I’d never be over him.

  Roman

  Now that I was a free man with a job lined up, I needed to get serious about my future.

  Our future.

  Maybe it was an excuse to delay things, but I fired up my new ride and took the long way to the mall.

  Showing up at Juliet’s house empty-handed wasn’t an option.

  When I got there, I circled the parking lot twice before going inside. What the fuck do you get your girlfriend when you’re not even sure she’s still your girlfriend? Hallmark probably didn’t sell hey-honey-I’m-not-going-to-prison-still-wanna-be-my-girl cards.

  A dazzling display caught my eye. I wandered into one of the mall’s jewelry stores and went straight to the case with the engagement rings.

  Under the store’s bright lights, I felt as conspicuous as a flea on white velvet. I shifted and hooked my thumbs in the back pockets of my grubby jeans.

  If I wanted to propose, I was gonna need to know how much money I needed to save.

  “Looking for a gift for someone special?” the clerk asked me.

  “Yeah.” This dude was probably two seconds from calling security on my grungy ass. “I’m, uh, not sure how much…”

  He launched into a long speech, explaining more than I’d ever need to know about diamonds—cut, color, clarity. Blah, blah, blah. My gaze wandered over the glittering rows, landing on a small one in the corner. I leaned in closer.

  It had a small center diamond with what looked like shimmering leaves fanning out around it. A solid, glittering daisy. “How much is that one?”

  “Oh, excellent choice.” He pulled the ring out of the case and held it up in front of me. “The center gem blooms like a spring flower with its glittering leaves.” He wiggled his fingers over the ring like a magician. “Very understated and elegant.”

  Understated must’ve been code for “not expensive.”

  “She likes daisies and that kind of reminds me of one.”

  His face broke into a wide grin. “It’s called the Daisy Duchess.”

  “The ring has a name?”

  “Oh yes.”

  “Well, how much to take her highness home with me?”

  He chuckled and named a price.

  My eyes bugged.

  He leaned in closer. “I can probably get my manager to let me take a little off the price for you.”

  “Can I put it on hold?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I pulled the envelope of money out of my pocket and plucked a crisp hundred-dollar bill out of the stack.

  He wrote up a receipt and some paperwork. I stared at the number at the bottom. It could take me most of the summer to earn enough money to pay off the balance.

  While I waited, my gaze wandered to another case. It landed on a gleaming little gold butterfly suspended on a thin gold chain. I was afraid to ask, but still needed a present for Juliet. “Can I see this?” I asked.

  The clerk keyed open the case and handed me the small velvet box holding the necklace. It had two tiny diamond chips on its wings.

  “It’s solid gold, so it will last her a lifetime,” the clerk said. He named a price that seemed downright reasonable after the ring.

  “I’ll take this today.”

  “Excellent.” He snapped the box closed with a quick thwack. “Do you want it wrapped?”

  “That’d be great.”

  For the first time in months, hope flickered in my chest as I walked out of the store and into the mall. I had a job that wouldn’t get me tossed back in jail and a plan to propose to my girl.

  Now, I just needed to win her heart again. I’d done it before when I had nothing to offer her. I could do it again.

  Should I show up at the house? Call her? Pick her up from school? Visit her at the drive-in? I couldn’t do any of it because I didn’t know her schedule.

  I flipped through all my options as I approached the food court. The place was jam-packed. My stomach growled. I hadn’t exactly eaten a lot in jail. I drifted toward the pizza counter when someone caught my eye.

  Juliet.

  Was it really her? Or was I seeing things because she was so heavily on my mind? Damn, she was even prettier than I remembered.

  I was so busy staring at her, it took a few seconds for the other details of the scene to register. Vienna had her back toward me, but I recognized her easily. She kept turning and looking up at the two guys standing next to the table. Doug, that jackass from school. I thought Vienna hated him. Why was she so obviously flirting with him? Jameson also seemed to be angling for Vienna’s affection. Where was Chloe? Those two had always been attached at the hip.

