was at Lizz's house when she had finished all of her errands. "I brought dinner from that Italian place you like," he said with a grin. "To apologize for earlier."
Lizz kicked her shoes off and relaxed slightly from her long day. "I just... Is it chicken parm?"
Roman titled his head as Lizz sat on the couch and he got up to bring her dinner. "It is," he answered. "You just what?" He handed her the go-box and a fork, then sat beside her.
Lizz was already eating so it took her a moment to finally answer. "What if I can't be a good mom?" she asked quietly. "I couldn't the first time." She tapped nervously with the fork against a piece of chicken.
Roman furrowed his brow. "What do-WHAT? The first time?" Lizz set the box on the coffee table and sighed, rubbing her temples.
"You remember when Seth took me to his senior prom because he decided he wasn't going until the last minute and then everybody was taken so he asked me?" Roman nodded, not liking where the conversation was going. "Well, Claudia and Ryland teased me about losing my virginity to him..." Roman cringed. "And my period was late and I went to the doctor and I ended up getting an abortion and got depressed and... Roman, I just don't know if I can do this."
Roman was silent for a few minutes. "The week you didn't go to school?" he asked. "And Dean held you in the hallway while you cried." Lizz bit her lip and nodded slowly. "Seth had said you were crying and Dean went to make sure you were okay. I remember. Mom made Dean leave while you were sleeping."
Lizz smiled weakly. "Ryland brought so much weed, and Claudia brought me cupcakes. I was so high, but I never told them. I never told anyone, Roman. You can't tell Seth or Dean or anyone else for that matter."
Roman let out a long sigh, and then he nodded. "Your secret's safe with me." He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "I wish you told me sooner."
"Does that mean you aren't going to be such a jackass now?" Lizz asked before she picked up her food and started eating again.
"Only to you. Seth has it coming," Roman chuckled. For the first time in weeks, Roman had really smiled and his eyes crinkled a little at the corners. Lizz smiled slightly, glad to see the softer side of Roman, and turned on the TV as they continued to talk.
"So," Roman said, "Are you wanting a boy or a girl?"
Lizz shrugged. "I haven't really had time to think about it. I've been so busy-I keep having to send Riz to meetings in my place-that reminds me, she deserves a raise..." She looked down and gently rubbed her belly. "I think a girl, though."
He raised a brow. "Any names you like?"
"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "But I'll think of something... Eventually. It can't be that hard right?"
"Asshole," Lizz grumbled as Roman walked her out of the doctor's office. "I fucking told you that I was NOT ready to know if it was Seth's or Dean's. And what did you do?"
"God shit done," Roman said as he led her back to his SUV.
"I would have done it eventually! I'm gonna stick a fucking needle in your stomach to see how you like it, jackass," Lizz hissed".
"Stop being dramatic!"
"No! I missed an important meeting today and I have to swing by my shop because good help is hard to find," Lizz said, annoyed. "I have at least three different dress orders for clients and I'm pretty sure that I have feelings for two different men that I grew up with, one of which is the father of my child. Don't tell me not to be dramatic, Roman."
Roman glanced at her as the light turned green. "Since when do you have a shop?" Lizz crossed her arms and stared angrily out the windshield.
"I started selling my designs in college so I didn't have to resort to stripping. Paid pretty good, too. Sent Ryland and me to Mexico for spring break. Two years now, I think, though," she finally said.
Roman looked thoughtful and nearly impressed for a moment before he had an epiphany. "Dean went with you to Mexico, didn't he?"
"He may have been there and he may have bought all our booze," Lizz said."Either that or it was some guy that looked just like him. I was pretty drunk, so there's no way to tell."
"You hate me. That's why you date my friends, isn't it?"
"It helps that they're attractive." Roman rolled his eyes. "'Specially Dean." Lizz sighed and if Roman wasn't gagging at the thought of his sister and friend, he would have felt bad for her.
"Should I take you home?"
"Yes, please. I have a lot to do and no time to worry."
* * *
Roman was at Lizz's house when she had finished all of her errands. "I brought dinner from that Italian place you like," he said with a grin. "To apologize for earlier."
Lizz kicked her shoes off and relaxed slightly from her long day. "I just... Is it chicken parm?"
Roman titled his head as Lizz sat on the couch and he got up to bring her dinner. "It is," he answered. "You just what?" He handed her the go-box and a fork, then sat beside her.
Lizz was already eating so it took her a moment to finally answer. "What if I can't be a good mom?" she asked quietly. "I couldn't the first time." She tapped nervously with the fork against a piece of chicken.
Roman furrowed his brow. "What do-WHAT? The first time?" Lizz set the box on the coffee table and sighed, rubbing her temples.
"You remember when Seth took me to his senior prom because he decided he wasn't going until the last minute and then everybody was taken so he asked me?" Roman nodded, not liking where the conversation was going. "Well, Claudia and Ryland teased me about losing my virginity to him..." Roman cringed. "And my period was late and I went to the doctor and I ended up getting an abortion and got depressed and... Roman, I just don't know if I can do this."
Roman was silent for a few minutes. "The week you didn't go to school?" he asked. "And Dean held you in the hallway while you cried." Lizz bit her lip and nodded slowly. "Seth had said you were crying and Dean went to make sure you were okay. I remember. Mom made Dean leave while you were sleeping."
Lizz smiled weakly. "Ryland brought so much weed, and Claudia brought me cupcakes. I was so high, but I never told them. I never told anyone, Roman. You can't tell Seth or Dean or anyone else for that matter."
Roman let out a long sigh, and then he nodded. "Your secret's safe with me." He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "I wish you told me sooner."
"Does that mean you aren't going to be such a jackass now?" Lizz asked before she picked up her food and started eating again.
"Only to you. Seth has it coming," Roman chuckled. For the first time in weeks, Roman had really smiled and his eyes crinkled a little at the corners. Lizz smiled slightly, glad to see the softer side of Roman, and turned on the TV as they continued to talk.
"So," Roman said, "Are you wanting a boy or a girl?"
Lizz shrugged. "I haven't really had time to think about it. I've been so busy-I keep having to send Riz to meetings in my place-that reminds me, she deserves a raise..." She looked down and gently rubbed her belly. "I think a girl, though."
He raised a brow. "Any names you like?"
"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "But I'll think of something... Eventually. It can't be that hard right?"