Ariana’s POV
I walked in with my chest still tight, stomach twisted in knots I couldn’t unravel. The echoes of the club the screams, the gasps, the sickening sound of Roman’s fists against that guy’s face still rang in my ears.
My hands trembled as I climbed the stairs.
And I hated myself.
Not for stopping him.
Not for being afraid.
But for the way my heart still reached for him… even now.
His door was cracked open.
I saw the light before I even stepped in.
Then I saw him.
Roman sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, blood streaked across his knuckles like war paint. His chest heaved. The air around him was heavy. Broken.
I hesitated in the doorway.
My feet didn’t want to move. My heart didn’t know what to feel.
Then I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