  But all those thoughts were to distract me from the worst part.

  A guy sitting all cozy with Juliet. They were pressed up tight, touching from shoulder to elbow as he leaned in to say something in her ear.

  Fuck. I couldn’t watch another second.

  I was too late. She’d done what I asked.

  She’d moved on and found someone else.

  Chapter Sixty

  Juliet

  The uncomfortable feeling from the mall followed me all the way home. I tried to convince myself it was the crappy food court pizza landing wrong in my stomach, but it was more than that.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep over at my house tonight?” Vienna asked, while flipping on the blinker for my driveway.

  “I have a bunch of stuff to do to get ready for tomorrow.” I needed time to decompress. Maybe take a long, hot bath.

  She gasped and hit the brakes so hard, my hand flew forward to brace myself against the dashboard.

  “Juliet.” The awe in her voice made my head snap up.

  “Wha—?

  Roman. In my driveway.

  Waiting for me?

  Somehow, he seemed taller and broader than ever. More menacing too, as if he’d kill any man who stood in our way.

  He leaned on a black motorcycle I didn’t recognize. A stab of hurt poked me in the chest. How long had he been out? Why didn’t he contact me? Obviously, he’d been free long enough to buy a motorcycle. That stung.

  Where was he living?

  Who was he living with?

  His arms were crossed over his chest and the short sleeves of his T-shirt showcased powerful forearms. Beard scruff darkened his jaw, adding an extra dose of menace to his sexy scowl.

  No longer the boy I’d fallen in love with.

  He was now a man I didn’t know.

  “Why are you sitting here drooling?” Vienna’s voice yanked me out of my trance. “Go climb that man like a tree.”

  Without answering Vienna, I flung the door open and jumped out of the car.

  Roman turned and the frightening expression on his face melted into pure affection.

  Even though I wanted to be furious with him, I couldn’t fly over the blacktop fast enough. My hands were dying to run through his thick, messy hair. My legs couldn’t wait to wrap around his waist.

  My heart thumped against my ribcage as if urging me to pump my legs faster. Get to him quicker.

  Our bodies collided and he caught me, burying his face in my hair while I squeezed the ever-loving daylights out of him.

  “Juliet,” he rasped. “I missed you.”

  “Me too. Me too,” I whispered.

  He squeezed me tighter, then he pulled away to stare at me for a few agonizing seconds before fusing our lips together.

  We kissed for what seemed like the first time in our lives. Except, the burning sweetness felt like home. His lips were as demanding as I remembered. In his arms, I was safe. I inhaled his crisp scent—now mixed with oil and leather.

  Leather.

  Only when we parted, and my heart stopped racing, did I tear my gaze away from him long enough to take in the leather vest he was wearing. Similar to Uncle Dex’s but without the same patches.

  “Where’d you get this? And the bike?” Anger and hurt crept into my tone. “How’d you get out? When? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Easy.” He kissed my cheek. “One thing at a time.”

  “I missed you.”

  His eyes softened. “Missed you too, butterfly.”

  I slugged him in the stomach, which probably hurt my hand more than his gut. “I’m mad at you. Furious.”

  His steady gaze drilled into me. “You have every reason to be.”

  We stood there staring at each other. Anger and love warred inside me. I was so happy he was here but still mad he hadn’t let me be there for him when he needed me.

  He lifted his chin toward Vienna’s car. “You two have plans?”

  “We went to the mall to try on graduation dresses.”

  His jaw tightened for a brief second. “You find one?”

  “I did. My stuff’s still in V’s trunk.” Nervous and flustered, I rushed over to the car and she smiled at me.

  “Lucky wench.” She popped the latch of the trunk and stepped out. “Welcome home, Roman.”

  “Hey, Vienna.” Roman’s quiet greeting seemed off. But he accepted a quick hug from her before pulling away.

  “Got everything?” Vienna asked me.

