REIGN (A REVERSE HAREM)

45. Arabella

"I knew of you when i was a boy but i had no interest in girls, so the attempts our mothers made to make us be friends was useless. You were too busy paying attention to flowers and insects you'd find, i couldn't care less for a friend." Roman says, his hand rubbing on his knee. "When my mother died, it was Juliana who found me at the scene. She thought i did it." He says, his voice lowering a little.

"Did you?" I accept Asher's offer for the to the blanket.

"She hung herself, love." Roman smiles weakly, "I was eleven, i didn't really know what was happening."

"Sorry."

"Don't be." He clears his throat, "My father and i never had a good relationship so Juliana raised me, she would be the one to feed me, put clothes on my back. It's what my mother would have wanted. I was hard to take care of, Juliana never gave up, she still never does."

I gulp. I remember some nights where dad would beat mom for not being at home. He thought she was cheating.

It was to take care of him.

"Your father tried to rape your mother, i found her crying one night. I was sixteen at the time, you were eleven. She cried about how trapped she felt, and that the only reason she was still alive was because of her children; you." He points, "I told her i'd take care of your father. She said no. She didn't want him dead because she knew you loved him, and she didn't want to hurt you like that. So she asked me to help her escape."

I pull the blanket up to my chin, the warmth comforting me a little bit.

"I found a woman who looked like your mother, did the body modification to make her look exactly like your mother and then i planted her on the doorstep of your house." He finally looks up and meets my eye, "I didn't mean for you to find her. It was supposed to be your father. I do apologise for that. That was the first time i ever actually noticed you."

I remember that night. Papa was busy so he told me to answer the door. I seen my mom with a rope burn around her neck, her skin pale and eyes dark.

"From then on, she stayed at a safe house, changed her appearance, she married a woman called Gia..."

"The one with the farm?"

"That's the one." He nods his head, "Gia is your step-mother. And that little girl, your sister. Her names Afra, they adopted her from Syria."

I don't try and stop my tears, but i wasn't sobbing like earlier. It was slow tears. Moms happy.

"When your mother found out that your dad was selling you."

"Selling me?" I frown.

"Initially, he sent out the highest bidding offer. She told me to intefere. I had leverage over your father, he had no other chance but to marry you to me."

"What leverage?"

"Drug business. He couldn't pay off a debt from the half of the Italians in New York. That's why he's promised you a night with most of them." He looks down again. "I held the debt over his head, forced Marco to force him to give you to me. After all Juliana did for me, i deserved to give her this."

I lean against the headboard.

"You remember the night of our wedding? After we fucked and you seen that woman in here? That was Juliana. I was not fucking her, i haven't fucked anyone since i've met you love, bar the girl in the club that i fingered but." He shrugs, "Juliana is around a lot. We work with business together. She has a lot of connections thanks to your father."

"Why did you lie to me?" I ask the question. "I told you all stuff about her. About how i felt. And you let me, knowing she was alive? The amount of times i cried over how much i missed her..."

"She told me to not to tell you." He runs his hand through his hair, "So i didn't. I... I never was going to tell you. She doesn't want you to know that she's alive."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't want you to hate her for not saving you from your fuckface of a father." Asher answers that one. "I'll call her. Gia and Afra too."

I would never hate her. I'm glad she got out.

"Is there anything else you want to know, love? I meant what i said yesterday, i am in love with you. And i meant what i said in the hospital. I am going to earn your forgiveness." Roman stands up.

I desperately wanted to ask him how he got his scars but that's rude, "I want to talk about what happened in there."

"What i said?" He asks.

I nod my head. "Do you mean-"

"I don't feel any of those things toward you, Arabella. I didn't mean it. You looked offended when i said you were bad in bed, if you were bad do you think i would have begged you?" He smiles a little.

"But the thing about Asher and Luca?" I ask.

"Arabella, i don't care that you fuck them. I like it."

I raise an eyebrow. "You like it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because i know it makes you happy, and they make you happy."

I look at Luca who was smiling at Roman like a proud dad, "I don't think i've ever head him talk that much." He holds his hand to his heart, "I'm so proud right now."

Roman gave him a deadly glare, "How old are you?"

"Twenty six."

"Fucking act your age."

I crack a smile, but wipe my tears away. "Can you help me shower?"

"Yes." They say together.

"Luca... No fucking involved. I'm sore and too tired."

"Of course. I'll see if Juliana can come around." Roman nods his head, walking away.

Luca smiles, "He's in love."

I get off the bed, "I want a bath."

"Anything for you." He bring my hand to his lips and kisses me, sending a warm rush through my body.

"And you have to join me." I add on.

"No problems about that." He wraps his arms around me, "Sorry, princess. About all the lies."

"You better be." I walk to my bathroom. "Is she happy?"

"Of course she is." He lifts me onto the counter, turning the faucet on for the bathtub. "She's no longer bound to a capo. She has the freedom she desires." He spreads my legs, standing between them. "She named the farm after you, you never told me your middle name was Aurora."

"She named the farm after me?" I ask, eyes wide.

"It's called Aurora's farm." He taps my hips.

I rest my forehead on his shoulder, "I can't wait to see her again."

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Honest roro >>

word count: 1167