Haunted(50)

I sat there and watched them a few more minutes until Roman’s eyes fluttered opened as if he could sense he was being watched. He looked at me and smiled, a smile that showed all his teeth. He looked happy to see me awake. He stood slowly and laid Joey on the lounge chair.

He walked toward my bed. He leaned over and cradled my head in his hands and kissed me. The kiss was full of love and wanting, as though he hadn’t been able to kiss me in years. Tears rolled down my face. He leaned down and kissed my tears away and his expression held nothing but worry.

“Are you hurting?” he whispered.

“No, only if I move.” They must have me on excellent pain medication.

“Why are you crying?” he asked me.

“Because you love me.”

He looked confused. “Of course I love you. Why does that surprise you?” He sounded worried.

“I knew you did, but…your face…it shows all over your face.” I sobbed.

He leaned down and kissed me on the lips again, slow and gentle. “Beth, I love you so much. Promise me you will never leave me.”

I put my hands on his face and cradled it. I knew I couldn’t promise something like that. We don’t get to decide when we go. I learned that with Joe.

“I can promise you this: I will love you until the day I die.” Those were some of the most honest words I could give him.

Tears rolled down his face. “I guess I can’t ask for more than that. I’ll take it.” He kissed me gently. He smiled as he stroked my hair.

“What happened? Why is Berg in the hospital? Is he okay?” I looked over at Berg’s bed.

“Berg went after Andrew and, in return, Andrew stabbed him.”

“Oh no…”

“He is going to be fine. You should have seen him earlier. Eve was in here fretting over him, and he was eating it up. I’d never seen Berg act more pathetic than what I witnessed today.” He laughed.

“How is Joey?” I asked as I looked at my baby boy sleeping. My big baby boy.

“Eric picked him up. He did get suspended, but, Beth, to be honest it wasn’t his fault. This kid punched his best friend in the stomach while the teachers weren’t looking. This enraged Joey so much he punched the kid in his face.”

“What did you say to him?” I could tell that Roman was proud of Joey for defending his friend.

“Honestly? I’d told him the next time he needed to defend his friend to make sure he took his glasses off first. I hope that was okay.” He smiled at me.

“Does that mean we have to buy Joey a new pair of glasses?” I looked at my son and noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses, but then again Joey only wore them at school.

“Yup.” He smiled. “By the way, Joey was very proud of you. So am I!”

“For what?”

“Fighting Andrew. You really hurt him. Now you and Joey both have matching black eyes. He thought that was the coolest thing. He wants you two to make a picture together with your matching black eyes,” he told me while stroking my hair.

“Oh crap, how bad do I look?” I moaned and covered my face.

He gently grabbed my wrists and held them away from my face so he could look at me. “You look absolutely beautiful and more importantly, very much alive.”

“Did they catch Andrew?”

“No, they found your CRV at a drugstore down the road, and he stole another car. You must have hurt him pretty bad because your headrest is covered in blood.”

I smiled. He looked at me with a cute smirk.

“I beat him with a Maglite!”

“Beth, did he try to…”

I could tell he didn’t want to finish the question, and I knew what he was going to ask. He was worried that Andrew had tried to rape me.

“He threatened me with it, but my Maglite changed his mind for him.” I smiled again.

“I am never leaving you alone again,” he said as he pushed my hair behind my ear.

Roman always played with my hair when he was worried or antsy. It was cute and I didn’t think he even realized he did it.

“Baby, you can’t blame yourself and I won’t let you. I went without the bodyguard. See my fault.”

“I am going to go ahead and turn the guesthouse into a recording studio. I’m not leaving you alone until Andrew is caught.” He touched my forehead with his.

“Hey, look at how big this hospital bed is.” It really was. I wondered if they used these for really obese people. “Do me a favor, and bring Joey over here.”

Roman went to the chair and picked him up. I pointed to the side of the bed where I wanted him to put Joey. I lay on my side, the one without the knife wound. He put Joey beside me and Joey sensed I was lying in the bed with him and he snuggled closer to me and fell into a deep sleep. Roman went to the chair.

“Where do you think you are going?” I asked him. He looked surprised. “You, my love, need to spoon me. I almost died today. I need you.” He didn’t hesitate and climbed in behind me, wrapping his arm gently around my waist.

“I love you, Beth,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed it.

“I love you too.” And I drifted off to sleep.



Chapter 38 – Beth



After the attack, Berg and I were released to the care of my husband. Berg stayed with us. Neither Roman nor I wanted him to be alone. I had a pull-out sofa in the personal den off of our bedroom. Berg never complained. I think he liked being around us, especially during the Christmas season.