  I held up my bags and nodded.

  “All right.” She climbed into her car again. “If you still need a ride, let me know.” Her gaze flicked toward Roman. “But I think you’ll have it covered.”

  “Thanks, V.” I waved as she backed out of the driveway.

  Then Roman and I were alone.

  Strong arms slipped around my waist and he pulled my back against his chest. His warm breath slipped over my cheek. “I want to see the dress you bought.”

  “I don’t think I’m going to the ceremony now.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  I turned and lifted my gaze. “I want to spend time with you.”

  He leaned down, staring into my eyes. “And I want to watch you graduate.”

  Roman

  I wasn’t letting my girl go without a fight.

  Seeing her with some other guy shook me for a minute. But I hadn’t survived all the bad in life by giving up whenever a situation seemed bleak. Juliet and I were embedded in each other’s souls. A little jail time couldn’t alter our destiny.

  I would’ve sat in her driveway waiting all damn night if I had to.

  And if that guy came home with her, I would’ve slugged him in his smug, preppy face a few times just for thinking he was good enough for my girl.

  “Why didn’t you go inside?” Juliet asked as she keyed open the front door. “Did you lose your key? You still haven’t told me when you got out.”

  Anger turned her questions into accusatory word bullets.

  Fuck. The realization of what showing up with a new bike must suggest to her slammed into me. She thought I’d been out for days—maybe longer—and hadn’t bothered to see her.

  “I got out this morning. The bike was a thanks-for-not-snitching gift from Dex’s club. Or Ulfric’s. Dex was fuzzy on the details.” I had to tell her at least that much. She deserved to know. And if Dex didn’t like it, too bad.

  “Dex knew you were getting out?”

  Now she just sounded hurt.

  “Why didn’t he tell me?” she persisted.

  “I don’t think he knew for sure they’d let me go today.” I rested my hand on her shoulder. “Maybe he didn’t want to get your hopes up in case I wasn’t released.”

  “Hmm.”

  Her hum neither agreed nor disagreed with my statement. She tossed her bags on the end of the couch and kicked off her shoes. “Are you hungry? I ate at the mall.” She clutched her stomach. “The pizza didn’t agree with me, though.”

  I’d certainly lost my appetite at the mall. “No? You looked satisfied to me.”

  Oh, fuck. Why had that come out of my mouth?

  “What?” She stared up at me with wide eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing.” I ran my hand over the back of my head. Damn, I needed a haircut. Maybe some super glue for my mouth too. “I stopped there to get something. Saw you and Vienna in the food court with some preppy guys and that jockstrap-for-brains Doug.”

  She blinked and frowned.

  I’d said all that in English, right?

  “You seemed, uh, kinda cozy with the one guy,” I added.

  Might as well dig my grave nice and deep.

  “Frankie?” Her frown intensified. “I just met him today.”

  I closed my eyes and blew out a long, relieved breath.

  She popped her little fist against my abs, like she’d done out in the driveway. It tickled. I caught her hand in mine.

  “What’d you think? I was on a date?” she snapped.

  “Kinda, yeah.” I shrugged and leaned over to brush my lips against her knuckles, silently asking her to forgive my big mouth and all the dumb stuff shooting out of it.

  “Well, he did ask for my number,” she said.

  I froze.

  Note to self, locate Frankie and kill him.

  “I didn’t want to give him my number,” she added. “I mean, I didn’t.”

  I met her eyes. “I told you to forget about me.”

  “As if I’d ever forget you, Roman.” She jerked her hand out of my grasp. “I love you. I wanted to be there for you.”

  Her voice rose with each word.

  “I know you did.” I held my arms out at my sides. “I was trying to do the right thing. It wouldn’t have been fair to stress you out right before graduation. I’ve already fucked up my life. I didn’t want to be responsible for fucking up yours too.”

  “You haven’t fucked up your life.” She tilted her head. “Besides, it’s my uncle who dragged you into whatever it is you’re involved in.” She waved her hands in frustration.

