Chapter 119: 119-My Boyfriend’s Condo
Verity:
When I was in the car, I noticed Roman seemed a little confused.
I couldn’t tell what was bothering him, but something definitely was.
He kept checking the rearview mirror and glancing at his phone.
A few times, it looked like he was about to text someone, but he always deleted the message before sending it.
"Are you okay?" I asked, curling my legs up on the seat and wrapping my arms around myself.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine," he replied with an uneasy smile. "I should be the one taking care of you, not the other way around."
He gave me a forced smile, and I returned it with one just as fake.
"Which, by the way, wouldn’t have been a big problem if—"
I raised my eyebrow because I could tell he was about to say something either completely unhinged or very informative.
"All of this would’ve been avoided if only you could transition," he remarked, making me watch him silently without any reaction.
At the border, he introduced himself as a doctor and me as his girlfriend to the warriors.
That’s when it clicked.
Ragnar had really tightened security at every checkpoint, mainly because he wanted to find out who had been going around beating everyone up for Gigi.
He was taking the threat seriously.
And I had a lot of bones to pick with him.
But that would come later.
First, I just needed the pain to go away.
When he told the warrior at the border that he had his girlfriend with him, I made sure to peek my head out and smile at the warrior so he’d remember my face.
He took me straight to the hospital.
By then, I was so sleepy that I was forcing my eyes to stay open.
They wheeled me in on a stretcher.
My wounds hurt so much that I couldn’t even stay on my feet anymore.
By the time the doctors and nurses arrived, I had already passed out.
When I woke up, I was still in the hospital room.
A glucose drip was connected to my arm, and my wounds had been patched up.
I stayed there in silence for about an hour.
When the nurse came to check on me, I struck up a small conversation with her.
That’s when she told me Dr. Roman had gone home to rest for a while and change his clothes.
"But can I be discharged?" I asked, sitting up.
She glanced at me before checking the clock.
"Since you passed out earlier, we’d like to keep you overnight for observation," she replied with a smile.
"Yeah, but I have to go to my boyfriend’s house," I said, trying to convince her, though I couldn’t think of a convincing excuse.
"Oh, Dr. Roman?" she asked.
That was when I remembered he had introduced me as his girlfriend.
"Yes," I replied with a shy smile.
"The doctor left instructions to keep you overnight." she pouted.
"He’s my doctor, not my jailer," I replied. "If I’m allowed to leave, I’ll sign whatever paperwork you need."
The nurse let out a quiet sigh before nodding.
"All right. If you’re certain, I’ll need you to sign a form stating you’re leaving against medical advice."
A few minutes later, she returned with the paperwork.
After explaining the risks, she watched me sign my name, removed the IV from my arm.
She handed me a small bag containing my medication and care instructions.
Wishing me a quick recovery, she escorted me to the exit.
On my way out, I told her a fairy-tale version of how Roman and I had met.
By the time I mentioned that it was my first time in his pack and that I wanted to surprise him, she had completely warmed up to me.
She seemed genuinely touched that, even after everything I’d been through, I was still thinking about doing something special for him.
Since Roman had already introduced me as his girlfriend, she didn’t hesitate to write down his address for me.
After all, I needed somewhere to recover and spend the night.
With the slip of paper tucked safely in my hand, I climbed into a cab.
No, I didn’t tell Roman I was coming.
His home was about twenty minutes from the hospital.
When I arrived and paid the driver, I noticed the lights in his condo were off.
Taking a deep breath, I walked to his door.
Before ringing the bell, I looked for the security camera.
The moment I pressed the doorbell, I ducked out of its view.
"Who is it?" Roman’s voice came through the intercom a second later.
I didn’t answer. He was probably trying to see who was outside.
A moment later, I heard footsteps approaching the door.
I stayed low.
As soon as I heard the lock click and the door swing open, I pretended to be fixing my shoe.
He looked down, almost gasping when he saw me.
"Oh, I’m so sorry," I said, straightening up and giving my foot a little shake as though I had really been fixing my shoe.
The way he looked at me, you’d think he’d seen a ghost.
I could tell he’d only been taking a nap.
His hair was a mess, and sleep still lingered in his eyes.
He wore black shorts and a white T-shirt, which he had probably thrown on when he heard the doorbell.
"Ver—ity!" Apparently, even saying my name was difficult. It came out as though his throat had tightened.
"Can I please come in. I’m very tired," I said, dramatically placing a hand over my stomach while holding the bag of medication in my other hand.
Roman took a step back, but he kept one hand on the doorframe.
I watched him glance over his shoulder before looking back at me.
For a moment, I wondered if someone else was inside.
Now, more than ever, I had to get in.
"Can I crash here tonight?" I asked him.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment before finally relenting.
"Sure. Come in."
Even his smile faltered.
Then I stepped inside his home.
Comments