Gaze intense and body taut, Roman told his mom, "You go up Ma, Alex and I need a minute."
Sue shuffled into the elevator, turning and smiling at us through the doors. Roman, maybe nervous, maybe guilty under her gaze, turned to me. He picked up a lock of my hair and rubbed it between his fingers, his gaze holding steady on my face.
Tension coiled in me, frozen, my gut a mess, I stared back at him, at the bump in his nose, at the complicated beautiful eyes.
The elevator doors whined as they closed and he completely withdrew from me.
Shuddering out an exhale, heart beating as fast as it could, I backed up a step, then another. "No." Roman bit out, regaining his hold on my wrist.
The elevator behind us dinged open. Without hesitation, Roman pulled me inside it.
Mouth tight, I tugged and
