Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Sitting on the ledge of a high hill, looking out over the ocean, Rome prepared for a phone call he didn't want to make. It was necessary, though. He’d spent a lot of time talking to his lawyer over the last month and a half since they’d come to Thailand. He loved it here and knew Ella was happier than she had ever been in her life. But they couldn't stay here forever, not if he was going to go back to acting. Unless, of course, he left her there and only came back between films, which really wasn’t an option.

They had plenty of money, so it wasn’t that. He just couldn’t stop thinking about making another movie. It was in his blood, and he needed to get back to it, before he started going crazy.

He had found the perfect city to live in on a beach in California, lined up security, and taken care of nearly everything else except for finding the perfect house. Now, he just needed to gauge how safe it was for him to go back.

Thus the phone call he didn’t want to make.

The phone rang several times before it went to voicemail. It didn’t surprise him too much. It wasn’t like his mom to answer calls from someone she didn’t know, and since he had obscured the number he was calling from, it was no shock she didn’t answer. He left a voicemail. “Mom, it’s me. I’ll call you back in five minutes. I need you to answer this time, and do so in private. I don’t want anyone else to know I’m calling you.” He hung up and waited the five minutes he’d mentioned, hoping she’d actually do as he said and answer without anyone else being around and without tipping anyone off.

After five minutes had passed, he called her back. This time, she answered right away. “Rome? Oh, my God. Is that you?”

“It’s me, Mom.”

“Where are you? Are you okay? I thought I’d never hear from you again….” Lacy Verona was clearly on the verge of tears.

“You deserved to never hear from me again, Mom. If I hadn’t been able to get out that window and get away, I would’ve killed myself. How would you have felt coming back into that bedroom to get your dinner plate and finding that?”

“I think about that every day!” She started crying. “Rome, I’m so sorry! I never should’ve let your father do that! We should’ve let you and Ella be together, to be happy. Now, we’ve lost you for good!”

He listened to her sob for a few seconds before he said, “I don't have a lot of time to talk to you right now. I can’t stay in one place for more than a few moments for fear that dad’s men will show up. I’ve been on the run for almost two months now.” Of course, that wasn’t true, but she didn’t need to know that. “I need you to talk to Dad for me. I need you to convince him to call his thugs off. I’m not being charged with anything in relation to Tim Bolt’s death. We know that now. So there’s no reason for him to try to kidnap me again. And since Ella’s not a worry anymore….”

“I’ll tell him, Rome. I’ll tell him. And then, will you come home?”

“I will think about it,” he said. “I need proof that I can come home without being hunted or constantly harassed.”

“I’ll do my best to make sure that he understands, Rome. The only reason they’re looking for you now is to make sure you’re okay. All of your accounts have been emptied. It looks as if your apartment was robbed. We were so worried that something had happened to you, that maybe Sinders had come after you.”

“Haven’t you learned yet what your hate cost you? Both Dad and Lloyd Sinders need to get their shit together. They need to sit down and talk about what hate has brought to both of our families. They should do that for Ella’s sake! Their hatred has cost three lives. How many more people have to die before they can resolve their differences?”

“You’re right, son. I’ll tell him you said so.”

“Fine. I’ll call you back in a week. I want to be assured that he’s called off his thugs, and that I’m safe to come back to California. Don’t expect me to want to see either of you for a while, certainly not him. I won’t even tell you where I am living, just if I’m back.”

“Okay,” she said through sobs that told him she didn’t like that plan. She’d have to get used to it. “Can you call before then?”

“No. I have to make sure it’s safe and that the call’s not being traced. I’m about to get on a plane. I’ll talk to you next Tuesday.” He hung up and rested his head in his hands, hoping this would work. His mom had never been able to convince his father of anything, but maybe, under the circumstances, he’d listen to her. Otherwise, there was no chance of him going home. Ever.

Ella fixed a dinner of tortillas, chicken, and a few vegetables in the modest kitchen space of their little piece of heaven. It was a different take on fajitas since she didn’t have all of the typical ingredients she would’ve put into them if she was in a place where she could go to a grocery store more frequently, but it would do. She’d made them a few times in the last few weeks, and Rome liked them.

He was sitting outside on a big rock, staring out at the ocean as the tide came in and lapped his bare feet. They spent a great deal of time out there, looking at the ocean or swimming in it. She knew, someday, maybe soon, she’d have to leave this place, and when she did, she’d miss this view, this freedom, this little piece of heaven.

He’d called his mom a few days ago, and Ella knew he’d be calling her again in a few more. She carefully sliced through some peppers, trying not to get her fingers. Cooking had never really been her thing, but she liked preparing meals for Rome. Oftentimes, he’d come and help her, and that always made it more fun. But today, he was lost in his thoughts.

Going back to California would be so much harder for her than it would be for him. She knew he wouldn’t go back unless he was sure the lawyer he’d been speaking with had a good case against his dad for kidnapping, and several other charges, one he could file if his father stepped out of line by even a step or two. She’d asked Rome to talk to his mom about trying to get his dad to reconcile with her father, but she wasn’t hopeful that would matter. If it was possible that the two warring parties could find some common ground, maybe she could let her dad know she was alive. That would make her life a lot easier.

Ella wasn’t expecting it to work that way, though. She would either have to somehow make herself look like a completely different person or never be seen in public again. How she could do either one was a mystery, although there were enough plastic surgeons in Los Angeles if it was possible anywhere in the world, that’s where it would be.

Rome didn’t want her to do that, though, and she wasn’t excited about changing her face either. She hadn’t exactly been happy about her looks her whole life, but ever since she’d met Rome, she’d felt better.

She was just about done preparing dinner when Rome walked in. “I didn’t realize you were cooking. Can I help with anything?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.

“Nope. Just about done.” She smiled, turning her face toward him, and his lips found hers.

Rome stepped over to the small sink and washed his hands. “I spoke to Gus today,” he said, wiping his hands on a towel.

Ella hadn’t seen either of their friends in the last few days, not since Mary said they’d decided to start looking for jobs on the island. They liked it so well, they wanted to stay indefinitely. Ella couldn’t help but be happy for them. She’d offered to continue to pay for Mary’s housing and keep paying her the salary she’d been giving her since she’d started working for her, right before Ella “died,” but Mary had insisted they needed to make their own way. “What did he have to say?” she asked, taking the plate with the tortillas over to their small table. She came back for the other ingredients.

“He said they had decided to purchase an existing rental business that caters to tourists on one of the larger islands nearby. They’ll be renting paddleboards, surfboards, things like that.”

“Wow, that sounds like fun,” Ella said with a genuine smile as she went about fixing her plate. Rome had already dug into the food, talking between bites. “Do they have enough money for that?”

“Yeah, Gus said he had a nice savings account before he left his job at the hotel. They seem pretty excited about it. They just need to find a place to live on the other island first.”

Ella was envious that they’d get to stay here, or close to here, but then, she knew how important it was to Rome to get back into acting, and she didn’t want him to stop his career for her, not if he didn't have to. “I hope they find a nice place. They seem to like the one they have now.”

“Speaking of places, Bart found a house for us to look at,” Rome said. “He said he’d send over the listing later.”

That made butterflies come to life in Ella’s stomach. Everything was getting very real. “Where’s it at?”

“Right on the beach,” Rome said with a smile. “A lot like this. Bigger, though. Still, you should have plenty of privacy.”

“Cool,” Ella said, smiling, even though it was mostly forced. “I can’t wait to see it.”