Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Listening to Ella admit that she was essentially a prisoner in her own home broke Rome’s heart. He didn’t know what to do about it. He needed to figure out a way to get her out of there, but the only person who could help him was Tim Bolt, and he knew there was no chance the actor would want to have anything to do with him, let alone find out that his cousin had been speaking to the enemy.
He wished he could drive over to Tim’s place and tell him that he would do whatever it took to win his approval. Ella had said the night before when Rome was standing outside of her window, at first when he was listening without her knowing it, that she wished he’d just throw off his name. She was right--it was just a name. While he loved his dad and the rest of his family, he didn’t understand this ridiculous feud, and he didn’t want to be part of it.
For the moment, he had other things he needed to do, including getting a new phone. He’d need to get his from Ella and give her another one that night so that he could have his contacts back. It seemed almost unbelievable to him that she didn’t have her own phone. Clearly, her stepmom was a nutjob who needed a good swift kick in the pants--or to do some jail time.
After leaving the phone store, Rome went home to check his social media sites. He had a feeling Bart would send him a message to see how it went the night before, and he was right. There were several messages from his cousin waiting for him. He wanted to know all about what had happened the night before. Rather than hashing it all out through messages, they arranged to meet for lunch at a local hangout. Maybe Bart would have some insight as to what he should do about Tim. Bart was a smart guy, and he knew a lot about family dynamics that Rome didn’t even pay attention to.
Over his sandwich, Bart said, “Tim Bolt is never going to accept the fact that you’re seeing his cousin. That’s the bottom line. It doesn’t matter what either one of you says. Approaching him for help is a sure-fire way to cause a fight, and that jackass is one strong dude.”
Rome raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying I’m not?” He smirked at Bart, half-joking.
“Compared to him?” Bart asked.
“Bart, I’m just kidding. I get it. I just want to talk to him, let him know I love Ella, and I want to do whatever I need to do to be with her.”
Bart was already shaking his head before Rome was even halfway done. “Love? Man, that’s a strong word. How long have you known this chick?”
“Doesn’t matter. I know what I feel.”
“Didn’t you feel that way about the last three or four girls you dated?”
Rome rubbed the back of his neck. Perhaps he had jumped to that word quickly in the past. “This is different. I love her. She’s the one. I want to be with her forever.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think Tim’s gonna go for it. If it were me, I’d stay away from that. Let Ella be the one to break it to him. Otherwise, you’re going to end up getting your ass kicked.”
Rome appreciated the feedback, but he wasn’t sure he agreed. He wanted to go to Tim man-to-man and have a conversation with him, let him know he was serious. But he wouldn’t do anything until he talked to Ella. Checking the time, he saw that was still fifteen hours away--way too long. How in the world would he make it until 3:00 AM to see her beautiful face? He’d have to find a way, but he couldn’t wait until she was his all the time.
No sleep was to be had for Ella as she tossed and turned on her little, dirty mattress, waiting for 3:00. She had no clock in her room, save the one on her computer. In order to know the time, she had to check Rome’s phone, which was tucked beneath her pillow. She tried to stop pulling it out to look at it because she didn’t want to wear the battery down, but it was difficult. She couldn’t wait to see him.
At 2:35, the phone was at less than ten percent, so she decided to try to think about something else before it died altogether. She imagined herself climbing through that window tonight and running away, but she knew she wouldn’t do that. She was going to ask him to take her dress and the rest of the outfit Tim had given her so that her stepmother didn’t find it and know she’d lied. It was stuffed in an old gym bag and sitting over by the window. If Teresa came back in, she’d be screwed. But she figured her stepmom had had enough of her for one day, so she wasn’t worried about it.
So lost in her thoughts about running off with Rome was she that she didn’t even realize the time until she heard a soft tap on her window. Looking over to see him standing there, she smiled so broadly, she was certain her face was bright enough to resemble the full moon.
Ella hurried to the window, keeping her feet light on what was the second-story ceiling and opened the glass. “Hi,”
“Hi.” He raised up on his toes, and she knew exactly what he wanted and was willing to give it to him. Ella lowered her mouth and pressed her lips to his. His tongue flickered against hers, the sweet taste of him causing her to let out a soft moan
When she pulled back, it was only to smile at him, her hands on either side of his face. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Do you think I could come in this time? Will they hear?”
Ella hadn’t considered the possibility of letting him inside. Her meager dwelling was such an embarrassment, she didn’t really want him to see, but then, he’d been there the night before and had looked in, so he probably already knew how pathetic it was. “Just be as quiet as possible,” she said as she backed away so he could swing his long legs in through the narrow space.