  “He didn’t drag me into anything, Juliet. My options are limited.”

  She let out an annoyed huff of air and turned toward the kitchen. “Are you hungry or not?”

  I glanced down at my clothes, feeling grimy and uncertain. “You mind if I take a shower first?”

  “Of course not.” She jerked her head toward the stairs. “All your things are right where you left them.”

  Something unfamiliar like relief, or maybe disbelief, unlocked the tension in my chest. This was the first time I’d ever returned anywhere and had my belongings in the same place. The first time I didn’t lose everything. She had no idea how monumental this was for me.

  Or maybe she did. “Thank you.”

  She nodded and turned away. My stomach let out a ferocious growl as she pulled cold cuts out of the refrigerator. I hurried toward the stairs and into the bedroom. Everything looked the same. Bed neatly made, closet door slightly ajar, books stacked on the nightstand. In the bathroom, I shed my clothes and cranked up the hot water. Lord knew there hadn’t been long, hot showers in jail. Eager to return to Juliet, I didn’t stand under the spray for long.

  I emerged feeling renewed and hopeful about the future.

  When I returned to the bedroom, Juliet was sitting on the bench at the end of the bed staring at the door. Our eyes met and she shifted, tucking her hands under her legs.

  “What’s wrong?” I approached her slowly, my feet silent over the carpet.

  “Nothing. I wanted to continue our talk.” She flicked her gaze at my bare torso, then down to the towel at my hips. “It can wait, though. I know you’re hungry.”

  A different sort of hunger was building inside me, but things still didn’t feel right between us yet.

  The bags she’d returned home with sat on the edge of the bed. “Will you show me what you bought?”

  She cocked her head. “What do you want me to do? Put on a fashion show for you?”

  Laughter rumbled in my chest. “No.”

  She stood and I took her place on the bench, whipping the towel around my neck off and rubbing it over my damp hair. When I opened my eyes, Juliet was standing in front of me, holding an orange and purple dress against her chest with one hand and a pair of dark purple shoes in the other.

  “Wow, that’s eye-catching.”

  The corners of her mouth turned down and she lowered the dress. “You don’t like it?”

  “No, I like it a lot. It’s pretty. Just different from what you normally wear.” I shrugged, feeling stupid. It’s not like I knew a damn thing about women’s fashion.

  “Well, duh. I don’t graduate every day.” She flashed a quick smile and stalked over to the closet, sliding the door open and hanging the dress inside.

  I peered past her. Like she promised, my clothes were where I’d left them. I stood and walked over to the dresser I’d taken over when I moved in and slid the top drawer open. All my clothes were still neatly folded inside. I swallowed hard over the lump in my throat. She hadn’t tossed my stuff in a bonfire in the backyard. She had faith I’d return to her. More faith than I’d had in myself.

  “Did you think I was lying about your stuff not being here?” she asked.

  I wrapped my fingers around a pair of black sweatpants. I couldn’t turn to face her yet. “No, although I wouldn’t have blamed you if you threw it all in the trash.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  I finally turned but she was scooping up my clothes, not looking my way. “You’re supposed to hang up your cut.” She shook my leather vest. The box with her butterfly necklace tumbled out of the inner pocket, landing on the carpet with a quiet thump.

  Her wide eyes blinked and stared up at me. “What’s that?”

  I hurried over and scooped it off the floor. “The reason I went to the mall.” I slipped my hand around hers and tugged her toward the bench. This wasn’t quite how I envisioned doing this, but it’s not like I’d come up with a better plan.

  We sat side by side on the bench. I turned her hand up and placed the box in her palm. “I wanted to give you this for graduation. I’m so proud of you.”

  She unwrapped it and gasped, “Roman.” The box was small and flat. Nothing like the kind of box an engagement ring should come in. But the name of the jewelry store was embossed in shiny silver script on the top of the box.

  “Open it,” I encouraged.