I nod, but he's already halfway to the bathroom. I listen as he tears open the shower curtain, and it squeaks against the bronzed metal pole. "Found some!" He shouts from the other room.
I toe off my heels and pad toward the bathroom. My feet ache, and glancing down, I see red marks where the tops of my heels pressed into my skin.
As I walk into the white bathroom, the white tiles on the floor are cool against the soles of my feet. It’s simple, with a white porcelain tub and sink. The lights are warm, turning the color of the room a light yellow. Tiny soaps and toothpastes sit next to the sink, with folded up towels shaped into triangles on top of the toilet. Roman is bent over on his knees, his fingers underneath the spout as hot water pours into the tub. He grabs the miniature white bottle, tipping it over and pouring in half the container. I want to open my mouth to tell him that's too much, but I can't muster up the energy to tell him so.
He tests the water once more, knowing I like it slightly hotter than boiling. "I think it's good. Want to test it?"
I shake my head. "You know how I like it."
He stands up straight, wiping his hands on his slacks as he walks up to me. "I do know how you like it." He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "I love you, Luna. Everything will be okay."
I nod, turning around to give him my back. "Can you help me out of this?"
His fingers trail along the edge of my dress, tickling my skin as he grazes along my shoulder blades. He stops at the zipper, and I can hear the metal clink. He gives a tug until my dress loosens, and pulls slowly, releasing inch by inch of my skin until he reaches my waist.
And lets go.
My dress pools around me, and I step out of the pink fabric flooded at my feet.
I'm braless, which is typical for me. I don't wear one with my leotard, so it didn't bother me to not wear one tonight. I have on a pair of black panties, a little sexy, but nothing overboard.
Roman likes it, though.
"Jesus," he groans from behind me. His hands go to my waist, circling around before going back to my backside. His hands squeeze, rubbing against my ass before hooking his fingers underneath the waistband of my panties, pulling them until they slide down my thighs. He leans in close, and I can feel his warm breath against my skin. I shudder, my skin prickling with goosebumps.
His fingers hook around my ankles, giving them a squeeze before his hands trail up the outside of my legs, moving up my thighs. He goes around my waist, up my sides and to my breasts until he reaches my neck. He tilts my head back, and I give him a soft kiss, closing my eyes as emotion catches in my chest. "Will you come in with me?" I whisper against his lips.
He separates from me, his eyebrows lifted as he looks down at me. "You want me to come in with you?" He gives a quick peek at the tub before glancing into my eyes. "It looks a little small."
I shrug. "I don't care. Please?"
He takes his clothes off without another word and steps into the tub. His form is lean, strong, tanned. Perfect. His muscles flex and bend with his movements.
He outstretches his hand, and I place my small one in his large one. His fingers curl around mine as he helps me in, the water perfect, the bubbles about to boil over the side. He settles down, helping me in so I'm sitting against him with my back against his front.
He gets some bubbles in his hand, spreading them across my arms, up my shoulders and neck, and down to my fingers. He pays attention to each one, spreading bubbles between my fingers, to my palm, to my fingernails.
"Tell me about your plans," I whisper.
He sighs, my body floating up and down against his heavy breath. "I don't really want to talk about it right now, Luna."
I turn my head toward his, the back of my hair getting wet against his chest. His eyes are sad, a small frown playing at his lips.
"I want to know what your plan is. Please," I beg.
He sighs again, bringing some water up to my hair, washing the loose curls from my head. His fingers are gentle as they comb through the strands from root to end. "We got a place in Los Angeles, close to the record label. We'll be going there a lot at first to record, practice and shit."
"What about your tour? Where are you going?"
He pops open a bottle of shampoo, squirting some in his palm before massaging it into my scalp. My head tilts back, my eyes closing as the scent of lavender fills the room. "We'll start in California, then head to Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco. Eventually, we'll head up to Seattle, then over to Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, New York. Our manager says he wants us to eventually go abroad, but first we need to get through the US tour."
"Wow. You'll travel the whole country then." A part of me is jealous that he's going to experience this without me. Something I've always wanted him to do, but with me standing by his side. The fact that he'll be hopping state to state when I'll still be stuck in high school leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
"And between tours, when I can, I plan to come to Shallow Lake, Wisconsin, so I can visit my beautiful girlfriend."
I shake my head, not sure of the words that are about to come out of my mouth. They just do, spilling across the bubbles and throughout this small bathroom. "Are you sure you want to even date me still? Will we even be together? What if you meet some girl on the road or something? You'll be this big rock star. You aren't going to want to be tied down to some little kid who's still in high school."
He's silent for a moment, his hands still in my hair. He doesn’t say a word. Then his hands drop into the water, a light splash heard as he grabs my waist, turning me around so I'm facing him. My legs wrap around his waist as he holds onto mine. A fierce scowl sits on his lips, condensation dampening his face as he looks at me with anger. The tips of his hair are damp, brushing against his forehead. "Why would you say that, Luna? You know how I feel. It's you and me. Forever. My heart beats because you are alive. That's all. I don't care about anything, anyone else in the entire world. Now and always, remember?"