Once we were alone, Roman said, “You had to say you would go in front of Anna and Alice, but you don’t have to put up the brave front for me. If you want to stay home, I will find a way to get you out of this.”
I frowned. “I don’t need gotten out of anything, Roman. Not this or anything else. Not by you or anyone else. I’m nervous about going, but it is my decision to go. If I wanted to stay home, I would stay home.”
His fingers are tight on my arm, not enough to hurt, but enough to mimic a brace, or a shackle.
“I need to go now,” I said, though now I was hesitating for another reason. “Are you certain you feel well enough to watch Alice?”
“I feel fine,” he said and released me.
Though Alice could tend to be lukewarm with Roman, he was good with her. He was also a good friend to me. T
